Better Brainstorming with Oblique Strategies

Everybody needs a little creative boost sometimes.

We all have our own methods to find that spark, but people have put together some useful frameworks over the years.

Ad exec Alex Osborn invented “brainstorming” and laid out his seven steps to “storm a creative problem.”

Then there’s the creative strategy developed by ambient music pioneer Brian Eno.

In 1975, Eno and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt developed Oblique Strategies, a deck of cards with prompts to help break free from creative sticking points.

Here are just a few of the cues in the deck:

• Use an old idea.
• State the problem in words as clearly as possible.
• Honor thy error as a hidden intention.
• Work at a different speed.

Actual decks of cards are still available, but people have also put the prompts online. It’s worth saving for the next time you need a little bit of inspiration.

Oblique Strategies Defined

Today, AI provides a new supercharged twist on brainstorming. There’s no doubt there’s power in incorporating all the world’s data into your idea generation.

Oblique Strategies delivers a more personalized approach by pushing you to think about what you’ve done in the past and rethink your own creative process.

Not every card will apply to every creative challenge. But even the act of trying to make the prompt fit can yield meaningful results.

At Braithwaite, we’ll use every framework we can find to brainstorm and collaborate. But often, it’s one of our most straightforward prompts that helps move ideas forward.

Just three simple questions: Who is your audience? What do they know? What do you want them to know?