5 ms·

Yes! I discovered the same thing, but with Sketch. I think it's because you can explore the problem space, and converge on solution, much faster when you don't

by hazz99 6y ago

Yes! I discovered the same thing, but with Sketch. I think it's because you can explore the problem space, and converge on solution, much faster when you don't have to bother with code. Going further down that line of thought, pen and paper really works. You don't have to bother with colours, fonts and rounded edges. A fun exercise I do, when solving a creative problem, is this: 1. Divide a sheet of paper into 8 squares 2. Set a timer for 40 to 60 seconds 3. For each square, start the timer, and attempt to draw a different solution in each box This forces you to stop worrying about the individual ideas, and focus on generating lots of them. It also gets you past the "immediate solution" thoughts you have, and into more interesting ones. At the end, you can collate the ideas, and pick the best parts from each one.

TeMPOraL 6y ago
That's a great trick, I'm going to steal it! I tend to naturally go somewhat depth-first instead of breadth-first, and the quality of my idea generation often depends on how much working memory I have, and how big is the canvas on which I put my notes (I really like my infinite virtual whiteboard on my sidearm computer). The split also applies to developing code. I've learned to switch quickly between two modes: I either focus on typing code, or on architecture/design decisions. When I coding is getting hard - I feel lost, unsure about what to write - I switch to design mode. When I feel I have something conceptually sound and my brain doesn't want to generate more ideas, I switch back to coding. This can happen multiple times per day. The point is to be always working in the mode that's easier to make progress in at a given moment. It's probably an obvious technique to many, but I've worked with people who struggled with making these switches - they tried to power through coding even though it turned spaghetti, or considered "design phase" to be something Big to be done seldomly and up front. But it's wrong. The mode switch isn't a big deal - preserving the context in your head is. I solve that by writing down any outstanding thoughts before mode-switching. Often as a string of //TODO //FIXME //NOTE in code.
- rasen58 6y ago
  What is a sidearm computer? How do you manage your infinite canvas?
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    It's how I call the computer I use in situations when I can't use my primary computer. E.g. on the bus, in the bed, while going for a trip. My primary computer is a powerful desktop machine, and I pick the supporting computer to be light and mobile, but preferably powerful enough to handle sophisticated tasks on its own. (This is through analogy to a soldier, who carries a primary weapon - perhaps one that's heavy and unwieldy, like an anti-materiel sniper rifle, or one that they can't move by themselves, like in artillery teams - but is also issued with a pistol as sidearm. While having limited range and lethal power, a sidearm can also be grabbed, aimed and discharged quickly, and can be carried and used in situations where the primary weapon cannot.) My current sidearm is a Dell 5290 2-in-1, with a stylus. Basically a cheaper version of Microsoft Surface. I use a vector drawing app called Concepts[0], which offers an infinite canvas, and is streamlined for use on tablets with pens. This is as close to a good whiteboard experience as you can get on a computer - you draw as if on paper, and then freely pan/rotate/zoom the canvas (or your drawings). I don't really manage my canvas, I just keep the app open, make drawings and notes and diagrams, and occasionally sort them into "galleries" when the main screen gets too crowded. -- [0] - https://concepts.app/en/ https://concepts.app/en/, has versions for Windows UWP, Android and iOS.
- chrisweekly 6y ago
  > "(I really like my infinite virtual whiteboard on my sidearm computer" what software do you use for your infinite virtual whiteboard? EDIT: whoops, just saw my Q was redundant; thanks for responding to the other comment
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    https://concepts.app/en/ https://concepts.app/en/
- PebblesRox 6y ago
  I keep a running project journal in a google doc with to-dos and just stream-of-consious thought about the problem at hand. If I have an idea for something that's not a current priority, I put it in under an out-of-scope header. I can come back and collect it later when I'm in a big picture planning phase and it lets me stop carrying the mental weight of "I want it to be perfect" that leads to paralysis because I can't implement everything all at once. Writing down my thinking helps recover from interruptions, which are frequent with kids underfoot.
snarfy 6y ago
Reading these comments has me asking "Does nobody use whiteboards anymore? Do they just start coding?"
codethief 6y ago
I've used that method, too, with great success! Are you familiar with design sprints[0]? I think I learned it from there. FWIW, design sprints are a really good method to find a solution to a given issue in a decent amount time[1] (not too slowly but not too fast, either, as to not overlook alternative, superior solutions). [0]: https://designsprint.org/ https://designsprint.org/ [1]: Those 4 days they mention on the website can often be reduced to a day or two once you've already done the sprint in the same problem area a few times (and provided you're tackling a small enough and specific enough issue with your sprint).

