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IdeationPrincipiante

SCAMPER

A structured creativity checklist where each letter prompts a different angle of attack on an existing product, service, or process: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse/Rearrange. SCAMPER forces systematic exploration of variations that might otherwise be overlooked.

Durata
30m–1h
Dimensione del gruppo
1–20 people
Materiali
SCAMPER prompt card, sticky notes or paper, markers
Fonte
Community

Copione di facilitazione

  1. 1

    Write the subject at the top of the board — one concrete product, service, or process — and frame the session: 'We're going to attack this from seven angles. Quantity beats quality, and judging comes at the end.' Hand out sticky notes and post the SCAMPER prompt card where everyone can read it.

    6 min
  2. 2

    Open with S — Substitute. Ask: 'What could we swap out — a material, a step, a supplier, a channel, a rule?' Run four minutes of silent writing, one idea per sticky note, then a one-minute readout as people post their notes under the S column.

    6 min
  3. 3

    Move to C — Combine and A — Adapt. For Combine ask: 'What could we merge — with another feature, service, team, or partner?' For Adapt ask: 'What already works somewhere else — another industry, a competitor, nature — that we could borrow?' Give each letter four minutes of writing plus a one-minute readout.

    10 min
  4. 4

    Run M — Modify/Magnify and P — Put to other uses. Push the exaggeration on M: 'What if it were ten times bigger, ten times faster, luxury-priced?' For P ask: 'Who else could use this, and what problem could it solve that it was never designed for?' Same rhythm: silent writing, then post and read out.

    10 min
  5. 5

    Take E — Eliminate. Ask: 'What could we remove entirely — a feature, a step, a form field, a rule — and what would happen?' If the room stalls, flip the question: 'What would customers never miss?'

    6 min
  6. 6

    Finish the sequence with R — Reverse/Rearrange. Prompt: 'What if we flipped the order, swapped roles so the customer does this part, or ran the whole thing backwards?' Post the final notes and give the group a moment to scan the full wall.

    6 min
  7. 7

    Converge: give everyone two silent minutes to read all seven columns, then dot vote on the ideas worth developing. Flag combinations — strong concepts often fuse two letters — and close by assigning an owner to each shortlisted idea.

    8 min

Suggerimenti

  • Don't censor during generation — write down every idea even if it seems absurd.

  • The most surprising ideas often combine multiple SCAMPER letters.

  • Works best as an individual ideation tool before a group sharing session.

Errori comuni

  • Spending fifteen minutes on Substitute and thirty seconds on Reverse — timebox every letter visibly and move on when the timer sounds, even mid-flow

  • Allowing evaluation during generation — one 'that would never work' remark early on quickly shrinks the volume of everything that follows

  • Choosing a subject too broad to grip, like 'our company' — the prompts only bite on something concrete: one product, one process, one customer journey

  • Reading each letter as a single word without example questions — 'Adapt. Go.' leaves half the room unsure what the prompt even means

Variazioni

Apply SCAMPER to a competitor's product to generate differentiation ideas. Use it as a writing prompt for content or messaging ideation.

Casi d'uso

Product innovationProcess improvementContent ideationCreative problem solving

Quando usarlo

  • An existing product, service, or process is due for reinvention and open-ended brainstorming keeps producing the same familiar ideas

  • A mixed group freezes when asked to 'come up with anything' — the seven prompts give structure that unlocks people who don't consider themselves creative

  • You need a high volume of ideas in under an hour and want quieter participants contributing through silent writing rather than open discussion

  • A mature offering has plateaued and every component — features, pricing, process steps, channels — deserves systematic pressure-testing before a redesign

Quando non usarlo

  • Nothing exists yet to transform — SCAMPER mutates an existing subject; for green-field problems start with How Might We or Crazy 8s

  • The problem statement is still contested — agree what you are improving and why before the session, or every letter yields scattered, unusable answers

  • The group expects to evaluate and commit to one idea in the same hour — SCAMPER generates options; deeper evaluation needs its own session with a method like an impact/effort matrix

  • You have less than 30 minutes — sprinting through seven prompts produces one shallow idea per letter; run three letters properly or pick a faster format like Crazy 8s

Metodi correlati

Approfondimenti

Domande frequenti

How long does a SCAMPER session take?

Plan 30–60 minutes: about five minutes of setup, four to six minutes per letter, and a short convergence at the end. Below 30 minutes the later letters get squeezed, and those are often where the surprising ideas live.

How many participants do you need for SCAMPER?

It works solo and scales to around 20 people. In groups above eight, split into subgroups or rely on silent writing before sharing — the method's strength is individual idea generation, so a large plenary discussion is not required.

Can SCAMPER be run remotely?

Yes, and it adapts cleanly: set up a shared whiteboard with seven labelled columns, keep a visible timer per letter, and have everyone type ideas silently before a one-minute readout. The silent-writing rhythm is exactly the same as in the room.

What is the difference between SCAMPER and regular brainstorming?

Classic brainstorming asks one open question and relies on the group's spontaneity; SCAMPER asks seven specific questions of an existing subject, which produces more even coverage and helps participants who go blank at open prompts. It is less suited to green-field problems, where there is nothing yet to substitute, combine, or eliminate.

What preparation does a SCAMPER workshop need?

Very little: define one concrete subject to improve, print or display a prompt card with the seven letters and two or three example questions each, and stock sticky notes and markers. The one thing worth preparing carefully is the subject statement — too broad and the prompts lose their grip.

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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices.