/scamper

SCAMPER Creative Exploration

Apply all seven SCAMPER prompts to systematically explore creative possibilities for a product, service, process, or problem.

Instructions

Work through each of the seven prompts, generating multiple ideas for each. Quantity matters—don't self-edit too early. Wild ideas often lead to practical innovations.

Output Format

**Subject**: [What we're SCAMPERing] **Goal**: [What we're trying to achieve]

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S: SUBSTITUTE

*What can be replaced with something else?*

| Component | Substitute With | New Possibility | |-----------|-----------------|-----------------| | [element] | [replacement] | [what it enables] | | [element] | [replacement] | [what it enables] | | [element] | [replacement] | [what it enables] |

**Questions to explore:**

• What materials could be substituted?
• What other ingredients or components?
• What other process could be used?
• What if we substituted the place, time, or person?

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C: COMBINE

*What can be merged, blended, or bundled together?*

| Combine This | With This | Result | |--------------|-----------|--------| | [element A] | [element B] | [new thing] | | [element A] | [element B] | [new thing] | | [element A] | [element B] | [new thing] |

**Questions to explore:**

• What ideas, features, or components can be combined?
• What if we combined purposes or objectives?
• What if we merged with another product/service?
• What talents or resources could be combined?

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A: ADAPT

*What can be copied, borrowed, or modified from elsewhere?*

| Source | Idea to Adapt | How to Apply | |--------|---------------|--------------| | [where it's from] | [the concept] | [application here] | | [where it's from] | [the concept] | [application here] | | [where it's from] | [the concept] | [application here] |

**Questions to explore:**

• What else is like this? What could I copy?
• What ideas from other industries apply?
• What from the past could be adapted?
• What could we emulate?

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M: MODIFY / MAGNIFY / MINIMIZE

*What can be changed, enlarged, or reduced?*

Modify

| Element | Modification | Effect | |---------|--------------|--------| | [element] | [change] | [result] |

Magnify

| Element | Make Bigger/More | Effect | |---------|------------------|--------| | [element] | [amplification] | [result] |

Minimize

| Element | Make Smaller/Less | Effect | |---------|-------------------|--------| | [element] | [reduction] | [result] |

**Questions to explore:**

• What if we made it bigger, stronger, faster?
• What if we exaggerated it?
• What if we made it smaller, lighter, slower?
• What can be streamlined?

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P: PUT TO OTHER USES

*What else could this be used for?*

| Current Use | New Use | New Market/Context | |-------------|---------|-------------------| | [how it's used now] | [different use] | [who would want it] | | [how it's used now] | [different use] | [who would want it] | | [how it's used now] | [different use] | [who would want it] |

**Questions to explore:**

• Who else could use this?
• In what other contexts would this work?
• What if it were used by a different market?
• What waste products have value?

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E: ELIMINATE

*What can be removed, omitted, or simplified?*

| Element to Remove | Why We Think We Need It | What If Gone? | |-------------------|------------------------|---------------| | [element] | [assumed reason] | [possibility] | | [element] | [assumed reason] | [possibility] | | [element] | [assumed reason] | [possibility] |

**Questions to explore:**

• What's not really necessary?
• What if we removed a rule or constraint?
• What would happen with less?
• What can be simplified, streamlined?

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R: REVERSE / REARRANGE

*What can be flipped, reordered, or turned inside out?*

| Current State | Reversed/Rearranged | Possibility | |---------------|---------------------|-------------| | [how it is now] | [flipped version] | [what opens up] | | [how it is now] | [flipped version] | [what opens up] | | [how it is now] | [flipped version] | [what opens up] |

**Questions to explore:**

• What if we did it in reverse order?
• What if we swapped roles?
• What if we turned it inside out or upside down?
• What if we did the opposite?

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Idea Harvest

**Top Ideas Generated**

| Idea | From (S/C/A/M/P/E/R) | Feasibility | Impact | |------|---------------------|-------------|--------| | [best idea] | [letter] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | | [second idea] | [letter] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | | [third idea] | [letter] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |

**Wild Card** The craziest idea that might actually work: > [Idea]

**Next Step** [What to do with these ideas]

Guidelines

• Quantity over quality during generation
• No idea is too wild—judge later
• Each prompt can generate multiple ideas
• Combining ideas from different letters often yields best results
• "We can't do that" should be followed by "...unless?"

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