Embracing the Stuck

Repeatedly developing new & innovative ideas is a highly sought-after skill—maybe even a superpower. Why? Innovation helps your organization stay ahead of the competition and address your customers' needs more completely. But, as you may have experienced, generating ideas to develop or evolve a product or service isn’t easy. You’re forging a new path, and there is no playbook or roadmap to consult.

As a result, people often find themselves stuck. This feeling can be anxiety-inducing and sometimes even paralyzing. And one’s inner dialogue often doesn’t help. “This will never work.” “They’ll think the idea is terrible.” “I don’t know what I’m doing.” “I’m not creative.”

You’re not alone. The truth is, getting stuck happens to everyone—even those labeled as “creative.“ I’ve been in this situation countless times and learned to regain a productive mind. In this article, I’ll share a framework to help drive your innovative thinking—despite how you may feel.

A Mindset Shift

Before we discuss specifics, it’s important to acknowledge that being stuck is a natural part of the creative process. Despite what others may think, creativity isn’t served in equal, measured amounts 24/7/365. Sometimes, it’s overflowing…and other times…well, it’s not.

Instead of viewing it as a negative, you should seek to embrace it and view it as an exciting jumping-off point for further exploration. This is, after all, the goal of innovation. To explore new territory. To chart a new course. As much as it goes against your instincts, leaning into this new perspective is the first step toward defining your path forward.

If you're never lost, you'll never wind up anyplace new.
—Dan Weiden

When I’m in this situation, one brainstorming method I’ve come to lean on is SCAMPER—a mnemonic that stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. This framework serves as a springboard for innovative thinking, encouraging anyone who uses it to dig deep and approach their problem from multiple angles.

Let's dive into each framework component and explore how you might put it to use in your situation.

Substitute

One way to invigorate creativity is to swap out elements within your design. Think of it as a design remix. One excellent example is Apple's introduction of the original iPhone. They substituted the physical keyboard on every other smartphone with an on-screen keyboard. This allowed the iPhone’s screen to be larger and contextual. It also lured non-smartphone users to adopt the device as they could more easily send messages with the full QWERTY keyboard instead of the T9 method found on numeric-based phones.

Try substituting a key element in your current project. What impact does it have on the overall design?

Combine

Combining disparate elements can lead to groundbreaking ideas. Adidas combined fashion and technology with their collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. This partnership resulted in footwear and apparel made from recycled ocean plastic, showcasing a fusion of style and environmental consciousness.

You can explore combining features or concepts in your project that seem unrelated at first glance. How might these unexpected combinations spark innovation?

Adapt

Adaptation involves borrowing ideas from one context and applying them to another. Consider how Uber adapted the taxi service concept to a mobile app.

Consider successful models or concepts in unrelated fields. How can you adapt them to solve challenges within your domain?

Modify

Modification is about tweaking and enhancing existing elements. Capital One recognized they play a larger role in the community than just customer finances and modified existing banks to Capital One Cafés. People can charge their phones, hang out, study, meet a friend, or grab coffee—you don’t have to be a customer.

Identify a core component and brainstorm ways to modify it for improved functionality or aesthetics. What changes can lead to a significant impact?

Put to Another Use

Sometimes, a fresh perspective comes from repurposing existing elements. Post-it Notes are a classic example; initially developed as a failed attempt at creating a strong adhesive, they succeeded when repurposed as sticky notes.

The pandemic forced many businesses to adapt. Another use case is restaurants that converted parking spots into curbside pickup lanes.

Consider how elements could be used in unexpected ways.

Eliminate

Simplification can often be the key to brilliance. Identify elements in your design that may be redundant or excessive. Starbucks introduced the strawless lid, discontinuing the plastic straw to shift away from single-use packaging and reduce its overall environmental footprint.

This works for business models. Companies like Dollar Shave Club, Casper, Warby Parker, and many other brands have eliminated the middleman and sold their products or services direct-to-consumer.

What happens when you strip away the non-essential components?

Reverse

Reversal involves flipping elements to see things from a different perspective. In one of my favorite examples, Target flipped its pill bottle on its head. The ClearRX bottles featured a color ring for each family member to avoid confusion among medications, and perhaps most importantly, they had clear, easy-to-read labels with text sized appropriately for aging eyes.

Going beyond products, you can do this at larger scales, too. Airbnb, for instance, reversed the traditional hospitality model, turning ordinary people into hosts.

How can you apply this concept to your project? What happens when you reverse the order of your process or rethink the user journey?

Navigating the challenges of creative thinking is a skill worth mastering. The SCAMPER framework provides a structured yet flexible approach to unlocking innovation, offering a lifeline when you find yourself at the end of your creative rope. You'll discover a world of possibilities by substituting, combining, adapting, modifying, putting to another use, eliminating, and reversing.