I’ll do my best to define it, but DIY stands for “Do It Yourself” and it describes a psychological response to certain cards whose appeal lies in making the viewer piece together its elements to understand what it does. DIY cards may seem confusing to read at first, but by forcing the viewer to take the time to figure out what the card does, it encourages a greater appreciation for the design. Despite issues of balance, comprehension, or implementation, such cards are still very popular in CustomHearthstone because of how they are designed and how they are interpreted.

Here is an album of cards that I deem as DIY. Broadly speaking, most DIY cards can be put into 2 categories that both encourage a similar thinking process that lead to similar results. It begins with the viewers reading the card, perhaps multiple times, in order to identify all of the pieces. Once that is done, they must figure out why those pieces exist on the card and how they interact with each other. This ultimately leads to an “aha!” moment where the viewer “gets” the gimmick of the card, understanding what it does and perhaps finding appreciation in its design.

High comprehension complexity, are DIY cards that have text that seem confusing or vague at first, perhaps missing information or written in an unconventional manner. An example is Munchroot which asks the viewer to remove a word; with no explanation is given as to why or how. But by doing so, the viewer can identify the two modes that the card offers. By being difficult to comprehend, this card makes the viewer go through a process where they have to re-think what the card does and fill in the gaps to understand the full extent of the card.

Sum of its parts, are DIY cards that are understandable on its own, featuring multiple effects or several elements of a single effect. It is when these parts are put together and considered on the same card, that the true nature of the card is revealed. An example is Temmie Fizzlebang that has 2 effects that are individually easy to comprehend. However, if the viewer is able to connect the two, understanding that they both relate to your hand and understanding how they interact with each other, they can recognize the full utility of the card.

For more information on DIY design, I encourage checking out the following articles that others have written about it as well as some related concepts.

CHS Podcast episode on DIY

Tenra's article on DIY

Maysick's article on DIY

Mark Rosewater on the similar, Lenticular design

Wikipedia article on the similar, IKEA effect