SCAMPER Method
Creative thinking framework for innovation and problem-solving.
The 7 Lenses
| Letter | Lens | Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| S | Substitute | What can be replaced? Different material, person, process, component? |
| C | Combine | What can merge? Blend features, ideas, purposes, audiences? |
| A | Adapt | What else is like this? What could be copied or borrowed from elsewhere? |
| M | Modify | What can change? Size, shape, color, frequency, intensity, meaning? |
| P | Put to other uses | What else could this be used for? New contexts, audiences, problems? |
| E | Eliminate | What can be removed? Simplify, reduce, strip to essentials? |
| R | Reverse | What if opposite? Flip the order, roles, perspective, direction? |
Application Modes
Quick SCAMPER (default)
Pick 2-3 most relevant lenses, generate 1 strong idea each. Use for: casual brainstorming, quick expansions
Full SCAMPER
All 7 lenses, 1-2 ideas each. Use for: serious idea development, comprehensive exploration
Targeted SCAMPER
Enzo specifies which lens(es) to focus on. Use for: when he knows what angle he wants
Integration Points
New Idea Saved
After saving to notes/ideas.md, offer: "Want me to SCAMPER this?"
If yes → run Quick SCAMPER, append output to the idea entry.
Framework Adaptation
When saving a framework, optionally run SCAMPER to personalize:
- Substitute: What would you swap for your industry/role?
- Combine: What other framework could this merge with?
- Adapt: Who does something similar you could borrow from?
Hackathon Ideation
For generating hackathon concepts from existing products:
- Take the product/tool
- Run full SCAMPER
- Filter for "impressive demo in 24h" feasibility
- Output top 3 concepts
Stuck Breaker
When Enzo says "I'm stuck on X":
- Clarify the blocker
- Run SCAMPER on the problem
- Focus on Reverse and Eliminate (often best for unblocking)
Output Format
### SCAMPER: [Subject]
**Substitute:** [idea]
**Combine:** [idea]
**Adapt:** [idea]
**Modify:** [idea]
**Put to other uses:** [idea]
**Eliminate:** [idea]
**Reverse:** [idea]
💡 **Strongest angle:** [which one and why]
For Quick SCAMPER, only include the 2-3 lenses used.