How to develop creativity using Scamper

Why do I need Scamper?

We have already examined two tools that help creatively solve problems and find great ideas. it Association and empathy map.

But there is also a creative tool like Scamper. Its essence lies in the fact that, when considering the problem, you should find ideas, answering questions about certain actions.

Scamper is able to be your helper, because the ability to ask questions and seek answers to them - the basic skill of any person. And questions lined up in an orderly chain and using a set of actions to solve the problem, give an excellent result.

What is Scamper?

Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put, Eliminate, Reverse (SCAMPER) - this is a list of actions that you need to apply at a time or in combination to their problem, answer the test questions and get ideas for solutions Problems.

Bob Eberle in 1997 brought these actions are in the same group and came up with Scamper, but did so on the basis of more extensive checklist Alex Osborn.

This technique is used for brainstorming, Refinement of existing and development of new products.

How does this device?

Action Set (models) helps to study the various aspects of the problem, including underutilized and have potential for development. Consistently answering questions about applied action, you get surprising answers.

Standard set of actions (modification) is as follows:

How to use Scamper for creative problem solving?

It's simple:

1. Identify the problem and its constituent parts.
2. Prepare a table for work, inscribed in the column elements of your problem (system components).
3. Fill each column at a time, answering the test questions for the selected action.
4. After filling the entire table to select the most interesting ideas.
5. Implement the selected ideas.

And what are the alternatives?

You can have your own Scamper. You can determine for yourself checklist and drive through all the problems that cause difficulties.

In Scamper sometimes instead Modify ( «modified") is used Magnify ( «increase") instead Eliminate ( «deleted») - Minify ( "Minimize") or Simplify ( "simplified"), instead of the Reverse ( "flip") - Reorder ( "swap"), or Rearrange ( "Rearranged").

Scamper - flexible and open instrument, the main principle of which - to answer key questions, forcing myself to think otherwise.

There is a very good list of questions, which I spied at the training school games Vadim Demchog. I called him CWE - checklists awareness:

• Who am I?
• What am I doing?
• What is important to me?

Every day I cast myself on this list.

How to use Scamper in practice?

Try to get rid of Layfhaker through Scamper. You will leave it for 10 minutes.

Take Layfhaker as the system that we want to improve. Select four. For example, the idea of ​​traveling, people, knowledge, content, club, life hacking, advertising, job applications, social networks, AliExpress. You can take one part and divide into small. For example, the content - text, video, podcasts and games.

Fill the table Scamper. In each cell write the 2-3 answer, it is not necessary anymore. We enjoy the ideas and choose the best.

Is there any useful resources or books that are useful to me?

Of course:

• Infographics Scamper about in English.
• The book "rice assault"Michael Mikalko.
• The book "I want more ideas"Steve Rowling.