EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGES - 24th April 2000

Consider All Factors!

I am writing this sitting on a plane on my way from London to Chicago.

Now and again the seat back starts reclining all by itself - very disconcerting. This has happened no less than 26 times on this flight.

The reason for this seat behaviour?

The seat controls are placed on the right arm rest - exactly where the point of my elbow rests when I am reading or writing. Now I accept that my arm measurements might be unique. I also accept that my elbows might be especially boney. I may indeed be unique but I doubt it.

On another occasion in the past I have mentioned this same thing as a classic example of bad design. All the designer had to do was a simple CAF. This is one of the CoRT tools used for broadening perception.

CAF stands for Consider All Factors. It should not have been hard to consider that an arm rest is where you rest your arm. If the controls had to be there then they should have been deeply recessed so the point of the elbow could not possibly reach them.

I mention this only to suggest that even the most professional of people can sometimes have their thinking improved.

Edward de Bono nmt
24th April 2000
U.S.A.