This term, a contraction of “it’s like” that means “very similar to,” was invented by Jeffrey Hyman from Idea Flow.

It’s not so much an idea generation method – more of a device for explaining a novel idea to others in such a way that they feel comfortable with it.

It’s particularly useful when talking about a high-tech product idea or a service concept. A s’like is somewhere between a literal description and a metaphor.

Examples:

  • A compact disc s’like a small vinyl record without any grooves.
  • A Bullet Train s’like a jet-propelled train.
  • Google s’like directory enquiries (directory assistance) for the Internet.

(Originally entitled ‘slike’ but I think the term s’like works better – Paul)