Next time you want to illustrate a flow or concept with a diagramming tool, throw away the source file as soon as you export the PNG or PDF. If you’re afraid to throw the source file away, you spent too much time on it.
You’re reading Signal v. Noise, a publication about the web by Basecamp since 1999. Happy !
Next time you want to illustrate a flow or concept with a diagramming tool, throw away the source file as soon as you export the PNG or PDF. If you’re afraid to throw the source file away, you spent too much time on it.
Sean McCambridge
on 24 Dec 09What if you had a typo? Just kidding. I guess you could always just grab the marquee tool and paint over your png.
I’m a big fan of pen/pencil and paper. I wonder how many UI designers out there prefer paper over the screen.
Creamy Lyptus
on 24 Dec 09The best deal, I suppose, is to use both paper and screen depending on needs ;]
Bryce
on 24 Dec 09That’s just silly. What if you need to revise it and republish? (At a more fundamental level than ‘a typo’—logic or flow changes, for example.)
Did I spend too much time on this? http://bit.ly/7TDxh1 Perhaps. But that document had a lifecycle of a couple months, off and on (through 2 product versions.) It was invaluable for the duration of that project, and was revised probably 3 or 4 times a week, especially early on as marketing and product decisions were still being decided.
This project only got (maybe) 20% of my time for its duration, too—without accurate and up-to-date documentation, my ability to keep any of it in my head would’ve seriously suffered. And yes, I know - ‘get real - work in code.’ Wasn’t practical for that project. Not enough time, mixed codebases (HTML + old AOL-proprietary ‘Rain Man’ screens.)
I continue to respect many of the decisions that 37signals makes, but likewise grow weary of vapid ‘worksforme’ half-baked suggestions passed off as insight (which is “an accurate and deep understanding.”)
And now I know I’ve spent too much time on this comment…
Tommy
on 24 Dec 09I agree with Bryce. I’ve come to regard the “getting real” method as a solid addendum to the new school of agile development and consider it recommended reading for contemporary developers.
However, I’m aslo a fan of the scientific method – http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/project_scientific_method.shtml.
Your "realization" is more like a not too well thought out idea that may be worth testing and thinking about but not quite at the level of meaningful insight.Greg
on 24 Dec 09But what is the benefit of getting rid of it? I made one of these yesterday in about 4 hours. I’m not really “afraid” to throw it away, but I don’t see a reason to get rid of it. In a few months if I want to make a new one, it’ll go by real fast if I have the last iteration ready.
RS
on 24 Dec 09If I had spent four hours on a diagram, I’d want to keep it too. But that’s a long time to spend on a diagram. You might feel differently if each diagram took 5-10 minutes and was roughly executed either by hand or with minimal fussing in a diagramming tool.
Greg
on 24 Dec 09I guess it matters what the diagram is for. Mine was for a customer to show on powerpoint to other potential customers. That sure has a different set of requirements than a quick diagram to show a coworker. But in that case, I would have just used a whiteboard.
b
on 24 Dec 09I don’t get it. What’s the value to junking it over having it in a folder?
RS
on 24 Dec 09The act of junking the source file isn’t valuable. The value is having a trick to judge whether you are using the tool to communicate in a fast, goal-oriented way or if you are turning each diagram into a project of its own.
Eric G
on 24 Dec 09that’s fine if you’re not doing IA for a $1M+ project. We worked on flows and wireframes that went thru 3 rounds of reviews
(client’s workflow, not mine)
Jimmy Chan
on 25 Dec 09I disagree. Put some KB files in my TERRA-byte hdd is always welcome.
David
on 26 Dec 09I think everybody’s got the point but they just want to split hairs.
It reminds me of the post “Work in Photoshop, don’t save in Photoshop” : http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1821-work-in-photoshop-dont-save-in-photoshop
Also, in this context Bryce’s chart really is funny.
Chris Woods
on 28 Dec 09The disargreement among the commenters highlights the importance of understanding the context.
bartosz
on 30 Dec 09The disargreement among the commenters highlights the bullshitness of this blog.
Roy
on 30 Dec 09The fact you comment in a blog you think is bullshit, highlights the amount of spare time you could spend on more usefull things.
This discussion is closed.