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I hope you have fun and many breakthrough moments as you apply the Theory of IZP.
Rod King, Ph.D.
January 2009.
A SHORT QUIZ, PLEASE!
1. Please take a good look at the diagram below.
What does the above diagram represent? List possible uses for the diagram.
2. How many rectangular boxes do you see in the above diagram?
3. Without lifting your pen or pencil, draw three straight lines that touch all boxes in the above
diagram.
4. After reading and digesting the Theory of the Infinitely Zoomable Page (IZP) in subsequent
pages, again answer questions 1 and 2.
What are your comments regarding the nature of the answers?
Please, let us hear from you in the IZP community at http://rodkuhnking.wordpress.com and
http://www.slideshare.net/RodKing
THEORY OF INFINITELY ZOOMABLE PAGE (IZP)
A Tool for Visually Generating, Organizing, and Answering Breakthrough Questions
The progress of individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities strongly depend on
how well they continuously generate and answer breakthrough questions. A breakthrough
question requires the delivery of an innovative idea, strategy, process, plan, and/or solution for
targeted customers. Breakthrough questions usually require novel or non‐routine approaches.
Nevertheless, the quality of answers to a breakthrough question should be judged on how well
the question’s response maximizes desired experiences of customers.
In the literature, there is no explicit methodology for comprehensively answering breakthrough
(“impossible”) questions of customers, businesses, organizations, and society. Brainstorming is
the most common tool for answering breakthrough questions especially when non‐routine
questions are posed to a team. However, brainstorming is an empirical tool that is fraught with
many difficulties. Classic brainstorming may produce ‘wild’ ideas but often these ideas do not
lead to innovative strategies, plans, or projects in the real world. One reason is that the
theoretical underpinnings of brainstorming are little understood. At a deeper level, classic
brainstorming is an inadequate implementation of the evolutionary process of natural selection
as espoused by Charles Darwin. While Charles Darwin focuses on species in the process of
natural selection, brainstorming involves competition between ideas. From this perspective,
brainstorming should focus on phases of a process that ensures ‘survival of the fittest idea.’
Also, the process of brainstorming does not cover strategic planning and project management.
This booklet presents the first methodology for comprehensively generating, organizing, and
answering any type of breakthrough question. The methodology, which is called the “Theory of
Infinitely Zoomable Page (IZP),” involves a synthesis of the best ideas on visual systems
thinking, creative problem solving, strategic planning, innovation, and performance
management. Using the Theory of IZP, anyone can simply learn how to “zoom in and out of the
box.” The Theory of IZP reflects the tacit philosophy of highly inventive people.
Below are eight principles that define the paradigm of the Theory of IZP. By understanding and
applying these principles, anyone can more deeply generate, organize, and answer
breakthrough questions in diverse domains. In short, continuous application of these principles
makes people and organizations smarter as well as more innovative. The Theory of the IZP also
provides a visual framework and common language for organizing and managing breakthrough
questions that involve participants in multi‐disciplinary teams. The Theory of IZP can be used in
conjunction with other problem solving and innovation tools. From a domain perspective, the
Theory of IZP can be used to greatly enhance the work of business executives, strategic
planners, project managers, innovators, marketers, researchers, and product developers.
Name: Dr. Rod King – Principles of The Theory of IZP Date: January 2009 Sheet 1 of 1
PRINCIPLES OF
Elements
(Parts)
BIG BANG! Past Present Future
TIME
(EVOLUTION/KNOWLEDGE)
The above figure facilitates viewing of an object or a system from a matrix of perspectives:
spatial perspective (analyst; naturalist; ecologist/cosmologist or micro‐; system; macro‐)
and temporal perspective (historian; news‐journalist; futurist). A box could be any object
such as a screen.
2. Principle of Brain‐friendly Clusters
Any system or object of information including topics, themes, and questions can
(repeatedly) be segmented or chunked down using a 3x3 cluster of a Zoomable Page. In the
center of the (initial) 3x3 cluster is the description and/or image of the original system or
object. The visual 3x3 cluster is more visually appealing than a vertical list of items and
reduces the problem of information overload while facilitating short‐term memory.
The converse of the foregoing statement is that any number of elements can (repeatedly)
be aggregated, synthesized, or chunked up using a 3x3 cluster of a Zoomable Page. As
before, the center of the 3x3 cluster contains an overarching description and/or image.
From a mathematical perspective, a 3x3 cluster or Zoomable Page with the center
describing the category of surrounding elements is a visual representation of a system with
the equation, y = f(x) where y refers to the output, central object, or effect and x refers to
the inputs, elements, or causal factors of the system.
3. Principle of Analogical Strategies, Tools, and Solutions
The best idea, strategy, process, solution, and outcome for any breakthrough question or
task already exists and lies on the IZP. Similar ideas, strategies, processes, solutions, and
outcomes can be obtained by using relevant systematic tools and templates. There are
relatively few trajectories, patterns, and templates for moving from the present to a future
state which can be defined by a set of qualitative and quantitative performance indicators.
