Download Our Free 'SCAMPER' Tool

SCAMPER is a question checklist that will help jumpstart your idea generation efforts. 

How to SCAMPER:

Review the challenge you are working on

Pick one of the SCAMPER questions from the list on the next page

Use the questions to spark new ideas for the challenge you are working on

Pick another question from the list and repeat!

When to SCAMPER:

To generate more options

When you’re stuck in your thinking

To get fresh approaches to the challenge

Substitute What materials, ingredients or parts might be swapped in or out? In 1982, Gregory Sams simply substituted vegetarian friendly ingredients for meat and created the first veggie burgers that launched an industry!

Combine What ingredients, parts or technologies can be brought in? The rolling suitcase was born when regular luggage was combined with wheels.

Adapt What can be borrowed from another product or industry and adapted to this situation? Apple adapted the concept of its successful MP3 audio player to play video, leading to the first generation of iPod Video players.

Magnify or minimize What parts, components, aspects can you make really small? Or big? What else could you make really significant? Insignificant? The Range Rover and the Mini hatchback automobile! Enough said.

Put to other uses How might you apply the product, service or challenge in new ways? What other problems might you solve with this? When 3M failed in their quest to make a new permanent adhesive, Art Frye applied the ‘failure’ to develop a new product: Post-its.

Eliminate What can be removed from the product or situation? How might you simplify the process? Amazon.com eliminated the bricks and mortars to create the world’s largest and arguably more convenient bookstore.

Reverse or rearrange What if you put things together in a totally new order? Reversing the pattern of viewers going to the video store, content providers send movies directly to viewers via the internet.