Influx

Close to 15 years after Roger von Oech’s Creative Whack Pack hit the scene we are seeing an influx (no pun intended) of creative cards. Perhaps it’s a byproduct of the renewed popularity of card games and gambling? More likely, it has a lot to do with the now recognized potential of gaming and play for learning.

A few notables…

MetaMemes: the What, Why, How, Where, and Who (Four W’s and a H, like “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” but with a lot less Hugh Grant).

IDEO Method Cards: Learn, Look, Ask, Try.

Oblique Strategies: Over one hundred worthwhile dilemmas by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt.

Drivers of Change: The Arup Foresight group’s deck that asks the question: “What will our world be like in 2050?”

We at Influx love the simplicity inherent in cards; they’re so retro yet so democratic. Today’s companies are outsourcing ideation less and looking within for inspiration more. There is no need to pay, because now, everyone can play.