How creative engineers think

Great engineers use a matrix form of thought which uses association of ideas to arrive at creative solutions. The matrix thinker takes information from one object or discipline to form a solution in another. Examples of this type of thinking include Sir Marc Brunel's development of the tunneling shield to construct a tunnel under the river at St Petersburg, Russia. Brunel's original brief was to construct a bridge, but observation of the tunneling pipeworm furthered his thinking on alternative solutions. Other products of matrix thinking include the Crystal Palace and the Eiffel Tower.