SCAMPER METHOD: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO USING IT (WITH EXAMPLE)

The SCAMPER method is a technique that consists of a set of questions and action verbs that help people
to creatively solve problems. SCAMPER is, in principle, a mnemonic acronym. That means it is
a word designed to be easy to remember something.

Althoughsome peoplethey are more creative than others, thecreativityit is an innate skill in human beings. However,
that does not mean it cannot be learned or perfected. Many circumstances can cause the person
lose your connection with creativity. And techniques like SCAMPER help with reconnection.

This technique is derived from another even more well-known one, which is none other than brainstorming.
In the mid-20th century, Bob Eberle created SCAMPER based on Alex Osborn's brainstorming, with the idea that it would be
more organized and easier to remember.

In Osborn's original technique, the order was: give another use (P), adapt (A), modify and magnify (M), minimize (E), substitute.
(S), reorganize and invest (R) and combine (C). The initials used for identification are the ones used by Ederlee and that in the
the order these suggest forms the word SCAMPER.

The fundamental idea is that a person or a group of people ask themselves the questions of these action verbs, such as
who makes a checklist to improve or modify a product, service, process, or similar. This, starting from the
premise that everything that exists is an adaptation of something that already existed.

This article will explain in detail the SCAMPER technique and how to apply it in different contexts. A list will be provided.
of varied questions for each action verb and as an annex, a sample of an application of the technique will be presented.
a hypothetical pedagogical problem for a virtual course.

How to apply the SCAMPER technique

Before explaining how the SCAMPER technique is applied, it is essential to understand, in the correct order, the meaning.
of each of the letters of this word or, what is the same, the action verbs to which the technique refers. In the following
the table makes these components clear.
An example to understand these verbs as questions would be when creating a recipe: What ingredients can I substitute?
What cooking techniques can I combine?
¿Serviría como comida rápida? (P), ¿Puede ser baja en sal? (E), ¿Puede cambiarse el orden de presentación de la receta?
(R).

Having these two points clear, it is easier to understand how the SCAMPER technique is applied, which is, moreover,
something extremely simple. It can be summarized in five steps: 1. Identify the problem to be solved or the idea to be created. 2. Make the

SCAMPER questions. 3. Organize the answers. 4. Evaluate the ideas. 5. Select them.

The first step may seem the simplest, but it is not always. Knowing how to define what the problem is requires precision.
and to know the situation very well. If the problem is defined in a very vague way, the answers to the questions do not
they will delve enough.

One strategy to do this is to divide the definition of the problem into three elements. First, the problem itself, then
a hypothetical solution (regardless of whether it seems positive) and finally a statement. That means, to transform the
problem and the solution in a statement or phrase made in a positive way.

For example, if the problem were 'How can the smell of garbage in the home be eliminated?', the solution could be
"with vacuum-sealed bins". From this, it could be asserted "Through the use of vacuum-sealed bins, it..."
eliminate the smell of garbage in the home.” This would serve as a starting point for the next phase.

The second step would be to ask and answer the SCAMPER questions. And since this technique derives from brainstorming,
doing it while respecting the principles of a brainstorming session is an excellent option. That is, dedicating a short amount of time

but intense in exploration, not censor any idea, note everything and seek collective participation.

It would be useful, for example, to dedicate 2 or 3 minutes to each action verb if you are already starting from one of the question lists.

SCAMPER, like the one that will be offered in this article. And you can be given up to 5 minutes per verb if they will also be developed.
the questions from scratch. You can choose someone to write down, or everyone can note down everything they can.
After this phase is completed, there will be many ideas, questions, and answers, but they will be very disorganized.
Therefore, the third phase is to organize everything that was produced in the previous phase. But it is still not the time to judge or

censor ideas, so they must be organized in such a way that none are left out, no matter how absurd they may seem.

The fourth step is, now yes, to evaluate the ideas derived from step two. Here, it will be very useful to revisit the description of the problem.

and the assertion, as these components can serve as markers for the selection criteria of ideas to use and to
discard. Sometimes the assertion will change, but the problem must remain intact.

An important issue in this phase is to notice if any of the ideas contributed do not help to solve the problem.
they can be useful for solving others. It is quite common for a single SCAMPER exercise to generate novel ideas for
more than one situation. So these options should not be dismissed and it is worth exploring them in depth later.

The last phase of applying the SCAMPER technique would be to select the ideas that emerged as the best candidates.
to solve the problem. And this would require drafting a justification for why these ideas can be useful and a
brief presentation of them. Then, it would only be necessary to test these ideas.

In short, it is a simple and quite intuitive technique, especially when it has already been applied a couple of times. When it
It is applied frequently, its steps begin to arise spontaneously and the person may find themselves practicing SCAMPER.
without paper or protocols, just mentally, in many daily life activities.

Well then, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, creativity is an innate skill, although society leads many to
to lose it or to disable it. But once it is retrained and relearned, it becomes the natural response of the individual.

the questions for each action verb

It has already been seen what the steps are to apply the SCAMPER technique, but that may not be enough to understand
background on usage. For many, the most difficult part will be understanding what questions they should ask for each verb of
action. And asking the right questions is what guarantees the success of the technique.

Whether SCAMPER is used to mature the idea of a screenplay, to reconcile differences between two
political parties or to know how to propose marriage to someone, here is a guide of questions to ask oneself
for each action verb. It would only be necessary to adjust them to the specific problem to be solved.

