SCAMPER is a technique for creative thinking and problem solving proposed by Alex Osborne in 1953 and further developed by Bob Elerle in 1971. It involves considering substitutions, combinations, adaptations, modifications, finding new uses, eliminations, and reversals when thinking about a product or process. Questions are provided for each letter of SCAMPER to guide ideation. Examples of applying SCAMPER include substituting a pen cap with a USB drive, combining a sink and toilet bowl, and modifying a fork into a finger fork. The technique aims to explore problems from multiple perspectives to fuel innovation and creativity.

1. What is SCAMPER?
It’s a strategy that can be used to help students to
generate new and many alternative ideas.
A tool to support creative and divergent thinking.
Help you to think changes that you can make to an
existing product to create a new one. You can use
these changes as starting points for creative
thinking and to use your imagination.

2. SCAMPER was proposed by Alex Osborne
in 1953, and was further developed by
Bob Elerle in 1971 in his book;
SCAMPER: Games for Imagination
Development.
Alex Osborne Bob Elerle
Founders of SCAMPER

3. How SCAMPER techniques can be used?
SCAMPER techniques can be used in number of activities. Each and
every letter refers to :

4. Substitute
Think about substituting part of the product or process
for something else.
Question to be asked :
What other purpose?
What other times?
What other places?
What other components/materials/parts?
What else instead? Who else instead ?

5. Combine
Combining two or more parts of the product or process to
make something new or to produce a combined effect
greater than the sum of their separate effects.
Questions to be asked:
What technologies can be combined?
What part/material can be combined?
What ideas, purpose and units can be combined?

6. Adapt
Thinking a way on which parts of the product or process
could be adapted or find a way to change the nature of
the product or process.
Questions to be asked :
What photo or sound can be added?
What color or form can be added?
Which extra function can be added?

7. Modify or Magnify
Think a way on changing certain part or all
of the product or process, or twisting it in
an unusual way.
Questions to be asked :
What other meaning?
What might I add?
What other shape might I adopt?

8. Put to other uses
Think a way on how you might put a certain product
or process to other use or how you might reuse
something from somewhere else.
Questions to be asked :
Can I use it in other industries?
What else can the product/service be used for?
What other possible uses are there if it’s modified?

9. Eliminate
Think of about the product in the end if you
eliminated certain parts of the process and consider
what you might do in that situation.
Questions to be asked :
What is nonessential or unnecessary?
What would happen if it was made smaller?
What would happen if those rules are eliminated?

10. Rearrange or Reverse
Think of what you might do if parts of the
product or process worked in reverse or
were sequenced differently.
Questions to be asked :
What can be arranged in a different way?
What can be turned / twisted?
What can be reversed / turned up side
down

11. Potential Usage of SCAMPER Techniques in daily life .
Substitute pen cap with usb flashdrive.
Combine sink with toilet bowl.
Adding a pizza holder on a scissor

12. Modify a fork into finger fork.
A piano put to other use as book shelves.
A tree eliminated the need of parasol.
A reverse way to close/open an umbrella

13. Conclusion
The SCAMPER technique is one of the easiest and
direct methods for creative thinking and problem-
solving through a number of techniques or question
types; (S) substitute, (C) combine, (A) adapt, (M)
modify, (P) put to another use, (E) eliminate and
(R) reverse. These types can be used to explore
problems from seven perspectives. This holistic
technique of study helps reaching the best decision
which fuels innovation and creativity.