SCAMPER
What is the SCAMPER Method?
The SCAMPER method is a structured tool used to initiate the creative process. It emphasizes altering familiar concepts or materials to create something new. SCAMPER encourages people to take an old idea and substitute (S), combine (C ), adapt (A), modify (M), put to another use (P), eliminate (E), and reverse (R).
Being creative is not always easy. We often find ourselves in a rut, unable to think outside the box. We become comfortable with the status quo and in a particular pattern of thought which prevents progress. We have to find ways to think differently and approach problems from a unique perspective if we seek innovation. It is sometimes helpful to have a particular technique in our toolkits to help get our creative juices flowing - one such method is known as SCAMPER.
SCAMPER is a tool that can be used to garner effective creative thinking. It is based on the premise that what is originality is born from slight modifications and alterations to what already exists. In other words, to be creative, we just need to look at the ‘old’ and think about it in new ways. SCAMPER is an acronym for seven different techniques that help make the old new: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse.1
The Basic Idea
Creativity is a central component of innovation. Without an ability to address what can be changed, altered, or improved upon with regards to processes, technologies, products and artistic forms, there is no room for progress. However, just telling someone to ‘think creatively’ doesn’t provide them with the necessary questions or techniques to help guide them there – that’s where SCAMPER comes in.
SCAMPER is simple, thought-provoking and multi-faceted, which makes it a perfect tool for promoting creativity. Each letter of the acronym provides different questions you can ask yourself to spur creativity:
Substitute: What can be replaced? These might be materials, people, or rules that can be replaced to change the function of the product or process. We might also ask ourselves whether the product’s use can be substituted. The substitute component of SCAMPER works a bit like a trial-and-error process, in which you’d substitute different parts in and evaluate the outcome.3
Example: Innovative food items often use the substitute technique. For example, in 2016, a new food trend emerged: the sushi burrito.4 Realizing the popularity of burritos, restaurants thought about what ingredients could be substituted whilst still maintaining the concept and came up with a sushi burrito.
Combine: What features, uses or components can be combined? Are there features of products that could be synthesized to provide a better, more holistic product? If looking at a project rather than a product, are there different team members that can combine their work?
Example: One of the most successful examples of combining different features is the innovation of smartphones. While originally, people had different devices for taking pictures, listening to music, accessing the internet and making phone calls, smartphones combine all these different functions into one efficient product.5
Adapt: What can be slightly tweaked to improve the product or process? Could a solution to one issue be adapted to help solve a different issue? In what ways does the product/process need to change to adapt itself to changing lifestyles?
Example: Netflix is a company that adapted itself to changing norms and has enjoyed tremendous success as a result. While it began in 1999 as a DVD rental service, executives realized that ‘streaming’ was increasing in popularity and adapted their business model as such. Blockbuster did not adapt its business model and went out of business in 2013, demonstrating the importance of adaptation for success.3 To read more about the contrast between Blockbuster and Netflix, take a look at our Olivier Sibony thinker profile, as he closely examines the mistakes Blockbuster made that ultimately led to its demise.
Modify (or sometimes, minify/magnify): How can the process be changed in a way that changes the outcomes? What can you magnify to emphasize a particular part of the process, or what can you minify to improve the overall efficiency? Can you modify the shape, color, or size?3
Example: If you aren’t convinced that changing the color of a product or brand is enough to change the success of a company, think about some of the most famous logos. For example, consider IKEA and Muji, two companies that sell household goods. Ikea’s logo is blue and yellow, which emphasizes their Swedish origins. Alternatively, Muji’s logo is red, emphasizing that it is a Japanese culture, which may draw attention to the minimalist nature of their products.6 The ‘modify’ technique can be used to shape logos, which greatly influence how a company is regarded by the public.
Put to another use: What benefits might be gained by using the process/product in a different field? Is there another industry in which the product can succeed? How can this product be used in a way that differs from its initial intent?
Example: With rising concerns about climate change, the ‘put to another use’ technique can inspire creative ways to help the planet, such as creative repurposing or upcycling. It can be used to apply something without any purpose to something functional. For example, shoe companies like Adidas have decided to put ocean waste to another use: shoes.3 They started producing shoes made of recycled ocean waste, allowing them to come up with a cool new product and help the environment all in one shot.
Eliminate: Sometimes, the best way to make a product better is to eliminate some of the unnecessary components. What can be removed or simplified? Is there a way to better streamline the product?
Example: Bluetooth earphones eliminated the string component of traditional, wire earphones in order to make the product more user-friendly. Another example is Apple’s decision to remove their CD drive, which enabled them to make laptops thinner and lighter.3
Reverse: Would changing the sequence of effects produce a different outcome? What can be rearranged, flipped, or swapped?
Example: The reverse technique might be especially useful for changing decision-making strategies. For example, if a company is used to taking a top-down approach, emphasizing the big picture rather than micro components, they might reverse their patterns by instead taking a bottom-up approach, which emphasizes specific characteristics. This might help them come up with new solutions that were invisible initially.3
There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.
– Ambrose Bierce, American short-story writer, journalist and poet2
About the Authors
Dan Pilat
Dan is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at The Decision Lab. He is a bestselling author of Intention - a book he wrote with Wiley on the mindful application of behavioral science in organizations. Dan has a background in organizational decision making, with a BComm in Decision & Information Systems from McGill University. He has worked on enterprise-level behavioral architecture at TD Securities and BMO Capital Markets, where he advised management on the implementation of systems processing billions of dollars per week. Driven by an appetite for the latest in technology, Dan created a course on business intelligence and lectured at McGill University, and has applied behavioral science to topics such as augmented and virtual reality.
Dr. Sekoul Krastev
Sekoul is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at The Decision Lab. He is a bestselling author of Intention - a book he wrote with Wiley on the mindful application of behavioral science in organizations. A decision scientist with a PhD in Decision Neuroscience from McGill University, Sekoul's work has been featured in peer-reviewed journals and has been presented at conferences around the world. Sekoul previously advised management on innovation and engagement strategy at The Boston Consulting Group as well as on online media strategy at Google. He has a deep interest in the applications of behavioral science to new technology and has published on these topics in places such as the Huffington Post and Strategy & Business.
