Be Fruitful and Multiply: The Multiplication Technique

Red-eye in photographs is typically caused by the flash of a camera reflecting off the blood vessels in the eye. Dual flashes were invented to overcome this problem, as the first flash causes the pupil to constrict and the second one hits the subject matter. The multiplication technique involves copying an existing element but changing it in a counterintuitive way. For example, Procter & Gamble used this technique to create the Febreze Noticeable Air Freshener, which has two different scents, and Gillette used it to create the TRAC II Twin Blade Shaving System. Using function follows form, potential benefits are identified and the concept modified to yield an innovative idea.