Tools Restrict Your Thinking
Never forget that the tools you use to think, to dream, to figure something out, are also opportunities to restrict the way you think about a problem. If you’re already thinking about using a wiki for a project, or a blog, you’ve already made some decisions on all the actions that take place thereafter. Deciding on audio versus video versus text early in the project means that you’re talking tools and not the desired goals of the project. Wherever you can, think with outcomes in mind, not which tools you can use.
Inspired by Jon Udell’s interview with Bill Buxton.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
I agree with Bob. It’s like what Hugh McLeod wrote in his ‘How to be creative’ manifesto. Don’t rely too much on your tools– especially the shiny, expensive ones because they are only psychological pillars (crutches).
The tools don’t make you a better artist.
This is a good point. The corollary is that sometimes the limitations imposed by a tool can free up some interesting new angles. (Think haiku.) But you can’t ever forget that the act of picking your tool closes off a lot of potential paths.
[…] saw this post earlier from Chris Brogan–Tools Restrict Your Thinking : [chrisbrogan.com]–and it got me thinking about work and how you get things […]
So true. I found this evident when I went to visit the Stax Museum of Soul Music here in Memphis. Most of those artists had nothing but their imagination to work with. The creativity they had came out of the absence of the things they didn’t have.
http://onehalfamazing.com/files/stax_creativity_from_poverty.html
~Bob