Innovation Tool: SCAMPER

1. Innovation Tool: SCAMPER Jonathan Weaver UDM ME Department Development support by James Hadley

2. References • The Innovator’s Toolkit, Silverstein, Samuel, & DeCarlo, John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN 978-0470-34535-1 • Thinkertoys, 2nd Edition, Michael Michalko, Ten Speed Press, 2006, ISBN 1-58008-773-6 • For more common questions to use in SCAMPER go to: http://litemind.com/scamper/

3. Introduction • SCAMPER is a design idea generation process • Uses structured questions as a guide • Good for solving new problems • Or to create incremental change to existing products • Ideas generated in each area don’t have to answer specific questions • The following slides define and illustrate the three step process

4. Step 1: Examine the Problem • Clearly define the problem • Main issues • Functional requirements • Resources available • Define the current solutions to the problem • Present products • Present processes

5. Step 2: SCAMPER Question Areas • S - Substitute • C - Combine • A - Adapt • M – Modify / Magnify / Minify • P - Put to another use • E - Eliminate • R – Reverse / Rearrange Let’s take a closer look at each of these…

6. Substitute • What part of the product/process can be substituted? • Alternatives can spark ideas • Common Questions: • What can be substituted to make an improvement? • What happens if this is swapped for that? • Is it possible to substitute the place, time, materials or people?

7. Substitute Example • Rod Sprules created a new fireplace log that substitutes treated wood, with used coffee grounds and compressed candle wax, for a clean burning and high energy fire fuel http://www.java-log.com/pdf/Hearth_Home_September_04.pdf

8. Combine • What parts of the problem can be combined? • Combination of areas can form new products • Synergistic solutions can allow compact design • Common Questions: • What materials, features, processes, people, products or components can be combined? • Where can synergies be obtained?

9. Combine Example • AronLosonczi, a Hungarian architect, combines cement and fiber optics to create a cement that appears transparent because of how the fiber optics filter light through the cement http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/general-discussion/38724-inventions-year-2.html

10. Adapt • What parts can be adapted to remove the problem? • Often the nature of the problem can be changed by redesign of the parts • Common Questions: • What part of the product can be changed? • In exchange for what? • What if the key characteristics of a component are altered?

11. Adapt Example • After watching Spiderman, researchers at the University of Manchester decided they would like to make an adhesive to allow people to climb walls • They found that they could imitate how geckos use hairs on their paws to climb, by creating gloves with polypropylene fibers www.cegep-lanaudiere.qc.ca/lass/anglais/step/Spiderman%20gloves.doc

12. Modify • Look at distorting part or all of the solution in an uncommon way • This forces formation of new ways to approach present solutions • Common Questions: • Can a feature or component be warped or exaggerated? • Can the current process be modified?

13. Modify Example • Cirque du Soleil modified the essence of what a circus is by modernizing it and changing focus to the performance side http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/lanouba/en/about/acts.asp

14. Magnify / Minify • Look at enlarging or shrinking a part or the full product • This causes you to view if changing component sizes could add to the solution • Common Questions: • Can a feature or component be expanded or shrunk? • Can the process be shortened or lengthened in some way?

15. Magnify Example • A & B Hydroponics was the first company to have vertically rotating hydroponic systems, allow for more plants in the same amount of floor space http://www.abhydroponics.com.au/7.html

16. Put To Other Purposes • How can present solutions be used for other problems? • Can lateral benchmarking be used to enable another solution to solve your problem? • Common Questions: • What other market could this product compete in? • Who or what else might be able to use it? • What are similar problems that have already been solved?

17. Put To Other Use Example • Personal message boards and LED signs are commonly used for people to communicate across noisy rooms, so they were put to use by adding an LED programmable screen on a t-shirt http://www.himfr.com/d-p114510137193575025-Led_Scrolling_Message_T-Shirt/

18. Eliminate • What would happen if a part of the product or process was eliminated? • This shows how removing parts can affect the solution and helps to show importance of components. • Common Questions: • What would happen if a component or part were removed? • Is there another way of achieving the desired effect?

19. Eliminate Example • The Solo personal water ski machine - a small jet ski-like vehicle that has driving controls in the tow handle - eliminates the need for a full boat and driver in order to water ski http://www.gizmag.com/go/1736/gallery/

20. Reverse / Rearrange • How would reversing part of the problem or process affect the solution? • Maybe you are approaching things from the wrong direction • Common Questions: • Can it be done the other way round? • How would the opposite effect be achieved?

21. Reverse Example • Studies at the University of Bonn in Germany, show that if farmers plough their fields during the night, instead of the day, weed seeds can’t get the sunlight that they need to begin germination • Weeds are reduced such that herbicides are no longer needed http://www.pegtopfarm.co.uk/page8.htm

22. Step 3: Review Ideas • Review ideas generated • Combine ideas • Look for recurring ideas • Looking for pattern in solutions • Use other innovation techniques/concept selection tools to decide between best ideas