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

[Adrian Howard]

On Sunday, August 17, 2003, at 08:16  pm, Listera wrote:

> "Chad Jennings" wrote:
>
>> However, from a creative problem solving p.o.v. I would say anything 
>> on the
>> computer screen is lacking when compared to the lo-fi alternatives 
>> discussed
>> previously.
>
> How so? A PowerBook + OmniGraffle or FreeHand/Illustrator + digital 
> tablet +
> Ink hooked up to a projector can run circles around a
> whiteboard/post-it/chewing gum for any measure of spontaneity, agility 
> and
> idea roaming.

How about:
-	three people using it at once?
-	involving people who have never used OmniGraffle/Freehand/Illustrator?
-	involving people who have never used a digital tablet?
-	allowing people to carry on when you are out of the room?
-	etc.

For collaborative processes, especially with non-technical people, I 
would pick a whiteboard any day. Almost anybody can use a whiteboard 
pen. Almost anybody can scribble on an index card and move it around a 
pin-board or table.

Even if *I'm* happy writing Perl scripts to munge my OmniGraffle XML in 
various cute and interesting ways (being the sad geek type that I am) - 
everybody else will be happier with a big information radiator on one 
wall of the room.

While digital models are great, and you'll have to pry OmniGraffle from 
my cold dead fingers [1], there are a whole bunch of advantages to 
analog media. These are often overlooked because of our industry's 
fetish with shiny technical toys :-)

Adrian

[1] at least until something better comes along