You want a container and you don't want a container. These adjustable containers from Tupperware collapse and flatten to about 1 inch, then expand to keep foods fresh at home or on the go. The 3-cup containers adjust to a 2 1/4 or 1 1/4-cup container for smaller capacities. The FlatOut containers can be filled with a variety of foods.
http://www.tupperware.com

A similar application is the collapsible flashing road cone. Automobile accidents are a part of life, but breaking down or crashing in a hard-to-see area can be extremely dangerous, since other drivers may not be able to avoid you or your wide load. With the collapsible Pack-A-Cone you can protect yourself and your family from further damage after an auto accident by alerting others on the road to the fact that you're a crap driver. The collapsible Pack-A-Cone can be seen from 600-feet away, apparently, thanks to its highly reflective bands and flashing light. But unlike standard utility cones, the Pack-A-Cone folds down to a height of 2-inches, so it won't take up half your trunk space.
http://www.smarthome.com

Trend: Dynamization
Increasing flexibility remains a very powerful trend. We see a lot of products evolving from rigid, over jointed to completely flexible. The main benefits that can be gained from making a similar evolution are better damage protection, more compact folding and the ability to make variations in size. How could increased flexibility deliver more of these benefits for your product? (also see March 2005)

Designed by Alexander Lervik, the Brighthandle communicates with coloured light. The Alfa Online model changes its light from Green to Red when the room is occupied (activated by the thumb turn). The Alfa is wired to an electrical outlet through the door, and is available with a matching Brighthandle Zero handle in stainless steel or with an identical handle.
In comparison, the Alfa Battery model shows no light when the room is vacant but signals Red when occupied. It uses two R6 batteries. It would be really cool to have the Brighthandle on a bathroom or toilet door.

http://brighthandle.com

Trend: Increasing use of colour
Why wouldn’t you make a product use different or even the full spectrum of colours? Increasing use of colours has many advantages. For example: the ability to make a simple measurement, it can be a warning indicator or it can simply improve the overall aesthetic appearance of your product. You can add new functions through employment of effects.

Bringing sunlight to your desk, Parans’ luminaires lighting fixtures are designed to give a mixture of parallel light beams and ambient light, just as “when the sun strikes through the foliage of a forest.” This is the reason why the patent-pending luminaires are named Björk, which is Swedish for birch tree. By installing Parans' system, inhabitants will be able to monitor the weather and sunlight conditions outside in the absence of windows or skylights, re-establishing a connection with the outside environment.
http://www.parans.com

Use of existing resources
An important concept in the CREAX Systematic Innovation Method is the ‘Use of existing resources’. Many products and technologies still have unused resources which can be turned into a benefit. Examples are discussed in our April newsletter

Airbags hurt. Toyota has developed a new airbag system to reduce injury. Instead of a single airbag, the new technology uses two bags to distribute the impact over the sides of your face and shoulders while still supporting your head. It will debut in new Lexus models which go on sale in Japan this summer and later in Europe.
http://www.toyota.co.jp

Trend: Mono-bi-poly similar objects
This trend highlights the benefits associated with increasing the number of similar elements within a system. Two eyes give a focus, two bins seperate waste types.

This month we selected the submission of Alan Van Pelt from University of California, Berkeley, currently an internship at CREAX.
Luminetx Corporation introduces a breakthrough medical device for the health care industry. Clinical trials and research with a top paediatric hospital have shown that VeinViewer helps doctors, nurses and patients by projecting a real-time roadmap of the circulatory system onto the skin for easier and less painful access during medical procedures.
VeinViewer uses infrared light and patented technologies to image the bloodstream.
http://www.luminetx.com

Trend: Increasing transparency
One of the benefits of increasing transparency is increasing visibility for safety-ease of inspection. By making the bloodstream visible, needles find their way a lot easier.