Traditionally, I am not a big fan of mnemonic devices. Usually they get a little cheesy. But the brilliant developer of the brainstorming tool THINKPAK, Michael Michalko, has created a device, SCAMMPERR that helps change the way we look at products, problems, equations, or even copy. In short, when we SCAMMPERR we are more creative. SCAMMPERRing helps break our ruts and propel us towards answers.
So, today, as you work on that new art piece, marketing campaign, product, service, system or just awesome idea try to SCAMMPERR and see what happens:
- S – Substitute – Make a substitution that could change the dynamic or perspective. Substituting also helps remove crutches that could possibly make our art stale.
- C – Combine – Work some combinations. Try different things together. Odd combinations often breed innovation.
- A – Adapt – If we don’t adapt we get adapted. Make adaptations to your product to see how it could improve.
- M – Magnify or add to it – Adding to is often the easiest thing to do. Also the thing that could cloud your idea or product. Only Magnify if you are willing to pull away when you find a solution.
- M – Modify – Like it is a hot rod car. Make modifications to see how they could improve what you are working on!
- P – Put it to some other uses – Outside voices have different lenses. Proximity clouds vision sometimes. Andy Stanley says it best – “Time in erodes awareness of”
- E – Eliminate – One of the most important things we can do. Edit. Erase. Remove. Simple is best. Work to find the lowest common denominator. It is hard and painful work that will make everything better.
- R – Rearrange it – It can’t hurt. You can always put it back.
- R – Reverse it – You never know what could happen. Working backwards often opens creative doors we never knew existed.
