This work describes the development of the creative thesis »Creative Journey Tarot – Designing a Card Deck to Unfold Creativity«. For the thesis, it was decides to design a product that could effectively help people achieve »more creativity«.

A deck of cards was chosen because cards seem to be a suitable medium for this purpose. They can be drawn, laid out, and combined in a variety of ways. The structure of the deck was to be taken from the traditional Tarot, or Tarock, with its 78 cards.

For the thesis, creativity was to be viewed in a broader, more everyday context; it was not to be solely about classical artistic achievements. So, first, creativity had to be defined. Market and target group research was conducted. Subsequently, the card themes were conceptualized based on both the traditional Tarot and the topic of creativity. In addition to the core themes, the research also included the history of playing cards and the structure of stories.

From the latter, a separate story was created, describing the development of the card »0 – The Fool« through the world of the trumps.

Initial attempts at visual implementation were not very promising, and the structuring and naming of the cards was also complex.

During the difficult development process, new hurdles repeatedly arose, resulting in serious delays. It was only about a year after starting the work that the stage was reached that allowed the thesis to be registered. A deck of 78 playing cards, 22 prompt cards, packaging for the card deck, and instructions were designed and produced as a prototype.

Superboring. And a hell of a long way from what’s actually happened in the last sixteen months. So let’s do this again.

Hi. I’m Jessica. I’m thirty-nine years old. I’m studying communication design. This is my bachelor’s thesis.

I set my mind on creating a tarot for creatives. Everything was planned differently. Nothing turned out as it should have. I couldn’t have known that the project would accompany me for almost a year and a half. I couldn’t have guessed where it would lead me.
It me.
Not the other way around.

I learned a bit about creativity.
I designed a tarot.
Who cares?

I lost myself in history and stories and strange and dark worlds. I lost myself. And maybe, just maybe, I found myself in the process.
Or maybe I was found.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ve walked the Fool’s creative journey myself for the last year and a half. Maybe I’ve experienced creativity. Maybe I’ve experienced the tarot. Maybe I’m just a fool.
But hopefully a funny one.
On these pages, I document my story.
The story of the Creative Tarot.

I can’t do this alone. It’s not just my story. I just type. I just scribble. The Fool also tells his story. The Puppeteer interferes. Ishmael is the only sane one. The rest are mad.
But maybe you’d like to accompany me anyway.
Into the world of the mad.

Maybe something will inspire you.
Maybe you’ll learn things you didn’t know before.
Maybe you’ll see things with different eyes afterwards.
Maybe you’ll even meet the Magician. Or the Muse.

Or the Puppeteer.

Be brave.
Come with me.