1.1. Abstract
Reflecting on the workshops in Unit Three, most participants remarked that this provided an excellent space for expressing their thoughts. From this, I discerned that this format is viable. However, might there be a more accessible, self-directed approach? One that allows participants to access resources independently at any time.
This card set, combining OH cards, oblique strategies and communication cards, targets young Chinese individuals within their families of origin to help them clarify their relationships with their families.
2.1. Stakeholders
The stakeholders for this card set are individuals in China who remain within their original family unit (unmarried and without having established a new household)
From the second intervention, I observed that most of them harboured considerable grievances towards their families of origin. These grievances stemmed from ambiguous familial relationships or the absence of clear communication channels.
2.2. Core Value
This is a card set combining inspiration, self-reflection and action, designed to facilitate effortless use and contemplation. Furthermore, following David’s advice, I may incorporate a programme enabling users to document their process whilst providing music and visuals to immerse them in the experience.
3.1. Specific Cards Design
Start Cards
Group One: Inner Quest · Awakening the Family Spirit (Indigo Blue Palette)
Objective: To guide young people in discovering the intrinsic connection between their personal identity and family history, transforming familial traits into personal strength.
Card Number Dialogue Card Action Card
1 Naming Our Roots: If our family were a living story, what would be the opening scene of its first chapter?
Drawing the Family Tree: Sketch a tree and note at its roots the known origins of your clan, migration routes, or founding tales.
2 Decoding Family Superpowers: What single ‘talent’ or ‘family ethos’ do relatives and neighbours most often praise about us? (e.g. strong unity, enduring optimism, skilled craftsmanship) Create a Family Superpower Badge: Design a simple graphic emblem for this ‘superpower’ and reflect on how you’ve inherited it.
3. Honouring Our ‘Family Heroes’: Among our relatives, whose life story gives you the greatest courage to face adversity? How did they achieve it? Write a hero story card: Jot down this relative’s tale on a card, place it by your bedside, and revisit it when needed.
4 Listen to the ‘whispers of objects’: Which old household item (photo, furniture, tool, etc.) seems to “speak”? What stories and emotions does it convey about our family? Photograph and interview the ‘family heirloom’: Take a picture of this vintage object and ask an elder about its history, recording their account.
5. Decipher Emotional Codes: Does our family have its own unique ‘dialect’ for expressing emotions? (e.g., care expressed through nagging, love shown through actions) How do you interpret this “dialect”? Create a Family Emotion Dictionary: Write your new interpretation for one distinctive family emotional expression. Example: ‘Mum’s nagging = I need to be heard’.
6. Exploring the “Unspoken Dream”: Do you believe your parents or grandparents may harbour an unfulfilled dream deep within their hearts? What insights does this dream offer you? Carry forward a family dream: Select one spirit from this dream (e.g., the pursuit of beauty, the yearning for freedom) and put it into practice in your own way.
7 Recognising Life’s Resilience: What was the greatest adversity our family overcame together? What core family quality sustained us through it? Design a Family Resilience Shield: Sketch a shield inscribed with this defining quality – it shall serve as your talisman for future challenges.
8. Distil a Family Motto: If we were to distil one ‘family creed’ from our story, what would it be? Write and Display the Creed: Calligraph this creed beautifully, place it before your desk, or set it as your phone’s screensaver.
9. Embrace ‘Complex Love’: Family love sometimes comes with burdens. How do you understand this complexity? How does it deepen your understanding of love? Practice the “Love and Burden” Sorting Exercise: Fold a sheet of paper in half. On one side, write the love you feel; on the other, the burdens that accompany it. Reflect on how to make love flow more lightly.
10 Connecting “Generational Hands”: What distinct traits from your paternal and maternal families coexist within you? How do they jointly shape your unique self? Create an intergenerational trait collage: gather images from magazines or online to visually represent how these traits coexist harmoniously within you.
11 Envisioning ‘Future Legacies’: When establishing your own family, what aspects do you most wish to “inherit” and ‘innovate’ from your current household? Draft a preface for your future family: write a letter to your future partner or children, sharing the family traditions you wish to preserve and the new customs you aim to create.
12 Give thanks for ‘Gifts from the Past’: What is the most precious ‘gift of life’ your family of origin has bestowed upon you? Write a gratitude note: You needn’t send it, but sincerely express your appreciation for this gift.
Naming Our Roots → A tree, its roots spreading across the earth (root system particularly distinct)
Family Superpower → A luminous badge/shield, featuring a simplified motif at its centre (e.g. heart/hand/radiance)
Family Hero → A shining star illuminating the path ahead
Heirloom → An old key / A yellowed photograph
Emotional Code → Two speech bubbles (one text, one symbol), like the metaphor ‘nagging = love’
Unspoken Dreams → A kite / balloon soaring skyward
Resilience of Life → A shield bearing a crack mended with golden thread (drawing inspiration from kintsugi aesthetics)
Family Motto → An unfurled scroll/banner, leaving space for inscription
Complex Love → A heart, half bearing a small stone, half light and luminous
Generational Hands → Two hands of contrasting styles (e.g. rough and delicate), clasped together
Future’s Gift → A door ajar, through which new light shines
Gift of Gratitude → A hand cradling a gift, the gift being abstract points of light
Group Two: Diplomacy · Weaving Bonds of Connection (Warm Orange Palette)
Group Objective: Through concrete dialogue and collaborative actions, transform inner insights into outward expressions of warmth and connection, jointly creating new rituals and aesthetics for family life.
