IDEO Method Cards look like they’re congruent to The Oblique Strategies.
The Oblique Strategies evolved from me being in a number of working situations when the panic of the situation – particularly in studios – tended to make me quickly forget that there were others ways of working and that there were tangential ways of attacking problems that were in many senses more interesting than the direct head-on approach. If you’re in a panic, you tend to take the head-on approach because it seems to be the one that’s going to yield the best results Of course, that often isn’t the case – it’s just the most obvious and – apparently – reliable method. The function of the Oblique Strategies was, initially, to serve as a series of prompts which said, “Don’t forget that you could adopt this attitude,” or “Don’t forget you could adopt that attitude.”
The Method Cards are intended as inspiration for practicing and aspiring designers, as well as those seeking creative spark in their work. It’s a design tool meant to help you explore new approaches and develop your own.
I don’t have either. But I like the idea of both.
