1. Method Name

SCAMPER

2. Alternative Names

SCAMPER Checklist

3. Brief Description

SCAMPER is a creative technique and checklist that helps improve existing products, services, or processes by asking targeted questions. The name is an acronym for seven types of questions: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse.

4. Purpose / When to Use

It is used as a simple and structured brainstorming tool when you want to improve something that already exists. It helps overcome creative blocks by forcing you to look at a problem from different, unexpected angles.

5. Procedure / How to Apply It

1. Select a product or process you want to improve.
2. Go through all 7 categories one by one and answer the questions
:- S (Substitute): What can we replace? What part, material, person, or rule?
- C (Combine): What can we combine? What ideas, functions, or products?
- A (Adapt): What can we adapt? What other idea or process can we adapt?
- M (Modify): What can we change? Make it bigger, smaller, or change its shape or color?
- P (Put to another use): How can we use this in a different way? Where else could it be used?
- E (Eliminate): What can we remove? Simplify? Reduce?
- R (Reverse/Rearrange): What can we reverse? Change the order of? Do the opposite?

6. A Real-World Example

Product: Regular pencil
.- S (Replace): Replace the wood with plastic, and the lead with gel ink
.- C (Combine): Combine the pencil with a pen or an eraser (-> pen-pencil with eraser).
- A (Adapt): Adapt the shape for a better grip (-> ergonomic pencil).
- M (Modify): Adjust the size for children (-> thick pencil).
- P (Use Differently): Use as a plant prop or as a stylus for a touchscreen
.- E (Remove): Remove the eraser, remove the color (-> natural pencil).
- R (Reverse): Eraser on the front, lead on the back.

7. Benefits

- Simplicity and structure: It provides clear guidance on creative thinking.
- Versatility: It can be applied to almost anything.
- Encourages new perspectives: Targeted questions help break out of common thought patterns.
- Focus on improvement: It’s a great tool for incremental innovation.

8. Risks / Limits

- Requires an existing product: It is less suitable for creating something completely new "from scratch."
- Can be mechanical: If the team merely answers questions mechanically without any real creativity, the results may be shallow.
- Quality of questions: Success also depends on the ability to ask follow-up and thought-provoking questions within each category.

9. Practical Tips

- You don't have to go through all the steps: Sometimes it's enough to use only the letters that are most relevant to the problem at hand
.- Use it as a team: Discussing individual questions as a team yields better results.
- Visualize: Sketch out the ideas that come to mind as you go through each step.