Card Number Dialogue Side Action Side
1 Unlock the “Story Vault”: Which amusing or touching tale from our family deserves to be retold and cherished? Host a family storytelling session: Invite a relative, brew a pot of tea, and ask them to revisit that story while you listen attentively.
2 Co-create ‘The Taste of Home’: Which dish best represents the flavour of ‘our family’? What story lies behind it? Learn and recreate a family recipe: Learn this dish from a relative, record the recipe, and add your own reflections.
3 Design ‘Family Highlights’: Looking back over the past year, what was our happiest shared memory? How might we create more such moments? Plan a mini family celebration: Organise a simple ceremony for a small occasion (such as an award, flowers blooming, or fine weather).
4 Establish a ‘Ritual of Appreciation’: If our family had a ‘virtue magnifying glass’, which family member’s shining quality would you most wish to spotlight? Initiate a ‘Strengths Chain’ game: In the family WeChat group or over dinner, start a round where each person shares one strength of another family member.
5. Map the ‘Family Relationship Universe’: If using planets and gravity as metaphors, what kind of star would each family member be? How do our ‘gravitational pulls’ (relationships) connect? Create a family constellation chart: Draw each person’s planet and connect them with coloured lines representing different emotional bonds.
6. Develop a ‘Family Team Model’: When tackling major family projects (like moving house or wedding preparations), what kind of team do we most resemble? Hold a ‘Family Collaboration Review Session’: casually discuss successes and areas for improvement from your last collaborative effort.
7 Exploring “Post-Conflict Reconciliation”: How does our family typically make amends? Is there an unspoken “signal of reconciliation”? Co-create a “Peace Signal”: Discuss with family members a small gesture or code word representing “I wish to make amends”.
8 Building a “Bridge of Wisdom”: What life skill or piece of wisdom from an elder do you most admire? (e.g. gardening, sewing, reading people) Apprentice for an hour: Sincerely ask an elder to teach you this skill and document the learning process.
9 Designing a “Family Stress Relief Pod”: When external pressures feel overwhelming, what small activity can our family do together to recharge? Establish a ‘Family Energy Station’: This could be a shared playlist, a weekend walking ritual, or a stress-relief snack box.
10. Envisioning ‘Our Future Selves’: Imagine our family gathered in five years. How would you wish we described these present moments? Create a Family Vision Board: Collect each family member’s aspirations and collectively assemble them into a collage representing our shared future.
11 Activate the ‘Family Support Network’: Within our extended family ties, who do you feel you can confide in or turn to for help? Map the family support network: Draw the family tree, using different colours to indicate closeness and support levels, uncovering your potential resources.
12 Co-create ‘Family Lifestyle Aesthetics’: Which corner of our home, or which habit, best reflects our unique taste and sense of beauty? Undertake a ‘Family Space Micro-Renovation’: Spend an afternoon together organising and decorating a shared space, such as a corner of the living room.
Story Vault → An open old wooden box, with light within
The Scent of Home → A steaming pot/bowl of soup
Family Highlights → Fireworks / Scenes ablaze with lights
Ritual of Appreciation → A magnifying glass focused on a tiny glowing star
Family Relationship Universe → A galaxy map, planets linked by threads
Family Team Dynamics → Interlocking gears / A group pushing the same cart
Conflict Resolution → Two hands reaching towards each other, with a small olive branch between them
Wisdom Passed On → An open book / A small, hands-on teaching gesture (e.g. sewing/gardening)
Family pressure chamber → A comfortable sofa / teacup / headphones, haloed
Future selves → A photo frame / photograph, containing blurred silhouettes of the future
Family support network → A web with central nodes, resembling a network diagram
Family life aesthetics → An exquisitely arranged corner: chair, plants, lighting
OH Cards
A. Characters and Relationships (10 images)
Blurred silhouettes (faces turned away or obscured)
Two hands clasped together (possibly a large hand and a small hand)
Two people facing each other but separated by a window/door
An empty chair at the dining table
A figure standing at the end of the corridor
Silhouettes of embracing/tugging hands
A group of people seen from afar (but expressions indistinct)
Child looking down and parents turning away
Indentation left on sofa (someone has just risen)
Shadow cast upon curtain
B. Domestic Spaces and Objects (15 images)
A door ajar
A window, light/darkness beyond
A pot in the kitchen / A bowl on the dining table
An attic or storage box
An antique clock in the home
An old sofa / An old bedside table
Elevator buttons / Corridor lighting
Shoes by the door (a pair of shoes of different sizes)
A corner of the home (contrasting cluttered vs tidy)
A photograph peeking from a bookshelf
The blurred periphery of a family portrait
Dishes in the kitchen sink
An empty living room
Doorbell / letterbox
Plants on the balcony
C. Nature and Symbolism (15 images)
A tree (roots distinct or obscured)
River / Bridge
Curtains in the breeze
A flight of steps (ascending or descending)
A locked iron gate
Birdcage (empty or with bird silhouettes)
Sun partially obscured
Roof in wind and rain
Stone path / Trail
Flames / Lamps
Withered flowers contrasted with blooming ones
Hourglass / Symbol of time
Crossroads
Blurred reflection in a mirror
Book pages blown open by the wind
D. Abstraction and Emotion (10 images)
Intertwined lines (like entangled relationships)
Blocks of contrasting black and white
Semi-transparent outlines
A tear drop / the diffusion of a water droplet
Blurred eyes
Shattered puzzle pieces
Overlapping shadows
Blurred colour blocks (cool tones vs warm tones)
Light behind a door (a blurred patch of brightness)
A smudged piece of text (unreadable content)
3.2. Method of Use
Part One:
Before we begin, keep these three core principles in mind:
You are the master of your own story: There is no “correct answer”—your feelings and interpretations are the most valuable responses. You have the right to pause, skip, or stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable.
