Cards for Insight: Flow
How flow manifests and why it matters
Cards for Insight: How to play
Add your thoughts to and between the cards.
Cultivate understanding as generative closure.
— How would we know?
— Flow. Flow is how we know.
Card: Card-Play Experience
The card-play is 103% about the user’s experiential
journey — how flow manifests, why it matters, and
how the cards uniquely facilitate this dynamic.
… notice how tiny sprouts push through
the cracked pavement of our thoughts …
Card: Win^n
In a dialogue, nobody
is trying to win. It’s a
situation called win-win.
“The people who take part are not
really open to questioning their
fundamental assumptions.”
— David Bohm
Navigating Complexity
In a networked world, the complexities we face surpass the capacity of individual cognition, demanding a collective intelligence approach. Navigating such challenges requires not only diverse perspectives but
also structured processes for discovery, sensemaking, and action.
Flow: Flow, particularly knowledge flow, emerges at the edge of our comfort zones — where curiosity meets challenge, and structure supports creativity. Flow is not a passive state but an active interplay of elements.
Cards for Insight offers a working definition of flow:
flow = structure x process
“x” = patterning and patterns of play in general
and (shared) understanding in particular
Structure: The framework, boundaries, and tools — such as the cards and their seven dimensions — that provide a scaffolding for exploration.
Process: The dynamic interactions, including patterns of play, collaborative conversations, and iterative sensemaking,
that animate the structure.
Interplay: The “x” represents the vital synergy between these elements, where the right patterning and patterns of play generate insight and, ultimately, shared understanding. This interplay allows individuals and groups to navigate complexity with agility and clarity, unlocking pathways toward meaningful and purposeful action.
Card Session: Visualize a scenario where a small group of participants
have decided to use the cards and explore a complex dilemma, together.
They’ve chosen the Dialogue booster pack. Before, after and between the cards, there’s patterns of play.
… gather around a complex dilemma,
formulated as a generative center question …
Generative Center Question
How can we move from suspicion to trust
in navigating complex and polarized spaces?
… pick cards and journal your immediate thoughts …
Card: Dialogue (Integration)
Dialogue is the process of weaving together
diverse perspectives, creating a unified
conversation where every voice contributes
to a cohesive and meaningful exchange.
… associate your thoughts to
and between the cards …
Card: Dialogue (Harmony)
Dialogue finds its power in the harmony of
differing viewpoints. It is the art of balancing
and blending various ideas into a resonant,
shared, evolving and collective understanding.
… take thought, make small moves along
paths of purposeful action and cultivate
understanding as generative closure …
Card: Dialogue (Flow)
Dialogue emerges in the flow of conversation,
where thoughts and responses merge effortlessly.
It is being fully present and allowing discussions
to transform into dialogue and unfold naturally.
… rediscover how generative conviviality lifts all boats …
Card: Dialogue (Authenticity)
Dialogue thrives on authenticity, where participants
express their true thoughts and feelings. It is the
courage to balance being genuine and convivial,
fostering deeper connections and understanding.
… learn into participation as sensemaking,
meaning-making and organizing …
Card: Dialogue (Connection)
Dialogue builds deep and lasting connections
among participants. It is the recognition that
meaningful conversations are amplified through
genuine relationships and shared experiences.
… recognize and amplify relational meaning-making …
Card: Dialogue (Purpose)
Dialogue is guided by a clear sense of purpose,
aiming for meaningful outcomes. It instigates,
guides and aligns discussions with a deeper and
higher calling, contributing to something greater
than the individual voices.
… use cards as affordances for playing really well, together …
A 3x3 gameboard, situated in the below diagram
The 3x3 gameboard is designed to serve as an interactive and
dynamic tool that enhances small group card-play, fosters deep
conversations, and guides participants toward meaningful insights
and actions.
In the diagram, there’s three axes to help measure progress:
- intelligence turned ability
- behavior turned agency and
- information turned knowledge
zone, generative center questions and realization of potential
Add cards to one of the eight fields, and trace spiraling lines of
card-play augmented inquiry around generative center questions.
With 120k two-card and 21M three-card combinations, the card-play system integrates human creativity with AI-driven insights.
In addition, there’s themed Booster Packs, card decks that focus on
specific areas like flow, dialogue, or creative problem-solving.
In this post there’s a card session using the Dialogue booster pack.
… leverage the card-play conversation,
mend small things, and let the interaction
unfold towards preferable outcomes …
Card: Dialogue (Evolution)
Dialogue is a dynamic process of continuous
evolution. It is the ongoing journey of thought,
conversational intelligence and transformation,
adapting to new insights while staying true to
the core essence of the complex dilemma.
… capture small group genius insights and
create knowledge artifacts and cardcasts …
“So we will discuss dialogue
for a while — what is its nature?”
