Watch an A3 Evolve From Start to "Finish"

-- Tony Markel

I recently got to a good point with an A3 and wondered what it would look like if you could step back and forth in time to watch it evolve. I had tried using a really nifty tool called Draftback, but it only offered text playback, no layout, no graphics.  But, if you want a letter-by-letter account of your work, it's worth a look.

For this exercise, I took some screenshots using the revision history and turned them into a slide show.

Some things I learned while going over the playback:

1. It's okay to jot down potential solutions as you go. You might learn that you're solving the wrong problem. It also frees your mind to focus on figuring out what problem you're trying to solve.
   
2. Get your work in front of people as soon as you can. Tell yourself it's a draft, an experiment, whatever. You need to make sure you can communicate your idea well. Seek help, seek input, seek information, seek guidance, just go get information.
   
3. Spend as little time as possible on visual polish until you're fairly satisfied with your conclusions.
   
4. At the same time, use visual language as a shortcut to paragraphs of prose. Remember this is an artifact for conversation, which means that it pays to have visual cues to guide you and your audience rather than reams of data or words.
   
5. Having earlier drafts to draw upon helped me remember points I may have tossed aside early on, that suddenly became relevant as my problem came more into focus.
   
6. Expect to change everything. No idea is worth so much that it cannot be sacrificed for something more meritorious.
   
7. There is no page 2. Make everything count.

If you want a closer look at the document as it evolves, go here and check it out. (U-M login required)