the CPAM

The CPAM (Creative Product Analysis Model) is a theoretical model of how creativity in products is perceived.  It is the basis for the CPSS (Creative Product Semantic Scale), a measurement instrument that can be used to assess product creativity. The model has been developed and scientifically validated with many different types of products over the course of three decades.  For the first two decades of its use, the assessment metric (the CPSS) and the model (the CPAM) on which it was based, were used by scholars to validate the  model in academic studies.  The model and the CPSS have undergone considerable revision and improvement over time.  Although some researchers continue to use outdated versions of the metric,  ideafusion is the only authorized provider of the validated CPSS. For the last decade, Susan Besemer has used this model to work with organizations to help them assess product concepts, prototypes, and products ready for launch.

The model is composed of three dimensions or factors that relate to the three most important indicators of creativity in products. Each factor is then divided into categories or facets that further describe the product.

The first dimension of the CPAM is Novelty.  This is the most commonly cited marker of creativity in products.  The next most frequently observed dimension of creativity in products is called Resolution.  This dimension considers how successfully the product resolves the problem that the product was intended to solve.  Products must be both new and good at solving problems in order to be considered creative.  But even Novelty and Resolution is not enough.  The third dimension of this model of product creativity is called Style.  This doesn’t mean that a product must be stylish, it considers the product’s “personality” or the way that it communicates its effectiveness with users.