— David Bohm
On Dialogue
“I give a meaning to the word ‘dialogue’ that is somewhat different from what is commonly used. The derivations of words often help to suggest a deeper meaning. ‘Dialogue’ comes from the Greek word dialogos. Logos means ‘the word’ or in our case we would think of the ‘meaning of the word’. And dia means ‘through’ — it doesn’t mean two. A dialogue can be among any number of people, not just two. Even one person can have a sense of dialogue within himself, if the spirit of the dialogue is present.
The picture or image that this derivation suggests is of a stream of meaning flowing among and through us and between us. This will make possible a flow of meaning in the whole group, out of which will emerge some new understanding. It’s something new, which may not have been in the starting point at all. It’s something creative. And this shared meaning is the ‘glue’ or ‘cement’ that holds people and societies together.
Contrast this with the word ‘discussion’, which has the same root as ‘percussion’ and ‘concussion’. It really means to break things up. It emphasises the idea of analysis, where there may be many points of view. Discussion is almost like a Ping-Pong game, where people are batting the ideas back and forth and the object of the game is to win or to get points for yourself. Possibly you will take up somebody else’s ideas to back up your own — you may agree with some and disagree with others — but the basic point is to win the game. That’s very frequently the case in a discussion.
In a dialogue, however, nobody is trying to win. Everybody wins if anybody wins. There is a different sort of spirit to it. In a dialogue, there is no attempt to gain points, or to make your particular view prevail. Rather, whenever any mistake is discovered on the part of anybody, everybody gains. It’s a situation called win-win, in which we are not playing a game against each other but with each other. In a dialogue, everybody wins.”
— David Bohm
Why Bother?
In a networked world, the complexities we face surpass the capacity of individual cognition, demanding a collective intelligence approach. Navigating such challenges requires not only diverse perspectives but
also structured processes for discovery, sensemaking, and action.
Cards for Insight: Why Bother?
1. Why Bother? Why cards, why not post-it notes instead?
Why: Cards have a structured format that allows for flexibility
and complexity, serving as probes, affordances, prompts and
containers for knowledge. Unlike post-it notes, which can quickly
become cluttered and disconnected, cards can be digitally
organized, annotated, and augmented with AI for further insight.
How: Use cards to turn information into knowledge, and build
lasting knowledge structures that can be re-arranged, connected,
and built upon. Cards are not just for brainstorming; they facilitate
deeper engagement, strategic thinking, and ongoing co-creation.
2. Why Bother? Why cards, why not just an “ordinary” Tool for Thought?
Why: Cards for Insight adds an interactive, narrative-based layer to tools for thought, moving beyond static notetaking or isolated thinking. Cards facilitate collaborative exploration, pattern discovery, and the development of a shared understanding.
How: Play with cards to not only capture thoughts but to build dynamic, evolving thought journeys. AI-assisted annotations amplify your thinking, while the card-play format creates a framework for emergent knowledge.
3. Why Bother? Why cards, why not just ordinary platform designs like posts, comments, like buttons?
Why: Traditional platforms prioritize reactions and surface-level interaction. Cards for Insight, on the other hand, prioritizes deep engagement, layered discovery, and collective meaning-making.
The card format helps slow down and organize thought in ways posts and comments don’t, encouraging more reflective and purposeful interactions.
How: With cards, you engage in guided conversation, fostering richer discussions and uncovering deeper insights than typical social media interactions.
4. Why Bother? Why bespoke card-play patterns of play, why not any which heuristics?
Why: Patterns of play are carefully designed sequences of actions that foster generative thinking. They are not random heuristics but are meant
to guide you toward deep insights, foster connections between ideas,
and help navigate complex issues.
How: Follow card-play patterns to explore complex topics with intention. AI-assisted prompts and annotations enrich these patterns by introducing connections you might not otherwise see, making the process more meaningful.
5. Why Bother? Why AI-assisted annotations, why not just human annotations?
Why: Human annotations are valuable, but they can be time-consuming and limited by individual perspective. AI-assisted annotations speed up
the process, introduce new connections, and help you see relationships between ideas that may not be immediately obvious.
How: Use AI to enhance, not replace, your thinking. The AI assists by suggesting links, connections, and new avenues for inquiry, helping you reach deeper insights faster and more comprehensively.
6. Why Bother? Why online cards, why not just physical decks?
Why: Physical decks are wonderful for in-person collaboration, but online cards offer flexibility, accessibility, and augmentation through AI. Digital cards can be saved, searched, annotated, and used collaboratively in ways that physical cards cannot.
How: Take advantage of the digital format to collaborate with others remotely, use AI to augment your card-play, and save and revisit
your card sessions for continuous learning and development.
7. Why Bother? Why card-play conversations, why not just ordinary chat or comment threads?
Why: Ordinary chats and comment threads tend to be linear, short-lived, and often lack depth. Card- play conversations are structured, evolving dialogues that allow for the emergence of complex ideas and shared understanding over time.
