SCAMPER
Lead paragraph
Scamper is a useful creativity tool that helps designers generate ideas for existing and new services. Scamper is the acronym for Substitute; Combine.; Adapt; Modify; Put to another use; Eliminate.; and Reverse. Bob Eberle is credited to have created Scamper mnemonic.
PREPARATION: up to 15 minutes
DESIGN PHASE: Creation
DURATION: 45-60 minutes
TEMPLATE OR GUIDELINES: Use the SCAMPER template
FACILITATORS: 1 per workshop
RESOURCES: Pens, Post-its, a large sheet of paper or whiteboard
PARTICIPANTS: Up to 6 per group, design team, partners, community members
EXPECTED OUTCOME: Many ideas
Scamper helps designers to generate ideas for services. Designers use this tool by asking questions about an existing service or future concept ideas, using each of the seven prompts to help them come up with creative ideas.
STEPS
1.START:
State the selected “How Might We” statement or a sub-focus area of it.
2.IDENTIFY:
Based on your HMW statement or the focus of what you are interested in, define the criteria and select suitable participants. Aim for diversity among participants.
3.PREPARE:
Organize a meeting with the selected participants, and gather the necessary resources and supplies. Print enough SCAMPER templates in A3 or bigger. Think about what expectations will be set up-front, how you will start and end the workshop, and how much time participants are expected to dedicate to this activity.
4.CONDUCT:
Ask the participants to use the SCAMPER template and fill each column with new ideas. The questions on this worksheet are examples to trigger participants thinking. Many other questions may be relevant as well, so go ahead a add new questions to each prompt. Once you have filled the SCAMPER templates put them on the wall, then ask participants to spend 5 minutes reading the various ideas. After that use Quick Voting tool to highlight the most valuable ideas.
5.REPORT:
Write up the key learnings from this exercise, and make a short summary that includes your key findings.