These questions can be applied to any type of element: components, people, procedures,
emotions, ingredients, materials, places, ideas, services. For example, one wants to create a new component for
computers, or incorporating a new employee into the company, improving a procedure, maturing an emotion, etc.
Whatever you want to create, solve, modify, improve, or promote, these basic questions can be adapted.
for such purposes. Thus, and without further ado, here is the list of SCAMPER questions for each action verb. At the end of
Each verb includes a matrix question that attempts to encompass the others.

S to Substitute

Can a piece, component, or part be replaced by another?

Can the persons in charge be replaced?
Can the target population be replaced or changed?
Can a rule, law, norm, or principle be replaced or changed?
Can this service be replaced by another?
Can this consumer/creator response/emotion be replaced by another?
Can that procedure be replaced?
Can that ingredient or material be substituted?
Can the role/position played by that person/team be replaced?
What else can be replaced?

Matrix question: Which element(s) can I replace and which(s) cannot of my solution?

C for Combine

Can different components, parts, or pieces be combined?

Can ideas, strategies, premises, objectives, or solutions be merged?
Can people/teams from different divisions/skills be mixed?
Can different services merge?
Can different procedures be combined?
Can the uses of the object/service be merged?
Can different materials or ingredients be combined?
Can this solution be merged with the competition's?
Can previously combined elements be recombined?
What else can be combined?

Matrix question: What internal and/or external factors related to the context of my solution can be combined partially or totally?
of said solution?

To Adapt

Can any function, utility, or benefit be adapted?

Can a component, part, or piece be adapted?
Can an idea, strategy, premise, objective or solution be adapted?
Can it adapt to another country, market, target audience, or need?
 Can it be adapted to solve another problem simultaneously?
Can the service be adapted?
Can the law, rule, regulation, or principle be adapted?
Can the format be adapted?
Can it continue to adapt as the context keeps changing?
What else can be adapted?

Matrix question: How can I adapt my solution and/or some of its element(s) to solve another(s)?
problem(s)?

M for Modify and Magnify

Can any function, utility, or benefit be magnified?

Can the market or target audience be expanded?
Can it be exaggerated or blown out of proportion without losing meaning?

Can it be modified to be stronger, more durable, faster, more efficient, smarter, etc.?
Can the work team and/or production be expanded?
Can the user experience or their appreciation of the service or product be improved?
Can the material benefits or rewards received be increased?
Can its name, size, color, texture, meaning, presentation, distribution, marketing, etc. be modified?
Can your credibility or popularity be magnified?
Can it go viral?
What else can be modified or magnified?
How much more and by how much more can it be magnified before reaching its limit?

Matrix question: What elements of my solution and how can they be modified in order to magnify its reach and/or
overcome your limits?

P for Proposing Other Uses

Can it be used for something different?

Can it be used in a different way?

Can it be used by people, animals, or institutions (or also by different objects or services)?
Can the schemes, rules, or conventions regarding their use be broken?
Could it be considered multi-purpose, cross-platform, etc.?
Can the consumer, user, or recipient create new uses, solutions, or improvements through their own
creativity?
In addition to the main and added uses, can it present an added value at an emotional, spiritual, or
of transcendence?
What other uses can be given to it?
Matrix question: What other uses or added values can be given to the elements or the entirety of my solution, for
on their own or by their recipients?

To Eliminate or Minimize

Can any function, utility, or benefit be removed?

Can it be minimized or reduced to the most basic without losing its essence?
Can it be modified to be smaller, lighter, softer, simpler, shorter, etc.?
Can materials, ingredients, components, pieces or parts be removed?
Can any part of the procedure be removed?
Can the work team or production time or effort be reduced?
Can part of the user experience be removed without changing their appreciation of the service or product?
Can the expenses or material investments made be minimized?
Can the need for repair, updates, or changes be minimized?
Can errors, risks, or accidents of possible occurrence be minimized?
Can your credibility or popularity be magnified?
What else can be eliminated or minimized?
How much more and by how much more can it be minimized before hitting bottom?

Matrix question: What elements of my solution can be removed or minimized without reducing its quality, relevance
or importance, nor lose its essence?

R for Reorder and Invest

Can the different parts of the procedure be reordered or reversed?

Can the people/teams involved be rearranged?
Can the roles/positions of the involved people/teams be reversed?
Can the strategies, premises, objectives, or solutions be reordered?
Can components, formats or models be exchanged?
Can the work or action plan be altered?
Can the event calendar, priorities, or needs be rearranged?
Can the logic of the solution be reversed?
Can the story, the arguments, or the explanations be reordered or inverted without losing their meaning?
What else can be reordered or inverted?

Matrix question: What elements of my solution and how can they be reordered or inverted without reducing their quality, relevance
or importance, nor lose its essence?
An example of the application of the SCAMPER technique

To conclude this article, a complete example of how to solve a problem is attached.

use of the SCAMPER technique. A psychopedagogical problem has been chosen, but it can be noted from this the
amplitude of the technique.

The issue at hand is framed within the creation of a virtual course. The teacher or group of teachers who are
they anticipate the difficulty of achieving student interaction in collaborative activities and wonder
how they could encourage greater participation from all those involved.

To begin with the SCAMPER technique, a hypothetical or working solution is provided, which states textually what
Allow students to propose situations from their community to address them within the activities.
collaborative." Based on this, a statement was drafted and the questions were addressed.