"Oblique Strategies" is a concept developed by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt to help artists overcome creative blocks through lateral thinking. It consists of a deck of cards, each one containing a vague or ambiguous phrase that can be used to solve a problem intuitively, by breaking conventional thinking patterns and interpreting it from a new perspective. This app aims to translate the essence of the original cards deck into a digital experience, making it accessible to a wider audience. It contains the original edition, as well as the newer decks, presenting them in a sleek minimalist style inspired by the original design of the cards. The user interface is simple and straightforward, built to encourage creative or design thinking without distracting from the process. The home screen widget on iOS 14 allows reading a new quote every day without opening the application. The Apple Watch version can run independently without needing the app installed on your iPhone. With VoiceOver, anyone with a visual impairment can have the Oblique Strategies phrase read to them. Long tap the screen to have the last sentence read to you again. Also, you can shake the iPhone for a new sentence.
A good app with one complaint
The app is good though I do wish there was an option to turn off shuffle when coming back to the main menu from the settings and the information, basically being able to lock the same card in place or having a history/undo feature would be great.
Ily
No seriously
OS
if eno, eno
Very cool, very useful, almost 5 stars
I love the idea of this app but I feel like it really needs user cards added. I’d love to have a custom deck, one of my own strategies, that can be mixed in with the others. This would be huge as it allows my older self, full of creative ideas, to give my future self little barrier breaking advice. Please add custom decks!!!! Thanks :)
Better late than never
I wish I'd known about this years ago! I formerly toured in a metalcore band and now compose & produce ambient/psytrance electronic music. I came across Oblique Strategies while reading up on Brian Eno's process. I've often used constraints to attempt to get unstuck. However, these cards offer many more methods. I once read a book called "One great insight is worth a thousand ideas". These cards will lead to many great insights.
The widget is blank- finally fixed with latest update
Love the paper product. The app is nice. Very clean. Minimalist. But the daily widget on the home screen has never worked for me. It just gives a blank box. None of the suggestions to fix the widget worked. But the new version fixed the problem
The widget is blank
Love the paper product. The app is nice. Very clean. Minimalist. But the daily widget on the home screen has never worked for me. It just gives a blank box.
Experience seamless creativity with the upgraded Apple Watch app and complications, enabling you to engage with Oblique Strategies from anywhere. This version introduces finely tuned random prompts and strategies for art, design, music, and writing—a rich source of creative ideas. This update enhances overall performance by addressing various issues, fixing bugs, and introducing enhancements to elevate your user experience. It's all about refining your creative journey and making it more inspiring.
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