He SCAMPER method Is a technique that consists of a set of questions and action verbs that help people solve problems creatively. SCAMPER is, in principle, a mnemonic. That means it's a word designed to make it easy to remember something.
While some people Are more creative than others, creativity It is an innate ability in the human being. However, that does not mean that it can not be learned or perfected. Many circumstances can cause the person to lose his connection with creativity. And techniques like SCAMPER help reconnect.
This technique is derived from another even more known, that is, nothing more and nothing less than the storm or brainstorming. In the mid-20th century, Bob Eberle created SCAMPER based on Alex Osborn's brainstorming, with the idea of being more organized and easy to remember.
In the original technique of Osborn the order was: to give another use (P), to adapt (A), to modify and to magnify (M), to minimize (E), to substitute (S), to reorganize and to invest (R) . The acronyms with which they are identified are the ones used by Ederlee and that in the order that this one poses form 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 affine. 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 varied list of questions will be offered for each action verb and as an annex a sample of an application of the technique will be presented to a hypothetical pedagogical problem for a virtual course.
How to Apply the SCAMPER Technique
Before explaining how the application of the SCAMPER technique is, it is fundamental to know, in its correct order, the meaning of each one of the letters of this word or, what is equal, the action verbs to which the technique alludes. In the following table these components are clear.
An example to understand these verbs as questions would be to create a recipe: What ingredients can I substitute? (S), What cooking techniques can I combine? (C), how do I adapt it to my country? (A), how could it improve its taste? (M), would it serve as fast food? (P), can it be low in salt? (E), Can the order of presentation of the recipe be changed? (R).
With these two points in mind, it is easier to understand how the SCAMPER technique is applied, which, by the way, is something very simple. It is summarized in five steps: 1. Identify the problem to be solved or the idea to create. 2. Ask the SCAMPER questions. 3. Organize the answers. 4. Evaluate ideas. 5. Select them.
The first step may seem the simplest, but it is not always. Knowing how to define the problem requires precision and knowing the situation very well. If the problem is defined in a very vague way, the answers to the questions will not go deep enough.
One strategy for doing this is to divide the definition of the problem into three elements. First, the problem itself, then a hypothetical solution (it does not matter that it does not look positive) and finally an assertion. That is, to transform the problem and the solution into a positive affirmation or phrase.
For example, if the problem is"How can we eliminate the smell of garbage in the home?", The solution could be"with vacuum-sealed bins." From this, one could assert"Through the use of vacuum sealed bins, the smell of garbage in the home is eliminated". This would serve as a starting point for the next phase.
The second step would be to perform and answer SCAMPER questions. And since this technique stems from the idea storm, doing so by respecting the principles of a brainstorm is an excellent choice. That is, to dedicate a short but intense time to the exploration, not to censor any idea, to write down everything and to look for the collective participation.
It would be useful, for example, to dedicate 2 or 3 minutes to each action verb if it is already part of any of the SCAMPER question lists, like the one that will be offered in this article. And it can be given up to 5 minutes per verb if the questions will also be developed from scratch. You can choose someone to write, or each write down everything you can.
After completing this phase, you will have many ideas, questions and answers, but they will be very disorderly. Therefore, the third phase is to order everything that occurred in the previous phase. But it is not yet time to judge or censor ideas, so they must be organized so that no one is left out, no matter how absurd it may seem.
The fourth step is, now, to evaluate the ideas derived from step two. Here it will be very useful to return to the description of the problem and the assertion, as these components can serve as markers for the criterion of selection of ideas to use and to discard. Sometimes the statement will change, but the problem must remain intact.
An important issue in this phase is to note whether some of the ideas contributed that do not help solve the problem can be useful to solve others. It is quite common for a single SCAMPER exercise to come up with novel ideas for more than one situation. So do not discard these options and it's worth exploring them thoroughly later.
The last phase of the application of the SCAMPER technique would be to select the ideas that were raised as best candidates to solve the problem. And this would require writing a justification of why these ideas might be useful and a brief presentation of them. Then, it would only be necessary to test those ideas.
In short, it is a simple and quite intuitive technique, especially when it has already been applied a couple of times. When it is applied frequently, its steps begin to arise spontaneously and the person can be discovered practicing SCAMPER, without paper or protocols, alone and mentally, in many activities of the daily life.
Thus, as was said at the beginning of the article, creativity is an innate ability, although society leads many to lose or render it unusable. But once it is reentered and relearned, it becomes the natural response of the individual.
SCAMPER: the questions for each action verb
We have already seen what are the steps to apply the SCAMPER technique, but this may not be enough to fully understand its use. For many, it will be harder to understand what the questions should be asked for each action verb. And asking the right questions is what guarantees the success of the technique.
Whether SCAMPER is used to mature the idea of a film script, to reconcile the differences between two political parties or to know how to propose marriage to someone, here is a guide to the questions to be asked for each action verb. It would only be necessary to adjust them to the concrete 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, you want to create a new component for computers, or add a new employee to the company, improve a procedure, mature an emotion, etc.
