My cards evoke what it’s like to be a designer in a series of accessible, concise exercises. Some ask you to draw and others to write; some ask you to classify, others to distinguish or explain. Some tasks are singular, others have several variations. All of them ask you to perform a rudimentary act of design by following plain language instructions. The deliberately unevolved character of the exercises may belie the notion of design as industrially manufactured, finished product; the ‘killer concept’ or the ‘problem solved’ we hear vaunted on behalf of the creative industries. But small moves and decisions such as these have a powerful influence on the success of any design.

“They serve as a perfect introduction for a novice, a remarkably effective refresher for the seasoned practitioner, and a marvelous invitation to anyone with an interest in creativity, invention, and design.”
Michael Bierut, Pentagram, New York

First conceived as a set of exercises for the school classroom, A Few Minutes of Design invites anyone – of any age – to experience the small decisions by which our world is made more coherent and intuitive by design.

Take some paper, a pencil and a few minutes.

Harry Oulton and I set out to design a set of exercises that work on two levels. Each suggests something for you to write about, and then gives you a way in to writing it. Some are more about form, while others are mostly content. Some are quick or easier than others, or come quite naturally, and others will require more thought or ingenuity. But each has been conceived to ease the fear of writing by limiting the scale and expectation of the task, and structuring the exercise with abundant prompts.

“Whenever would-be writers ask me for advice, I’ve had nothing specific to offer beyond ‘Read a lot’ or ‘Write a lot’. Now, thank goodness, I can suggest they immediately get a copy of The Writing Deck.”
Kurt Andersen, public radio host and best-selling author.

You might do them in a classroom, among friends, or in the solitude of your desk or kitchen table. Wherever you write, we want you to have fun discovering things you didn’t know you were good at: startling images, amusing stories, forceful argument, clarity, comedy, style.

Now pick up your pen, or put your fingers on the keyboard, and start writingt.