by hazz99 6y ago

TeMPOraL 6y ago

That's a great trick, I'm going to steal it! I tend to naturally go somewhat depth-first instead of breadth-first, and the quality of my idea generation often depends on how much working memory I have, and how big is the canvas on which I put my notes (I really like my infinite virtual whiteboard on my sidearm computer). The split also applies to developing code. I've learned to switch quickly between two modes: I either focus on typing code, or on architecture/design decisions. When I coding is getting hard - I feel lost, unsure about what to write - I switch to design mode. When I feel I have something conceptually sound and my brain doesn't want to generate more ideas, I switch back to coding. This can happen multiple times per day. The point is to be always working in the mode that's easier to make progress in at a given moment. It's probably an obvious technique to many, but I've worked with people who struggled with making these switches - they tried to power through coding even though it turned spaghetti, or considered "design phase" to be something Big to be done seldomly and up front. But it's wrong. The mode switch isn't a big deal - preserving the context in your head is. I solve that by writing down any outstanding thoughts before mode-switching. Often as a string of //TODO //FIXME //NOTE in code.

rasen58 6y ago
What is a sidearm computer? How do you manage your infinite canvas?
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  It's how I call the computer I use in situations when I can't use my primary computer. E.g. on the bus, in the bed, while going for a trip. My primary computer is a powerful desktop machine, and I pick the supporting computer to be light and mobile, but preferably powerful enough to handle sophisticated tasks on its own. (This is through analogy to a soldier, who carries a primary weapon - perhaps one that's heavy and unwieldy, like an anti-materiel sniper rifle, or one that they can't move by themselves, like in artillery teams - but is also issued with a pistol as sidearm. While having limited range and lethal power, a sidearm can also be grabbed, aimed and discharged quickly, and can be carried and used in situations where the primary weapon cannot.) My current sidearm is a Dell 5290 2-in-1, with a stylus. Basically a cheaper version of Microsoft Surface. I use a vector drawing app called Concepts[0], which offers an infinite canvas, and is streamlined for use on tablets with pens. This is as close to a good whiteboard experience as you can get on a computer - you draw as if on paper, and then freely pan/rotate/zoom the canvas (or your drawings). I don't really manage my canvas, I just keep the app open, make drawings and notes and diagrams, and occasionally sort them into "galleries" when the main screen gets too crowded. -- [0] - https://concepts.app/en/ https://concepts.app/en/, has versions for Windows UWP, Android and iOS.
chrisweekly 6y ago
> "(I really like my infinite virtual whiteboard on my sidearm computer" what software do you use for your infinite virtual whiteboard? EDIT: whoops, just saw my Q was redundant; thanks for responding to the other comment
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  https://concepts.app/en/ https://concepts.app/en/
PebblesRox 6y ago
I keep a running project journal in a google doc with to-dos and just stream-of-consious thought about the problem at hand. If I have an idea for something that's not a current priority, I put it in under an out-of-scope header. I can come back and collect it later when I'm in a big picture planning phase and it lets me stop carrying the mental weight of "I want it to be perfect" that leads to paralysis because I can't implement everything all at once. Writing down my thinking helps recover from interruptions, which are frequent with kids underfoot.

snarfy 6y ago

Reading these comments has me asking "Does nobody use whiteboards anymore? Do they just start coding?"

codethief 6y ago

I've used that method, too, with great success! Are you familiar with design sprints[0]? I think I learned it from there. FWIW, design sprints are a really good method to find a solution to a given issue in a decent amount time[1] (not too slowly but not too fast, either, as to not overlook alternative, superior solutions). [0]: https://designsprint.org/ https://designsprint.org/ [1]: Those 4 days they mention on the website can often be reduced to a day or two once you've already done the sprint in the same problem area a few times (and provided you're tackling a small enough and specific enough issue with your sprint).