The SCAMPER technique is a creative brainstorming method that allows teams to approach problems from different viewpoints. It encourages people to think differently, explore ideas, and find new perspectives on certain issues or opportunities. This method is a great way to spark creativity among team members, inspire smart decision-making, and uncover the potential of the whole team.
The technique works as a facilitating tool for generating new ideas and problem-solving processes through seven different types of prompts. The name of the method itself, SCAMPER, is an acronym for these seven prompts: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify, Put to another use (Purpose), Eliminate, and Reverse/Rearrange.
This technique is based on the belief that everything new we create is, in some way, an alternation of something that already exists. These seven steps guide the team and help them understand how they can innovate and upgrade the existing products or services. Each of them serves to provoke or spark conversation and exchange of ideas that will ultimately lead to a better product and customer satisfaction.
By going through these prompts, team members get a chance to observe a particular idea or problem through seven different lenses and, by doing so, discover ways to improve the current situation. The seven letters represent the seven ways to play around with product features and find out if they can be changed for the better.
While very quick and simple to put to work, the SCAMPER technique is a very powerful way to deal with any issues that may arise during the product development process. When used properly, it’s highly effective in moving brainstorming sessions in the direction that will result in the most optimal solutions and the best possible use of organisational resources.
