[Sigia-l] We could just use whiteboards instead.

[Adrian Howard]

On Saturday, August 16, 2003, at 05:45  pm, David Heller wrote:

> <<That's what digital cameras are for :-) I'm often surprised how much
> detail a snapshot of a wall of whiteboards and misc. paper can
> capture.>>
>
> That only allows for recording ... What about editing?

True. If you are working in a geographically distributed team then it 
will be better to use a tool like 
OmniGraffle/Illustrator/Visio/whatever.

In my own work practices I try *very* hard to get everybody who has to 
participate in the process in the same room together. I find that the 
communication overhead of having people work remotely on a project more 
than outweigh moving costs.

In these circumstances I find whiteboards, index cards, etc. better. 
When I need to reproduce the whiteboard it's either for a non-technical 
person who wouldn't be able to edit it anyway, or a team member who is 
temporarily working non-locally.

In either case a quick photo and feedback via scribbled notes, email, 
phone, faxes, etc. is all that is needed - and is less effort than 
developing and maintaining the digital model.  The photos also act as a 
quick-n-dirty backup system.

> Like I've been saying ... How do you move to the next piece of the
> workflow?

I also try *very* hard to keep the number of digital models maintained 
to the absolute minimum necessary at any point.

I've found that keeping everybody using whiteboards, post-it notes, 
index cards, etc. makes the development process more efficient. You get 
better feedback from clients since they're more willing to question and 
comment on something that is obviously not "finished". They're also 
dealing with real world objects that they can manipulate, scribble on, 
etc. As soon as I move to a digital format only the "experts" are 
capable of editing it, so feedback from clients suddenly becomes one 
level removed.

Of course I do still generate digital models when necessary. If I need 
to go present something at the other end of the country, or when I need 
to produce documentation for site maintainers or off-site developers, 
digital models are absolutely necessary.

It's just that I've found that I don't need to move to digital nearly 
as early or as often as I thought I did a few years back.

As ever YMMV.

Adrian