About

Scamper is an acronym for a series of thought-provoking questions arranged in nine categories, to trigger creative, and out-of-the-box thinking.
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What you need

• A3 or A4 printer paper, and pens or pencils.
• A group of designers to work together.
  • About 2 to 10 people can work on this method successfully together.
  • Student designers working on separate projects may join forces to do the scamper method together, in which case, they should attend to one project at a time.
  • You can also do this method on your own.
• A place with chairs and tables to work freely without distractions.
• About an hour to do it properly.

Method

The designer or team explains their project and shows their latest sketch ideas or prototypes to the group. They then clearly read out each scamper question below, one at a time. At least one designer should take notes or sketch the ideas that are emerging.

1. Put to other uses? New ways to use object as is? Other uses if modified?
2. Adapt? What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Any idea in the past that could be copied or adapted?
3. Modify? Change meaning, colour, motion, sound, odour, taste, form, shape? Other changes? New twist?
4. Magnify? What to add? Greater frequency? Stronger? Larger? Higher? Longer? Thicker? Extra value? Plus ingredient? Multiply? Exaggerate?
5. Minify? What to subtract? Eliminate? Smaller? Lighter? Slower? Split up? Less frequent? Condense? Miniaturize? Streamline? Understate?
6. Substitute? Who else instead? What else instead? Other place? Other time? Other ingredient? Other material? Other process? Other power source? Other approach? Other tone of voice?
7. Rearrange? Other layout? Other sequence? Change pace? Other pattern? Change schedule? Transpose cause and effect?
8. Reverse? Opposites? Turn it backward? Turn it upside down? Turn it inside out? Mirror-reverse it? Transpose positive and negative?
9. Combine? How about a blend, an assortment, an alloy, an ensemble? Combine purposes? Combine units? Combine ideas? Combine functions? Combine appeals?

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Tips

• Read each question clearly and deliberately. Add emphasis to your voice to capture the participants’ imaginations.
• Leave sufficient time for the participants to consider the question, and to respond. And leave time for more contributions, as ideas from one person will trigger ideas from others.