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]

S: SUBSTITUTE

*What can be replaced with something else?*

| Component | Substitute With | New Possibility |

|-----------|-----------------|-----------------|

| [element] | [replacement] | [what it enables] |

C: COMBINE

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

| Combine This | With This | Result |

|--------------|-----------|--------|

| [element A] | [element B] | [new thing] |

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] |

M: MODIFY / MAGNIFY / MINIMIZE

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

| Element | Change | Effect |

|---------|--------|--------|

| [element] | [modification] | [result] |

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] |

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] |

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] |

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 |

Wild Card

The craziest idea that might actually work:

> [Idea]

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

$ARGUMENTS