This new design tool overcomes a common challenge both in academia and industry: the lack of deep understanding of functions required in a product. This is achieved by easing the process of abstract thinking by way of visual function mapping. Based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) work on functional basis, the authors propose the use of seven different pictorial representations of functions most frequently used to map a product's functions. The need for words to construct a function map is reduced (if not eliminated), and instead, the abstract thought of the desired action is induced by simplifying a desired task into one of the seven pictures. This tool benefits innovators and entrepreneurs two-fold: it facilitates the creation of novel solution ideas more liberally, and it serves as a valuable communication tool to present and explain new ideas to non-technical persons.