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S.C.A.M.P.E.R. tool for Creative thinking


Have you heard about the SCAMPER Tool?


There are two main concepts to keep in mind before starting the creative thinking process using the SCAMPER technique; yet there is no sequential flow to follow while moving from each of the seven thinking techniques.


SCAMPER is actually an acronym and each letter stands for one thinking technique: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse. So SCAMPER is a collection of these various techniques and you can choose to use one or all of the seven methods to find solutions to your problems


Substitute

What resources or materials can you swap or substitute to enhance the product?

What process or product could you utilize?

Can you utilize other materials or ingredients?

Can you change its color, sound, smell or roughness?

Can you modify its shape?


Combine

What parts, ideas or materials could be possibly combined?

What could they be combined with to optimize uses?

What could be the result of combining the product in question with another, to develop something new?

What could be the result of combining objectives or purposes?


Adapt

What would we need to change to reach better results?

What else could be done in this specific task?

How can we improve the existing process?

How can we adjust the existing product?

How can we make the process more flexible?


Modify

Can you change an aspect of your process or product to enhance it?

Can you think of any ways to modify the shape, feel, appearance, color or form of your product?

What can you add to change this product?

What can you highlight or emphasize to produce more value?


Put To Another Use

What other parts in the company can use the product?

What are the benefits for the product if used elsewhere?

What if we target another market segmentation for the current product?

Can we add a specific step into the process to replace another?

Eliminate or Elaborate

How can you minimize cost, effort or time?

How can you make it lighter, faster, smaller or more fun?

What is unnecessary or non-essential?

Should you break it into different parts?


Rearrange or Reverse

What would happened if we reverse the process?

How can we rearrange the current status for better output?

What if we consider it backwards?

Can we interchange elements?


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