Flashcard Design Guide
How to make cards that actually get remembered
A 12-page guide (with printable quick-reference sheet) on writing flashcards that beat the forgetting curve. Based on research from SuperMemo, Anki, and modern SRS practice.
PDF preview
Get the free template
Enter your email and we'll send it over — and the occasional study tip, nothing noisy.
Or download directly: flashcard-design-guide.pdf
Who it's for
- ✓Anki users whose retention is stuck below 85%
- ✓Students using AI-generated cards who want to edit them well
- ✓Language learners building vocabulary decks
What's inside
- •The minimum-information principle (explained with bad + good examples)
- •Cloze-delete patterns that work vs. the ones that cause leeches
- •A 15-point card-quality checklist
- •A cheat sheet for editing AI-generated cards in under 10 seconds each
How to use it
- Read the full guide once to internalize the principles.
- Pin the quick-reference sheet near your study desk.
- When a card in your deck becomes a "leech" (forgotten repeatedly), run it through the checklist — almost always you'll find the flaw.
Stop printing, start generating
Want Distill to generate these automatically?
Upload your lecture or study source and get personalized notes, flashcards, concept maps, and study plans in two minutes.
Start free →Related reading
Study Methods
How spaced repetition with AI flashcards beats cramming
The math behind spaced repetition, why it crushes cramming, and how AI-generated flashcards finally remove the last friction point in the workflow.
Reviews
Anki vs AI-generated flashcards — which wins?
Anki is the gold standard for spaced repetition. AI-generated flashcards are the most-hyped new tool in study tech. Which should you use — or do you use both?