What I Learned in College: The Value of Paper

Shocked. That would be the reaction of my August 2010 self at reading this post title. I brought almost no books with me across the country. I avoided printing whenever possible. I probably averaged two kindle-obviates-paper discussions per week

Two ideas I learned in software design classes changed my mind:

1. Low fidelity prototyping. Making something digital, regardless how rough, is a commitment. It says, “This is a starting point, if I discard I should at least try to reuse.” Sketching an idea on paper, visual or otherwise, keeps it in the realm of the imaginary and malleable. It’s a zero-reusable, speed-dating environment that lets problems surface and solutions shine quickly. I now never leave home without a sketch book and never start a project without a sketch.

2. Spreadability. In 1985, the future for computers were “tabs.” Low cost, almost discardable interactive screens that could be spread around a room. These mirror people’s needs of seeing things within a physical space and referencing digital content much more vast than a standard screen. That future is getting closer, but until it comes, spreading out paper (like a wall full of post-it notes, or a table full of flow diagrams) can be a really handy way to look at a problem.