Trust your intuition: That first instinct, that word that springs to mind, often lies closest to your inner truth. There’s no need to chase “correctness”—simply observe and accept.
Focus on resources and growth: We’re not merely revisiting the past, but drawing strength from both past and present, uncovering wisdom, and crafting our future.
Part Two:
Card Introduction (Instruction Manual):
OH Cards：
What it is: A deck of cards filled with diverse imagery, acting as a mirror reflecting your subconscious feelings, memories, and inspirations. It carries no predetermined meanings; your interpretation defines its significance.
Its purpose: To open the heart, spark associations, and clarify vague sensations.
Family Star Cards:
What it is: A set specifically designed to optimise family relationships, comprising both ‘Question Cards’ and ‘Action Cards’.
Its purpose: To provide focus and direction, transforming the inspiration sparked by OH Cards into profound insights and concrete actions.
Part Three:
Basic Operations
Preparation: Find a quiet moment free from interruptions, sit comfortably, and take several deep breaths.
Step One: Pose a Question to Yourself
Gently shuffle the OH Cards and silently formulate an open-ended question in your mind. For example:
‘What aspect of my relationship with my family requires my most urgent attention at present?’
‘What is my deepest inner desire to express concerning my home?’
Step Two: Draw an OH Card
Intuitively select one OH card and place it face up before you. Observe it quietly without rushing to analyse.
Step Three: Free Association (Listening to Your Inner Voice)
In your notebook or silently within your mind, answer the following questions to complete your ‘journal’ (you may write this down or record it in software):
Objective Description: ‘I see…’ (describe the scene, colours, or objects in the image)
Personal associations: ‘This reminds me of…’ (any memories or feelings connected to your family, childhood, or loved ones)
Emotional resonance: ‘My feelings are…’ (describe in a few words, e.g., warmth, confusion, curiosity, sadness)
Inner connection: ‘If this image could speak, it might say to me…’
Treat it as a ‘puzzle’ – it’s perfectly fine if there’s no immediate answer.
Interpret it as ‘a topic I need to sidestep,’ fully respecting your own feelings.
Step Four: Acknowledgement and Preparation
Now, holding the feelings and themes evoked by the OH Cards, gently shuffle the [Family Star Cards].
Intuitively draw one, or actively select the card most compelling or relevant to the theme you just associated with.
Step Five:
Read the question cards and action cards from the Star Cards:
Question Cards: Ponder this question carefully and try jotting down your response in your notebook.
Action Cards: Select an action that strikes you as interesting, feasible, or even slightly challenging. It needn’t be a grand plan – a small beginning is perfectly splendid.
Part Four: Advanced Play
Play Method One: Thematic Deep Dive (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
Set a goal: For example, ‘I wish to improve communication with my mother.’
Star Card Positioning: Select cards related to communication from the ‘Diplomacy’ section as the core task.
Three OH Cards:
Draw the first OH card, representing ‘My current communication pattern with my mother.’
Draw the second OH card to represent ‘The communication style I deeply desire.’
Draw the third OH card to represent ‘The resources or strength I need to achieve this desire.’
Weave Your Story:
Looking at these three OH cards and the Star Chart card, narrate a brief story progressing from ‘Current Situation’ to “Resources” to ‘Future.’ Then implement the action indicated on the Star Chart card.
Play Method Two: Family Story Reconstruction (Narrative Therapy)
If you wish to revisit a difficult memory:
Star Card Empowerment: Select an empowering card from the “Inner Journey” series, such as “Recognising Resilience in Life”.
Three OH Cards:
Draw one OH card representing ‘the story as it was’.
Draw one OH card representing ‘a family member overlooked in the story, or my own resilience’.
Draw one OH card representing ‘a new insight gained from this story’.
You will discover that the same story gains fresh perspective and meaning.
Part Five: Exploration Notes
Prepare a notebook to document your journey, using the following format as a guide:
Date:
Current mood:
OH Card image (description):
My associations and feelings:
Star Map Card used:
My reflections on the question:
My action commitment (however small):
Post-reflection insights:
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