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Exercises/Divergent Ideation/SCAMPER • WorkshopBank
Ideation Warm-Up · Divergent Ideation

SCAMPER • WorkshopBank

The group is stuck in "we've always done it this way" thinking and needs structured prompts to break out You want to generate a high volume of ideas in a short time with a team that includes non-creative-types A brainstorming session has stalled and you need a second-stage tool to push thinking further

30 to 60 minutesTIME
Medium group (9-25), Pairs, Small group (4-8)GROUP SIZE
ActiveENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
High cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Participation Architecture This divergent ideation exercise strengthens Participation Architecture, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. The group is stuck in "we've always done it this way" thinking and needs structured prompts to break out
  2. You want to generate a high volume of ideas in a short time with a team that includes non-creative-types
  3. A brainstorming session has stalled and you need a second-stage tool to push thinking further
  4. You are running a design sprint or innovation workshop and want a concrete ideation method
  5. The challenge is well-defined and you have a clear subject to apply the questions to (a specific product, workflow, or offering)
  6. You want to involve people at all levels without requiring artistic, design, or specialist skills
  7. Rather than staring at a blank page and hoping for inspiration, the facilitator walks the group through each lens in turn, asking targeted questions that force people to look at familiar things from unfamiliar angles.
  8. Each round generates a cluster of ideas that range from practical tweaks to wild leaps.
  9. The group then sifts through everything and pulls out the strongest possibilities.
  10. The group is stuck in "we've always done it this way" thinking and needs structured prompts to break out You want to generate a high volume of ideas in a short time with a team that includes non-creative-types A brainstorming session has stalled and you need a second-stage tool to push thinking further
Live facilitator

Run this exercise live

The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.

Prompts to use +

The challenge is well-defined and you have a clear subject to apply the questions to (a specific product, workflow, or offering)

Rather than staring at a blank page and hoping for inspiration, the facilitator walks the group through each lens in turn, asking targeted questions that force people to look at familiar things from unfamiliar angles.

Each round generates a cluster of ideas that range from practical tweaks to wild leaps.

The group then sifts through everything and pulls out the strongest possibilities.

The group is stuck in "we've always done it this way" thinking and needs structured prompts to break out You want to generate a high volume of ideas in a short time with a team that includes non-creative-types A brainstorming session has stalled and you need a second-stage tool to push thinking further

Run this with your AI assistant +

Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: SCAMPER • WorkshopBank. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: The challenge is well-defined and you have a clear subject to apply the questions to (a specific product, workflow, or offering); Rather than staring at a blank page and hoping for inspiration, the facilitator walks the group through each lens in turn, asking targeted questions that force people to look at familiar things from unfamiliar angles.; Each round generates a cluster of ideas that range from practical tweaks to wild leaps.; The group then sifts through everything and pulls out the strongest possibilities.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.

Origin unverified

  • Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from WorkshopBank; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including WorkshopBank.)
  • What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
  • No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
  • Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.

Pairs well with