How: Engage in card-play conversations to explore ideas thoroughly,
use AI assistance to maintain context, and collaborate meaningfully.
The cards guide the conversation, ensuring it doesn’t devolve into
shallow exchanges but builds toward insight and action.
8. Why Bother? Why complex dilemmas and generative center questions, why not simpler discussions?
Why: The world is full of complex challenges that require deep thinking and creative solutions. Simple discussions often lead to surface-level engagement, but by tackling generative center questions, we unlock
new possibilities and explore multiple layers of understanding.
How: Use cards to explore complex dilemmas through structured
inquiry, fostering both individual and collective breakthroughs.
9. Why Bother? Why knowledge artifacts and card-casts, why not just leave ideas as they are?
Why: Knowledge artifacts and card-casts turn ideas into tangible, shareable outcomes. Instead of leaving thoughts in fragments, these artifacts help you document your thinking process and share insights with others in a meaningful way.
How: Use the cards to co-create artifacts that can be referenced, built
upon, and shared as part of a collective knowledge-building process.
10. Why Bother? Why generative play, why not just work through tasks?
Why: Generative play encourages creativity, divergent thinking, and serendipitous discovery — essential elements for innovation and problem-solving. Task-driven work is important, but it’s through play that we often unlock new, unexpected insights.
How: Engage with the cards in a spirit of playfulness to uncover new ways of thinking. AI annotations help expand the creative process by adding layers of context and connections.
— Ok, ok, I’ll give it a try!
— Good to hear! Pick a few cards, and use the below heuristics.
Card: Story
Story is 8bn Humans finding themselves in
between narratives, drowning in content,
hungry for meaning, reaching out to others,
weaving a requisite variety of paths between
situational awareness and preferable outcomes.
“It is just this tension and interplay — between critical rigor and the potential discovery of larger truths — that has always informed and advanced the drama of our intellectual history. Yet in our own time, at the start of a new millennium, that drama seems to have reached a moment of climactic urgency. We find ourselves at an extraordinary threshold. One need not be graced with prophetic insight to recognize that we are living in one of those rare ages, like the end of classical antiquity or the beginning of the modern era, that bring forth, through great stress and struggle, a genuinely fundamental transformation in the underlying assumptions and principles of the cultural world view. Amidst the multitude of debates and controversies that fill the intellectual arena, our basic understanding of reality is in contention: the role of the human being in nature and the cosmos, the status of human knowledge, the basis of moral values, the dilemmas of pluralism, relativism, objectivity, the spiritual dimension of life, the direction and meaning — if any — of history and evolution. The outcome of this tremendous moment in our civilization’s history is deeply uncertain. Something is dying, and something is being born. The stakes are high, for the future of humanity and the future of the Earth.”
— Richard Tarnas
Card: Conscious Evolution
A purposeful shift in individual
and collective awareness leading
to intentional and responsible
co-creation of the future.
Card-Play Conversation Heuristics
Twenty-five heuristics to help new card-play participants engage effectively, enhance their learning, and maximize their return on engagement within the Cards For Insight framework.
- Start with Curiosity
- Embrace Adaptability
- Practice Generative Listening
- Build on Others’ Contributions
- Dive into Complex, Worthwhile Dilemmas
- Balance Depth and Breadth
- Connect Questions, Cards, Patterns of Play, Thoughts and Insights
- Iterate Your Understanding
- Challenge Assumptions
- Gather Around Complex Dilemmas and
Formulate Generative Center Questions - Recognize the importance of Social Cognition in general
and social cognition extended online in particular - Map Your Insights
- Reflect on Identity and Integrity in light of Entelechy
- Reflect on your Personal Journey and Thought as a Journey
- Evaluate Path Unfoldment
- Consider Solution Spaces
- Contribute to Shared Artifacts
- Evaluate Preferable Outcomes
- Cultivate Synthesis
- Leverage AI Assistance Judiciously
- Learn from Iterative Card Selection
- Build a Network
- Foster Inclusivity, Imagination and Insight Capture
- Explore an Adjacent Possible
- Celebrate Generative Closure
Cards for Insight: Value Proposition
With Cards for Insight, users engage in meaningful conversations
that unlock both individual and collective intelligence. New and
seasoned participants alike can explore dynamic spaces that foster curiosity, adaptability, and collaboration.
The card-play heuristics provide entry points for maximizing play, participation, and deepening inquiry, making it accessible, scalable
and meaningful across individuals, small group genius and diverse communities of practice. The combination of a 500-card source deck
and customizable booster packs offers a tailored experience for users seeking to address questions, explore perspectives, navigate complex problems, cultivate insights, make progress and achieve preferable outcomes.
Incorporating AI-assisted insights alongside human imagination,
Cards for Insight offers a blend of structured inquiry and dynamic conversation, empowering users to tackle challenges and transform
them into pathways for growth, innovation, and understanding.
