Unlearning 101

Unlearning the Toaster

At first appearances, the idea of a portable toaster may seem absurd and, perhaps, it is. But is there any reason a toaster can't look like the one in the picture to the right?

One of the real benefits of unlearning is that it can help spur creavity and innovation. For example, what if the purpose of the portable toaster is not to allow users to have toast-on-the-go, but instead to help customers remove the bulky toaster from the kitchen counter. Or what if the product is designed for the elderly widow who likes a single piece of toast only once a week? Or what if the device doesn't even end up being used by people to make toast and, instead, is used by urban dwellers who can't easily start a fire but who want to quickly roast a marshmellow to curb their craving for a Smore?

The Unlearning Vortex

Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” I was reminded to this quote yesterday after reading John Markoff's insightful article on Pax Scientific -- a company that has applied biomimicry to create new industrial designs for everything from aerospace designs to parts for air conditioners.

What is so interesting about the article is that Pax Scientific has found it difficult to find a market for its product and technology in spite of the fact that it can often demonstrate double-digit increases in product efficiency.

The problem is not the technology, rather it is users inability to unlearn their old ways of doing business. Because they think they "know" what an airplane or air conditioner part should look like, they are unwilling to consider models that do not conform to their pre-conceived ideas. In short, they can't "see" with new eyes.

Those companies, however, that can unlearn the fastest should be able to achieve a competitive advantage in the commercial marketplace. 

Unlearn the Need for Paper

Yesterday, I watched this five-minute video of futurist Patrick Dixon discuss why the future of paper is bright for the foreseeable future. He could very well be correct, but if you watch the video below it is possible to envision a scenario in which the future of paper is not so rosy. As flexible electronic technology continues to get better, it'll be interesting to see if schools, newspapers, traditional media and scores of other businesses (including the paper industry) can unlearn their old ways of doing business and embrace the new opportunities that this technology portends.