This blog explores how TRIZ, the theory of inventive problem solving developed from the analysis of patents and innovation patterns, can enrich contemporary feng shui practice. It introduces TRIZ and its core ideas, then develops five principles that translate well into practical feng shui methods, with a particular focus on Principle 2, the subtractive approach. The discussion draws on design science and environmental psychology to keep interventions evidence-informed, respectful of tradition, and oriented toward measurable wellbeing.
Background on TRIZ
TRIZ is a problem-solving methodology originating with Genrich Altshuller and colleagues in 1946. By examining many thousands of patents, Altshuller proposed that inventive solutions follow recurring patterns, summarised as forty inventive principles and related tools such as the contradiction matrix and the ideal final result. While TRIZ emerged from technical design, it has been widely adapted for management, service design, and architecture, which makes it a natural partner for design-led feng shui.
Why TRIZ is ideal for feng shui
Feng shui works with patterns of form, flow, and meaning to support human flourishing. TRIZ offers a rigorous, creativity-boosting lens that turns fuzzy hunches into systematic options. Environmental psychology research also shows growing interest in testing feng shui-related claims and design moves using empirical methods, which aligns with TRIZ’s emphasis on testable, transferable patterns.
TRIZ is fundamentally a system for recognising and organising recurrent solution patterns, distilled from large bodies of inventive practice. Feng shui is likewise a pattern discipline, reading the relationships between forms, flows, and meanings in space and time, from doorway alignments and sightlines to seasonal and circadian cycles. Bringing TRIZ into feng shui strengthens this shared pattern literacy. The contradiction matrix helps articulate and resolve common spatial tensions such as openness and privacy, visibility and refuge, movement and stillness. The ideal final result focuses attention on elegant sufficiency, encouraging minimal, low energy interventions that deliver maximum effect. Patterns of system evolution support staged adjustments as households and organisations move through life cycles, while TRIZ’s emphasis on feedback encourages iterative refinement aligned with changing temporal rhythms. In combination, they convert intuitive pattern recognition into a clearer, teachable method that preserves the spirit of feng shui while improving rigour and reproducibility.
A short tour of some TRIZ principles and how they can be applied in feng shui practice
The TRIZ canon summarises forty recurring moves, such as segmentation, taking out, merging, dynamics, another dimension, and feedback. We will develop five of these for feng shui practice.
Principle 2, Taking out: the subtractive move
Essence of the principle
Principle 2, often called taking out or subtraction, asks what can be removed to achieve the function with greater clarity, stability, or delight. It is the design equivalent of Occam’s razor applied to artefacts and environments.
Why subtraction matters
Large studies in behavioural science show that people default to adding features when solving problems and systematically overlook beneficial subtractions. Recognition of this bias is important in space design, where removing one obstructive element can outperform multiple additive fixes.
A simple illustration from design science
In experiments summarised by the University of Virginia, participants often stabilised a precarious Lego roof by adding extra bricks that reduced their bonus payment, while a better solution was to remove one brick so that the roof dropped into place and became stable. The same logic underpins the popularity of balance bikes, which remove pedals to teach cycling more effectively.
Practical feng shui applications of subtraction
Start by asking what can be taken out rather than what can be added.
• Remove one piece of over-scaled furniture that pinches the circulation path, rather than adding mirrors or cures to simulate spaciousness.
• Clear a tall stack of items near the entry that creates a partial wall and fragments first impressions, rather than placing yet another symbolic enhancer.
• Unplug one unnecessary light source that creates glare and agitation in the evening, replacing it with darkness that supports melatonin rhythms and a calmer bedroom mood.
• Edit the colour palette to two or three harmonious tones and one accent. This prevents visual noise and heightens the impact of well-chosen art.
Subtraction as a routine check
Embed a subtractive checkpoint into every consultation and design review. Ask the client to live for a week with one category removed, for example half of the corridor objects, nonessential bedside items, or duplicate chairs. Only reinstate what proves functionally or emotionally necessary.
Principle 5, Merging: make elements work together
Essence of the principle
Merging combines objects or functions to reduce clutter, friction, and decision load. It answers questions such as which two things can become one.
Practical feng shui applications of merging
• Combine entry storage and seating into a single narrow bench with concealed compartments, which tidies shoes and parcels while supporting graceful arrivals and departures.
• Merge lighting functions by using adjustable fixtures that shift from task to ambient, which reduces the number of fittings and simplifies evening transitions.
• Unify materials in open-plan rooms to guide the eye. For example, one timber tone for shelves, table, and frames will merge disparate items into a coherent field that supports calm flow.
A general TRIZ illustration
A modern smartphone merges phone, camera, audio player, and navigation. The benefit is not just fewer objects, but more coherent user journeys, which is exactly the aim in well-resolved home layouts.
Principle 15, Dynamics: design for adaptive change
Essence of the principle
Dynamics asks us to prefer adjustable, movable, and adaptable elements over fixed ones. Spaces then fit the rhythms of life rather than forcing life to fit the space. triz40.com
Practical feng shui applications of dynamics
• Use mobile screens to rebalance line-of-sight issues only when they arise, rather than building permanent partitions.
