BrainstormingToolsImprove something that exists
SCAMPER: seven lenses, more possibilities.
An existing idea is a starting point. SCAMPER helps you change its parts, relationships, scale, and sequence instead of waiting for a completely new idea to appear.
Build a SCAMPER promptWhen SCAMPER is useful
Use it when you can name something to improve: a service, product, process, event, or habit. It works especially well when the team keeps proposing small variations of the same solution. If the main goal is to prevent failures, try reverse brainstorming. If you suspect the problem’s framing is wrong, try assumption busting.
How to run a session
- Define the object and outcome. “Improve referrals for our home-cleaning business” is more useful than “grow the business.” Name the limits you must respect.
- Explore the seven lenses. Adapt the questions below to your challenge. Aim for possibilities first; set aside judgments until all relevant lenses have had a turn.
- Cluster ideas. Group similar suggestions into themes. Keep the ideas themselves visible so a promising detail is not lost.
- Choose and test. Compare a few candidates against your criteria, then choose one small experiment rather than committing to a full rollout.
Worked example: customer referrals
A two-person home-cleaning business wants more referrals, has $200 a month available, and wants to avoid pushy sales messages. These are illustrative session notes, not a claim of actual business results.
| Lens | Question | Possible idea |
|---|---|---|
| Substitute | Could a helpful resource replace the discount pitch? | Give clients a short cleaning checklist they can forward to a friend. |
| Combine | Could the referral request join an existing interaction? | Add an optional “know someone who needs help?” line to the follow-up message. |
| Adapt | What could we borrow from a neighborhood welcome service? | Create a simple new-neighbor introduction voucher. |
| Modify | Could we make the request smaller? | Ask customers to share one booking link, without a form or code. |
| Put to another use | Can the aftercare checklist do another job? | Brand the checklist as a useful referral conversation starter. |
| Eliminate | What makes a referral feel like work? | Remove the need to call; offer a clearly priced booking page. |
| Reverse/Rearrange | What if we ask after a compliment rather than on a schedule? | Invite referrals when a customer volunteers positive feedback. |
Cluster, compare, and choose
The ideas form three clusters: share something useful, ask at a good moment, and reduce booking friction. The shortlist is a forwardable checklist, a feedback-triggered invitation, and a simpler booking link.
A checklist is inexpensive and shareable but may not lead to bookings. A well-timed invitation is easy for staff but depends on remembering to ask. A booking-page change could help more broadly but needs editing time.
Over two weeks, offer the checklist to ten willing customers after a positive follow-up. Ask new inquiries how they heard about the business. A useful signal would be two attributed inquiries without complaints about pressure. Confirm the owner and budget before starting; revise the target using normal inquiry volume.
Common mistakes
- Using every lens mechanically. Skip or adapt a lens when it does not fit. The point is a new perspective, not seven completed boxes.
- Evaluating too early. Record the concern for later; let a rough idea develop first.
- Changing everything at once. A small experiment makes it easier to learn what helped.