Finds

№ 55 | Inspiration Wild Cards, Path Dependence, Instagraph, The IA of PKM, Quilts as Things to Think With, and LEGO Braille Bricks

Stephen P. Anderson

Stephen P. Anderson

— 3 min read
№ 55 | Inspiration Wild Cards, Path Dependence, Instagraph, The IA of PKM, Quilts as Things to Think With, and LEGO Braille Bricks

Inspiration Wild Cards

By way of a Cardstock discussion about ‘cards that make use of both sides,’ I think it was Matt Ballantine who shared the Inspiration Wild Cards, a set of 50 cards in 5 categories (super forces, fiction laws, super heroes, stereotypes and nightmare) designed to stimulate creativity. Ordered! ✅

Path dependence

This visual representation of “path dependence” has stuck with me. I haven't read the paper this is from, but I get the gist of it: Historical events and decisions an organization makes narrow (and lock-in) the range of available options. For extra mind-expanding goodness, check out this discussion of path dependence on LinkedIn.

FWIW, the path dependence visual reminds me of this design thinking visual (adapted from Bill Buxton, I believe?):

And… you could very well liken the concept to that of pace layering, with the idea that things that change more slowly (e.g. the foundation of a house) kind of "lock-in" potential changes.

Instagraph

I love this concept: Parsing natural language prompts (or URLs?) into something like a concept map or flow chart. The code is available now on GitHub, or for non-coders, you can sign up for the waitlist at instagraph.ai.

The IA of PKM

Add “ACE” to the  list of ways to organize information. Referenced in this post are ACCESS, LATCH, PARA, STIR, Johnny Decimal, and now ACE. This topic of how to manage personal knowledge has actually been on my mind lately, as I've been thinking about a more durable—intentional—way to organize 15+ years of files… 😬

Within  the ACE framework, I’m drawn to these 4 classifications of “Efforts” (a preferable concept to projects?):

  • 🔥 On: For the most active efforts & projects
  • ♻️ Ongoing: For broader, ongoing efforts
  • 〰️ Simmering: For back of mind efforts
  • 💤 Sleeping: For everything else (random, done, cold storage, etc.)

Okay. Now for a bit of randomness. I want to share two—curious—kinds of things to think with…

Quilts as things to think with?

Why not? Here's a fascinating look at a particular solar system quilt from 1876, with details that are more than decoration…

To ensure the accuracy of her embroidered depiction, Baker traveled to the Chicago Observatory to view sunspots and a comet

LEGO Braille bricks

Ooh—nice. “LEGO is selling braille bricks that use the bumps on their iconic bricks to teach the Braille alphabet.”

BONUS / JUST FOR FUN: Famous Movies Reimagined as Classic Paperbacks

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№ 106 | AI Design Kit, Ladder Bridge Window, Four Ways to Counter Narratives of AI Inevitability, BASIC Framework, Repicturing the Double Diamond, Metadesign For Murph, and A Model for the Many Variations of Visual Thinking

№ 106 | AI Design Kit, Ladder Bridge Window, Four Ways to Counter Narratives of AI Inevitability, BASIC Framework, Repicturing the Double Diamond, Metadesign For Murph, and A Model for the Many Variations of Visual Thinking

Without intending to… this issue of Thinking Things turned into the “frameworks to think with” issue. No card decks in this roundup — next time! AI Design Kit Is this a framework? Is it a toolkit? Whatever label you use, the AI Design Kit looks like a useful vocabulary for thinking

By Stephen P. Anderson
№ 105 | Startup Valley, The Farmer Was Replaced , Five Beliefs (about Community Software), Cartography of Generative AI, When Are We? Game, Square Circle Triangle, Challenging the Pedagogy & Andragogy Distinction, and Two Speeches Worth Your Attention

№ 105 | Startup Valley, The Farmer Was Replaced , Five Beliefs (about Community Software), Cartography of Generative AI, When Are We? Game, Square Circle Triangle, Challenging the Pedagogy & Andragogy Distinction, and Two Speeches Worth Your Attention

Welcome to another curious assemblage of fun and fascinating ‘things to think with’. Or think about. Or… do something with! 🤪 Startup Valley game So what’s it like to launch a startup? Startup Valley Game: Blitzed Edition gives us a taste of that experience, with plenty of humorous quips thrown

By Stephen P. Anderson
№ 103 | ‘At What Cost?’, The Tarot Cards of Tech, Two Visuals to Improve Your Next Talk, The Mind’s Pendulum, Habits of a Systems Thinker Cards, Afrofuturism and the “future past”, and Four Ways Humans Relate to Technology

№ 103 | ‘At What Cost?’, The Tarot Cards of Tech, Two Visuals to Improve Your Next Talk, The Mind’s Pendulum, Habits of a Systems Thinker Cards, Afrofuturism and the “future past”, and Four Ways Humans Relate to Technology

Another dose of playful things to think with. Perhaps a little less playful… And a wee bit more somber and cerebral… But, all good things to think about! ‘At What Cost?’ Here’s your perennial reminder to think about the unintended consequences of the things we design, build, and use.

By Stephen P. Anderson