Constraints - Design and Development Challenge Cards

55 cards.

I backed a Kickstarter years ago that delivered a set of playing card sized constraint cards. Made with the premise of picking a card at random and then using the constraint to inspire a design or development solution.

These cards are a great way to get out of a creative rut or to challenge yourself to think differently about a problem. They can be used in team brainstorming sessions, solo work, or even as a warm-up exercise before starting a project.

The cards are listed below, shared only because the Kickstarter and associated website is no longer available.

• Ambiguity - make your users explore
• Animate.
• Better labels.
• DRY - Don't Repeat Yourself.
• Delete your code.
• Delete your css.
• Face-to-face time with the client what do you want to learn from them?
• Fight distraction.
• Focus on Movement.
• Focus on Speed.
• Focus on clarity.
• Focus on data.
• Focus on emotion.
• Focus on feedback.
• Focus on story.
• Go outside - tech free.
• Instant response.
• It ships today.
• Lo-fi - less is more.
• Make a video.
• Make it brief.
• Make it personal.
• Maximise clicks.
• More ideas - 30 minutes on new ideas.
• More sound.
• No Hover states.
• No JavaScript.
• No hedged best.
• No images.
• No scroll.
• No words on the homepage.
• Novel navigation.
• One button.
• One image - make it count.
• One page
• One text editor only.
• One type face.
• One type size.
• Paper only - 30 minutes on paper.
• Random - make it unexpected.
• Remove arbitrary styling.
• Remove clicks.
• Remove obstacles.
• Remove your best idea.
• Short sentences.
• Silence for 30 minutes.
• Slow things down.
• The Daily - your user visits every day.
• Throw something away.
• User is outside.
• Users cannot type.
• Validation - confirm your assumptions.
• Write a blog post.
• Zoom.
• use JRumble.js