Draw
Pull one card from the deck
A single draw surfaces one oblique strategy at a time, keeping the interaction as simple as reaching for a physical card.
One draw, one provocation.
WEB
Oblique Strategies
A digital deck of oblique strategies for breaking a creative deadlock.
Try it liveFlutterDart
AT A GLANCE
Full Deck
Digital Cards
One Draw
At a Time
Offline
Once Loaded
Flutter
Web Build
THE PROBLEM
A creative deadlock rarely gets solved by staring at it harder
The original oblique strategies cards exist precisely because direct problem-solving often isn’t what unsticks a stalled creative session — an unrelated provocation sometimes works better, but a physical deck isn’t always at hand.
HOW IT WAS BUILT
The same provocation, always in reach
Oblique Strategies is a Flutter-built digital deck in the tradition of Eno and Schmidt’s original cards — draw one, get a single constraint or provocation, and return to the stalled work.
The interface stays deliberately minimal — one card, no history, no settings — and works fully offline once loaded, so it’s always available mid-session.
INSIDE THE PRODUCT
Core surfaces that define the experience
Focus
Nothing else on screen
The drawn card is the entire interface — no navigation, no settings, nothing competing with the provocation itself.
Minimal by design, not by omission.
Availability
Works with no connection
The full deck loads once and works offline afterward, so it’s available exactly when a session stalls.
Always in reach, signal or not.
KEY FEATURES
What makes it work
A Draw, Not a Directive
Each card offers a provocation or constraint rather than a direct instruction, staying true to the original deck’s purpose of interrupting a stuck pattern instead of solving it.
One Card, No Distraction
The interface shows exactly one drawn card at a time, with nothing competing for attention while the provocation is considered.
Works Fully Offline
The full deck loads once and works with no connection afterward, useful for a tool meant to be reached for mid-session.
WORKFLOW
How a draw works
Oblique Strategies is built around a single, repeatable action.
01
Hit a creative deadlock
A session stalls and direct problem-solving isn’t moving it forward.
02
Draw a card
One oblique strategy is drawn from the full digital deck, shown on its own with no distraction.
03
Return to the work
The provocation is carried back into the stalled session, without the app asking anything further.