The Best Technology?

On a recent trip to Toronto, I became aware of a major addition to the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), pictured above. The unique style is the work of famed international architect Daniel Libeskind. He's also the architect of the proposed New World Trade Center.

Apart from the stunning Royal Ontario Museum architecture, what caught my attention was how the whole project was conceived. The new addition was created as the result of a 2002 contest. In a TV interview, Libeskind, divulged that his winning submission consisted of sketched images drawn on eleven cocktail napkins!

From personal experience I can tell you that you never know when inspiration will strike. I was on a trip to Belgium several years ago with four of my team members. After a long day of work, we visited the hotel bar, where we started brainstorming how we could become more effective in delivering IT services and projects. The session ended with a stack of scribbled-on drink coasters, filled with ideas.

The guys at 37signals , who write elegantly simple software, suggest that great software starts with brainstorming, followed by sketches - drawings, sketches, doodles to convert your ideas onto paper.

I spend most of my time in the technology world and it amazes me how often true inspiration begins with pencil and paper.