Whatever it is that you want to create, solve, modify, improve or promote, these basic questions can be adapted for such purposes. So, and without further ado, here is the list of SCAMPER questions for each action verb. At the end of each verb is included a matrix question, which tries to encompass the others.
S to Replace
- Can one part, component or part be replaced by another?
- Can the people in charge be replaced?
- Can the target population be replaced or changed?
- Can a rule, a law, rule, or principle be substituted or changed?
- Can this service be replaced by another?
- Can this response / emotion of the consumer / creator be replaced by another?
- Can this procedure be replaced?
- Can that ingredient or material be substituted?
- Can the role / role played by that person / team be replaced?
- What else can be substituted?
Matrix question: What element (s) can I replace and which one (s) do not my solution?
C to Combine
- Can different components, parts or pieces be combined?
- Can ideas, strategies, premises, objectives or solutions be merged?
- Can people / teams of different divisions / abilities mix?
- Can different services be merged?
- Can different procedures be combined?
- Can the uses given to the object / service be fused?
- Can different materials or ingredients be combined?
- Can this solution be merged with that of the competition?
- Can previously combined elements be recombined?
- What else can you combine?
Matrix question: What internal factors and / or external to the context of my solution can combine part or all of that solution?
To adapt
- Can some function, utility or benefit be adapted?
- Can a component, part or part fit?
- Can an idea, strategy, premise, objective or solution be adapted?
- Can it adapt to another country, market, public goal or need?
- Can you adapt to solve another problem simultaneously?
- Can the service be adapted?
- Can the law, rule, rule or principle be adapted?
- Can the format be adapted?
- Can you continue to adapt as the context continues to change?
- What else can you adapt?
Matrix question: How can I adapt my solution and / or some of its element (s) to solve other problem (s)?
Modify and Magnify
- Can any function, utility, or benefit be magnified?
- Can the market or public target be increased?
- Can it be exaggerated or oversized without losing its meaning?
- Can it be modified to be stronger, longer lasting, faster, efficient, intelligent, 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 your name, size, color, texture, meaning, presentation, distribution, marketing, etc. be modified?
- Can their credibility or popularity be magnified?
- Can it be viralized?
- What else can be modified or magnified?
- How much more and by how much more can be magnified before touching ceiling?
Matrix question: What elements of my solution and how can they be modified in order to magnify their scope and / or exceed their limits?
P to propose other uses
- Can it be used for something different?
- Can it be used in a different way?
- Can it be used by different people, animals or institutions (or other objects or services)?
- Can schemas, rules, or conventions about their use be broken?
- Could it be considered multipurpose, multiplatform, 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 on an emotional, spiritual or transcendental level?
- What other uses can you give?
Matrix question: What other uses or added values can be given to the elements or the whole of my solution, either on its own account or on the part of its addressees?
Remove and Minimize
- Can any function, utility, or benefit be eliminated?
- Can it be minimized or limited to the most basic without losing its essence?
- Can it be modified to be smaller, lighter, soft, simple, short, etc.?
- Can materials, ingredients, components, parts, or parts be removed?
- Can any part of the procedure be eliminated?
- Can the work team or production time or effort be reduced?
- Can part of the user's 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, upgrade or change be minimized?
- Can mistakes, risks or accidents of possible occurrence be minimized?
- Can their credibility or popularity be magnified?
- What else can be eliminated or minimized?
- How much more and by how much more can be minimized before bottoming?
Matrix question: What elements of my solution and how can they be eliminated or minimized without reducing its quality, relevance or importance, or losing its essence?
R to Reorder and Invest
- Can the different parts of the procedure be rearranged or reversed?
- Can the people / teams involved be rearranged?
- Can the roles / positions of the people / teams involved be reversed?
- Can strategies, premises, objectives or solutions be rearranged?
- Can components, formats or models be exchanged?
- Can the plan of work or action be altered?
- Can the calendar of events, priorities or needs be rearranged?
- Can the logic of the solution be reversed?
- Can history, argument, or explanation be reordered or reversed without losing its meaning?
- What else can you reorder or invest?
Matrix question: What elements of my solution and how can they be rearranged or inverted without reducing their quality, relevance or importance, or losing their essence?
An example of application of the SCAMPER technique
To conclude this article, a complete example of how to solve a problem using the SCAMPER technique is attached. A psychopedagogical problem has been chosen, but the amplitude of the technique can be noted from this.
The problem in question is framed in the creation of a virtual course. The teacher or group of teachers who are creating it anticipate the difficulty of engaging students in collaborative activities and wonder how they could encourage greater involvement of all involved.
In order to start with the SCAMPER technique, it is given a hypothetical or working solution, which indicates the following: Allowing"... students to propose situations in their community to treat them within collaborative activities". On the basis of this a statement was made and the questions were addressed.
In this link You can access the document in PDF with the application example of SCAMPER technique. As in any application of this technique, none of the answers, ideas or solutions raised is or should be considered definitive. It is perfectly possible for anyone to come up with a better idea for the same problem.
With all these elements in play, then, you can clearly notice the versatility and usefulness of this technique to promote creative solutions to any type of problem. The invitation is to try it out and discover its benefits on its own. And they can leave their comments if they do or have already done so.