Creative Solutions Canvas: A Blend of SCAMPER, Design Thinking & Double Diamond Frameworks

Most innovation frameworks are either too abstract for real-world application or too tactical to inspire fresh thinking. The Creative Solutions Canvas bridges this gap by blending SCAMPER, Design Thinking, and the Double Diamond into a structured process that helps teams uncover opportunities, redesign processes, and deliver business ready solutions.

How Creative Solutions Canvas Works (Steps + Visual References)

The Canvas guides teams through four clear stages. Each stage uses prompts to spark possibilities, connect them to customer or business value, and filter down into solutions that can move into prototyping and execution.

1. Discover

(Substitute • Modify • Magnify / Minify)

• Substitute: Explore alternatives — what if customer onboarding were handled via self-service video instead of in-person training?

• Modify: Adjust features — how might simplifying a payment flow from five steps to two improve conversions?

• Magnify/Minify: Test extremes — what happens if we double the touchpoints in a loyalty program, or strip it down to a single high-value reward?

Business example: A SaaS platform tests substituting live onboarding calls with an interactive product tour, cutting onboarding time by 40%.

2. Define

(Combine • Adapt • Put to another use)

• Combine: Merge two services — bundle delivery tracking with proactive customer support updates.

• Adapt: Borrow practices — apply agile sprint retros from software teams to marketing campaign reviews.

• Put to another use: Repurpose assets — turn internal training materials into value-add content for customers. Business example: A retail chain combines customer data with weather APIs to adapt promotions in real time, boosting seasonal sales.

3. Reverse

(Reverse • Rearrange)

• Reverse: Flip assumptions — instead of discounting late in the season, offer pre-launch exclusives at premium prices.

• Rearrange: Reorder workflows — move customer feedback earlier in the design process instead of post-launch.

• Business example: A subscription service reversed its cancellation flow by offering customers the option to pause memberships, reducing churn by 25%.

4. Refine

(Eliminate • Simplify)

• Eliminate: Remove friction — cut redundant approval steps in procurement.

• Simplify: Streamline — design a single unified dashboard instead of multiple reports. Business example: A financial services firm eliminated three manual handoffs in loan approvals, reducing processing time from 10 days to 48 hours.

Why It Matters

• Faster Problem Solving: Turn big challenges into actionable solutions in hours, not weeks.

• Customer Centric Innovation: Focus ideation around tangible user and business outcomes.

• Cross Team Alignment: Marketing, design, operations, and leadership can use the same structured process.

• Scalable Method: Apply it to products, services, or internal processes with the same repeatable flow.

How to Use It

1. Print the Canvas or load it into tools like Miro, Canva, MURAL, or Figma.

2. Start with a specific business problem (e.g., customer churn, product adoption, process inefficiency).

3. Move through Discover → Define → Reverse → Refine, adding examples, sticky notes, or process sketches.

4. Prioritise 1–2 refined ideas for prototyping and testing with stakeholders or customers.

Get Started

The Creative Solutions Canvas is your blueprint for moving from idea to impact. Download the toolkit today and equip your team with a practical, structured process for designing better products, smoother services, and stronger business outcomes.