Existing resource constraints are often the limiting factors regarding the achievement of
goals and desired states. Breakthrough innovations frequently involve the elimination of
apparently impossible constraints while achieving a highly delightful future state.
4. Principle of Systematic Decision‐making, Planning, and Idea Generation
At the core of decision‐making, planning, and idea generation as well as the exploration of
ideas and the answering of breakthrough questions is the cyclical process of C.O.P.E.:
Collect; Organize; Present; Evaluate. The sequence of elements in the C.O.P.E. cycle can be
directly linked to phases of the classic creativity process including preparation (immersion/
accumulation of diverse knowledge), incubation, illumination (synthesis), and verification.
5. Principle of Network Engagement (“B.E.A.R.: Bring Every Available Resource”)
All problems, solutions, tools, and innovations can be discovered by asking (breakthrough)
questions as well as productively exploring and optimally engaging all resources on
networks of the IZP especially customers and producers. It is important to note that tangible
elements in a business network can be summarized using the acronym, SEMPORCE:
Suppliers; Employees; Machinery/Facility; Processes; Outputs (Products/Services); Retailers/
Distributors; Customers; Environment. Intangible elements include functionality, goal,
purpose, essence, attributes, knowledge, and experiences (advantages and disadvantages).
6. Principle of Stages of Communication Systems
The IZP contains four types of communication systems: discrete (stone‐heap); linear (chain);
hierarchy (tree); network (web). Successful and growing systems generally move from
discrete through linear and hierarchical to tightly integrated network communication. The
life cycle of each system as well as its elements and environment follows the shape of an S‐
curve. Phases of an S‐curve include birth, growth, maturity, saturation, and decline.
7. Principle of Evolution Towards the Ideal Solution
Objects on the IZP compete as they evolve towards an ideal‐solution state that is
characterized by infinite advantages and zero disadvantage. (The aforementioned
statement can be described as the “Law of Ideal Solution.”)
It is important to note that present and future advantages respectively refer to
strengths and opportunities while present and future disadvantages respectively refer to
weaknesses and threats. Consequently, the ideal solution can be described as the state of
an object that has infinite strengths and opportunities on the one hand and zero
weaknesses and threats on the other hand. This restatement of the Law of Ideal Solution
facilitates innovation in a business network especially for products and services.
As objects evolve towards the ideal solution, their form, structure, and content reflect
key evolutionary and revolutionary processes (strategies). Evolutionary processes include
substitution, combination, addition, and multiplication of resources in a system, its
elements, and environment. In contrast, revolutionary processes involve radical change and
include unification of opposites; removal (elimination); “extremization;” idealization
(virtually instant, free, and perfect self‐organization or adaptation).
8. Principle of Unexpected Chaos, Novelty, and Opportunities
Sometimes, environmental or internal changes of a system may cause chaos from which
there are emergent opportunities and threats. When satisfactory answers to breakthrough
questions are not being obtained using the other principles of the Theory of IZP, a ‘chaotic
object’ may be formed through ‘forced integration’ of elements in the system with
randomly selected elements in the system as well as in its core, peripheral, and remote
environment. The chaotic object, which deliberately introduces diversity or change in the
system, could be used to generate further ideas and opportunities for emergent customers
as well as well as explore the breakthrough question. The best or ‘fittest’ ideas are those
with the highest novelty and opportunity in combination with the lowest threat for the
system’s goal. Such ideas may lead to the development of disruptive products, services,
and/or processes.
Name: ……………………………………………………… Date: …………………………………………… Sheet … of …
(For the Zoomable Page below, start by writing a question, topic, or theme in the gray box at the center. Then, fill the surrounding boxes with related information (text/images).)
ANALOGIES
FOR MANAGING
BREAKTHROUGH QUESTIONS
MOLECULE ATOM
MATTER AND SCALE
1. IZP‐DOCUMENTATION 2. IZP‐BRAINSTORMING
Simply and daily use text and/or images to Brainstorm ideas for (breakthrough)
visually document information on the questions by using the process of C.O.P.E.
Zoomable Page in order to facilitate (Collect; Organize; Present; Evaluate) as
creative thinking, problem solving, and well as the Zoomable Page to visually
accelerated learning in any discipline obtain breakthrough strategies in any
domain
3. STRATEGIC IZP 4. OPERATIONAL IZP
Learn about the paradigm and Theory of Use the Theory of IZP and Zoomable
IZP as well as about how to use the Page for visual continuous improvement
Zoomable Page to visually obtain and innovation as well as adaptive plann-
breakthrough strategies and innovations ing, execution, and performance manage-
(in a multi-disciplinary team) ment of any type of project: business;
personal; community; national; global
COMPUTER PRODUCTS:
COMPUTERS/SMARTPHONES *** SERVERS
PERSONAL/DESKTOP
COMPUTERS
SIZE (-):