• Install dimmers and layered lighting to track circadian needs, calm in the evening and alertness in the morning.
• Choose height-adjustable desks so that work zones can switch between focused effort and more relaxed collaboration.
A general TRIZ illustration
Adaptive suspension in vehicles varies stiffness with speed and load, balancing comfort and control. In rooms, adjustable elements similarly reconcile competing needs such as openness and privacy.
Principle 17, Another dimension: use vertical and depth strategies
Essence of the principle
Another dimension invites solutions that step beyond the two-dimensional plan, using height, depth, and layered sightlines to create function and flow without sprawl.
Practical feng shui applications of another dimension
• Elevate storage and free the floor to widen perceived corridors, which improves chi flow in tight flats.
• Use mezzanines or lofted beds in studios to separate rest from work without adding walls.
• Exploit layered planting and lighting to produce visual depth at entrances, making small foyers feel like invitations rather than bottlenecks.
A general TRIZ illustration
Warehouses solved throughput limits by adopting vertical racking and multi-level pick paths. Dwellings can achieve similar gains in legibility and capacity by thinking in volumes rather than just areas.
Principle 23, Feedback: close the loop between space and behaviour
Essence of the principle
Feedback institutionalises learning. It turns spaces into experiments where the environment nudges behaviour, and behaviour in turn tunes the environment.
Practical feng shui applications of feedback
• Maintain weekly micro-audits of how people actually move, rest, and store, then adjust layouts accordingly.
• Use simple sensors for air quality or light levels where appropriate, not as gadgets but as feedback prompts to ventilate, dim, or step outside.
• Keep a households’ mood and energy journal that tracks sleep quality, arguments, and joy moments by room. Over a month, patterns often reveal one or two decisive layout changes.
A general TRIZ illustration
A thermostat reads the temperature and triggers heating or cooling, a humble but perfect feedback model. The same logic applies to rituals of review in the home.
A TRIZ-guided feng shui method you can apply this week
Define the contradiction
State the tension as a pair, for example privacy versus openness in a small flat.
Choose candidate principles
Select two to three principles that might resolve the tension. For privacy versus openness, try subtraction, dynamics, and another dimension.
Prototype on paper first
Sketch two subtractive options, two adaptive options, and one vertical option. Limit yourself to five moves total to prevent scope creep.
Trial a reversible version
Remove or move items before you buy anything. Use tape to mark new boundaries, and live with each option for three days.
Collect feedback deliberately
Log traffic paths and mood changes. Keep what works, revert or tweak what does not. Repeat quarterly to keep spaces aligned with the season and life changes.
A worked example: calming a restless bedroom
The brief
A couple report light sleep and a sense of crowding in a compact bedroom.
Subtractive pass
Remove two decorative chairs that compress the bed’s approach. Remove the bright picture above the headboard that grabs attention at night. Unplug one cool-white lamp.
Merging pass
Replace two conflicting bedside tables with a single low shared unit that holds books and a soft downlight, reducing visual noise.
Dynamic pass
Add a dimmer to the main light and a warm reading lamp to shift from alertness to restfulness smoothly.
Another dimension pass
Lift closed storage to head height and clear the floor near the foot of the bed to widen the circulation arc.
Feedback pass
Log sleep quality and mood for two weeks. If improvements hold, commit to the new arrangement. If not, test one more subtractive change before any additions.
Integrating evidence without losing spirit
Respect for tradition and openness to testing
Feng shui is a living tradition of pattern literacy. TRIZ adds a disciplined language for generating options and testing them without superstition or cynicism. Recent reviews call for reliability and validity in feng shui research, which can be advanced by documenting interventions, outcomes, and user experience with simple feedback loops.
Q&A
What is the single most powerful idea to borrow from TRIZ for feng shui?
Normalise subtraction. Create a habit of removing one element before adding another. This keeps layouts legible, reduces clutter stress, and often unlocks better flow.
How does this differ from minimalism?
Minimalism can be an aesthetic. Subtraction is a problem-solving strategy. You remove only what blocks function or calm. The result may be sparse or richly textured, depending on the brief.
Can sensors and trackers fit a feng shui practice rooted in tradition?
Yes if they serve feedback rather than fetish. A low-cost air quality sensor or a sleep log can validate whether a change helped. If not, reverse it. Feedback keeps interventions honest and adaptive.
How do I start when clients expect cures and additions?
Begin with a subtractive experiment that feels safe, for example a two-week trial with one category removed near the entry or bedside. If wellbeing improves, clients usually become enthusiastic.
Which principle should I try next after subtraction?
Dynamics is a friendly follow-on. Adjustable light, privacy screens, or movable plants allow fine tuning across the day and season without heavy works.
Does TRIZ undermine the symbolic aspects of feng shui?
No. TRIZ asks whether a symbolic object is necessary for the intended effect. Sometimes the best function and the strongest symbolism both appear when you remove something that distracts from intention.
