Fix our thinking, better solutions will follow

“Clear thinker” is a better compliment than “smart.”—Naval Ravikant

Tools influence our thinking. Parts we focus on when holding a pencil are different from when keeping a hand on a mouse. We tend to focus on abstract pieces or the bigger picture when having a pencil. Latter, we tend to focus on the little details.

How many times did we all try to resist the itch to pick a better font or a color while doing a mind map or wireframing? We are working against the grain when using the wrong tools.

We need to get to solid concepts or foundation before detailing out. If we go the other way, we tend to produce solutions with hollow foundations.

I see many designers jump on a graphic tool as soon as they are faced a problem, off to hack some solutions. Different part of a problem needs a different set of tools. Sometimes we don’t need any, only some good old thinking. Picking the right tool will help us to get into the right-thinking mode. Better solutions will follow.