Finding analogous solutions for your product challenges are little shortcuts to help you find meaningful solutions.
I was at the store and saw some deodorant sticks in paper packaging instead of plastic. It surprised me.
As I was looking it over I was happy to see that a company decided to make a disposable product out of paper instead of plastic. They looked great. They felt as if they were made with good quality. Then a question popped in my head. How do you get more deodorant out as you use it?
It didn't have a dial in the bottom to push it up. As I looked at it it reminded me of a push pop from when I was little. As you wanted more ice cream you would push from underneath and slide the paper disc on the bottom up. This deodorant stick appears to work the same way.
I don't know if that's where they got their inspiration from but it is a good example of finding an analogous solution and applying it to a new design.
On your next project try and find analogous solutions from other industries for a problem you're trying to solve. You might find something that's a perfect fit!