TRIZ principles
- Segmentation Divide object; Disassemble; Divide into smallest possible parts
- Taking out Take out harmful/unnecessary part/s; Single out useful part/s
- Local Quality Make object non-uniform
- Asymmetry Make object asymmetric
- Merging Merge objects
- Universality Make object universal
- ‘Nested doll’ Place many in one; Move one inside another
- Anti-weight Compensate weight using another object; Using a medium
- Preliminary anti-action Perform anti-action in advance
- Preliminary action Perform partial action in advance
- Beforehand cushioning Use protective and curative measures
- Equipotentiality Eliminate the need to elevate object
- ‘The other way around’ Replace the action with its converse; Invert movement/position
- Spheroidality Use no-flat shapes; Rollers; Rotation
- Dynamics Optimise object’s parameters Movable parts; Adaptive parts
- Partial or excessive actions Make action excessive; Make action ‘deficient’
- Another dimension Move object in 3 dimensions; Use ‘multistories’ and ‘back sides’
- Mechanical vibration Shake object …; using ultrasonic, EMFs fields; using resonance
- Periodic action Make action pulsatory; Change period; Use pauses
- Continuity of useful action Continuously perform same action
- Skipping Skip harmful actions
- ‘Blessing in disguise‘ Rearrange harmful actions to get a useful result; Compensate two harmful actions
- Feedback Use feedback loop; Regulate feedback loop
- ‘Intermediary’ Control action using an intermediary
- Self-service Use self-performed actions
- Copying Make copy of the object; Optical copies; Invisible copies
- Cheap short-living Use less-costly disposable objects
- Mechanics substitution Replace mechanical devices with physical fields
- Pneumatics and hydraulics Make part of object gaseous or liquid
- Flexible shells and thin films Make part of object out of shells; Isolate using shells
- Porous materials Make object porous; Fill pores
- Color changes Change object’s color; Make object transparent
- Homogeneity Use similar features for contiguous objects
- Discarding and recovering Eject used parts; Rebuild object during action
- Parameter changes Use different phases; Consistency; Flexibility; Temperature
- Phase transitions Use phase transitions
- Thermal expansion Use thermal expansion and contraction; Use poly-expansion
- Strong oxidants Use strong oxidants
- Inert atmosphere Use an inert medium; Use inert parts
- Composite material Use ‘armature’
Subtraction as a design ideal
A well known design maxim holds that perfection emerges when nothing more can be removed. The spirit of this principle is subtractive rather than additive. In practice, many people instinctively reach for extra parts, extra steps or extra features, even when removal would be faster, clearer and more effective.
Evidence from controlled experiments
A programme of studies at the University of Virginia examined how people solve problems when both addition and subtraction are available. Across tasks, participants routinely pursued additive fixes, despite subtraction often being the most efficient route.
Field task with Lego and cost framing
In a campus field experiment, participants were shown a Lego structure with a roof precariously balanced on a single corner support and were told they would receive a 1 dollar bonus for stabilising it. They could add bricks at a cost of 10 cents each, or remove bricks for free. One efficient solution was simply to take out a brick so the roof settled securely on the base. Without an explicit reminder, about 41 per cent chose the subtractive option. When another group was cued that removing pieces incurred no cost, the subtractive choice rose to 61 per cent.
Practice effects in the symmetry task
In a separate puzzle, participants were asked to make a 10 by 10 grid symmetrical by either adding or removing green tiles. When individuals tackled the task without practice, only 49 per cent subtracted. After three practice runs, subtraction rose to 63 per cent. Rehearsal appears to help people notice and consider subtractive moves that would otherwise be overlooked.
Organisational patterns of addition
A collaborating organisation with a newly appointed leader invited staff to propose improvements. For every suggestion that removed a policy or rule, eight suggestions added one. The observed skew mirrors the experimental findings, indicating that additive defaults are common in everyday governance as well as in laboratories and workshops.
Everyday exemplar, balance bikes
A simple example of subtractive ingenuity is the balance bike for children. By removing pedals and the chain, the design isolates the skill of balance before layering on pedalling. Many people recognise immediately that this subtraction solves a real learning problem more elegantly than the additive fix of training wheels.
Why addition dominates
The research team suggest that addition is culturally rewarded and often easier to demonstrate as a contribution. Subtractive options take cognitive effort to notice, so they require prompts, practice or review to come to mind. As a result, teams and individuals risk overlooking designs and policies that would be cheaper, simpler and better.
Implications for TRIZ Principle 2
TRIZ Principle 2, taking out, invites designers to remove the interfering part or isolate only what is necessary. The experimental evidence above shows that subtraction is not only a philosophical ideal. It is a practical lever that needs deliberate cuing and rehearsal to counter our additive bias. A straightforward protocol in consultancy or design review is to run a subtractive pass first, then consider additions only if subtraction fails to deliver the intended function.
Occam’s razor and elegant sufficiency
Occam’s razor advocates parsimony when competing explanations do the same work. Principle 2 extends that ethos from explanation to intervention, cutting away parts, rules and features that do not earn their keep. Together they champion clarity, efficiency and elegant sufficiency.
References
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Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03380-y
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