SCAMPER Template

The SCAMPER model

Generate ideas using the SCAMPER method. SCAMPER is an acronym and each letter stands for a creative thinking and problem-solving technique. These techniques are: substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, reverse.

Type ideas in the template for each of them. Once you have gathered enough ideas you can start implementing them.

Where to next?

Where to next?

SCAMPER is best used alongside other creativity techniques, as it is only one way to generate new ideas.

Once you have gathered enough ideas, you can review them and focus on a few promising ones.

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Product or service name

Begin by typing in the name of your existing product or service

This is your starting point for new ideas. You will need to know it well enough to think about ways that it could be changed or used differently.

Reverse

Add some ideas based on reversing 'Product or service name' in some way.

• What would happen if you reversed the steps in 'Product or service name'?
• What would happen if it did the opposite of what it is supposed to?
• Could it create a need instead of fulfilling it?
• What would happen if people did the opposite of what you want or expect them to do?

Eliminate

Add some ideas based on eliminating 'Product or service name'.

• What would people do if 'Product or service name' did not exist?
• What would be the effect on existing users or customers if it disappeared?
• What would happen if you took out its best parts? Could the remainder achieve anything?
• Could you remove a part of its purpose or reason?

Put to another use

Add some ideas based on using 'Product or service name' for a completely different purpose.

• Where could 'Product or service name' be misused? Could you change it so it works there?
• What would it be least suited for? What changes would be needed to make it work there?
• Could it be mistaken for something else? What would happen then?

Modify

Add some ideas based on modifying 'Product or service name'.

• How could you change the appearance of 'Product or service name'?
• How could you make it less effective? What happens if you do the opposite?
• What would happen if you made it ten times bigger, smaller, longer, shorter, cheaper or more expensive?
• What would happen if you changed its weakest or strongest parts?

Adapt

Add some ideas based on adapting 'Product or service name' for other purposes.

• What other purposes could you adapt 'Product or service name' for?
• What is it similar to? Could it be adapted to solve the same problems that similar products and services do?
• What related problems or applications doesn't it address? Could it be adapted to include them?

Combine

Add some ideas based on combining 'Product or service name' with other things.

• Could you combine 'Product or service name' with another product or service?
• Could you combine its elements?
• Could you combine its purposes or effects with something else?

Substitute

Idea

Add some ideas based on substituting parts of 'Product or service name' or even all of it.

• What materials or parts could be replaced with something else?
• What could be used instead of 'Product or service name'?
• What people, places or times could be substituted for different ones?
• What assumptions could be replaced with different ones?