Being invited to lecture Maters of Engineering students in a subject called "Innovation and Design", I struggled to find a suitable textbook to recommend to my students. There was an abundance of textbooks covering specific design techniques and calculations for the many fields of engineering and skilled trades. There was also a vast array of books covering the theoretical processes and management of innovation and the commercialisation of an innovative product. I couldn't however find a book that linked the effort of a designer to those of the entrepreneur at the early stage of product development; at the onset of an idea; prior to detailed design.

This book describes a scaffolded approach to inventive design to ensure designers and entrepreneurs are thorough in the way they access and exploit an opportunity. Inventive tools and techniques are demonstrated to guarantee the development of a comprehensive list of creative solutions. Then, in straight forward terms, entrepreneurial considerations are explained and used to identify the solution with the greatest probability of commercial success.

Although the book focuses on the design of a new product, the inventive tools and techniques are just as effective when used in research and for problem solving generally.