Any ordered list… Presidents of a country in order. Sports stats. Periodic Table Of Elements. It can be very useful for studying and schoolwork.
This is the subject of many debates!
There is no generically applicable “best” system or “better” technique. The results using various systems can be as variable as the people who are using them.
I usually suggest using matching major phonetics to generate the other elements. This way each element can be read directly by looking at the card without having to first think of the person.
If you’d like an example of how that can work, here’s my 2-digit + cards list (based on “standard” major sounds.)
Lots of people have success going the traditional route like you described with “Homer Drinking Beer” after some practice the step of linking back to the person fades and you cam get to that direct connection which is key for speed.
Ultimately the specific system is less important than the effort you dedicate to making it fluent. You should try messing a bit with both approaches and see what you like better.
I have a few more related thoughts on the process of practicing and learning a PAO here: