Ask HN: Did the Pandemic Kill the Whiteboard?

[marcind]

A few years ago, our team built an app that allows you to share a whiteboard (or any analog surface) online, in real time. The reason was simple: we love whiteboards - they're very effective; we want to use them when some/all of us are not in the same room.

At first, the pandemic drove a boom in interest: product managers and developers wanted to whiteboard with distributed teams, educators were looking for tools to run remote/hybrid classes. Beginning in late 2021, however, something different started to happen...

Many of the people we spoke with - historically, ardent whiteboard enthusiasts - simply stopped whiteboarding altogether. In many cases they replaced actual whiteboards with digital whiteboards (e.g., Mural, Miro). In some cases they changed processes to essentially eliminate the visual collaboration step entirely.

IMHO, there are certain cases where a whiteboard is simply irreplaceable. But perhaps I'm just a luddite? Is the whiteboard dead?

[coreyhn]

I still use a whiteboard every week. I even have my laptop on a swivel stand so I can point my camera at it to share. I have an iPad where I could replicate a digital experience, but it isn’t the same. A whiteboard is still an important tool for brainstorming, mocking interfaces, and walking through logic for me.

[marcind]

I agree (and I'm glad I'm not alone). Haven't seen the swivel stand approach - good idea!

Curious: * Is sharing the whiteboard via camera enough for you/your colleagues? * Are you ever the "recipient/viewer" of such a shared whiteboard or always the presenter? * (How) do you transfer your whiteboard content to other tools?

[coreyhn]

I’ve mainly been the presenter. I’ve been on the viewing end before too and it is a lot easier to convey a quick concept. As far as transferring to other tools, I’ll typically transcribe the notes onto my computer if it is easy to type or take a picture and have it on my computer for reference. I haven’t had a need for a shared whiteboard experience yet and favor annotating images/files instead

[marcind]

"I haven’t had a need for a shared whiteboard experience yet..."

Just to make sure I understand correctly: does this mean that in all cases (whether you're presenting or viewing) you find that only one person needs to be able to write on the board?

Also, in your first comment, you wrote that digital alternatives are not the same as the real thing. In your opinion, what is the key advantage of traditional surfaces over digital tools?

[coreyhn]

Correct, only one person needs to draw.

The hard thing with digital is the spatial aspect. I like a big canvas to write on as opposed to the feeling of being confined to a screen. Note that even if the screen increased, it still is more cumbersome. I still use digital drawing programs for creating artwork so I’m not opposed to using a digital medium for drawing.

The other aspect is it allows you to step away from screens altogether and approach a problem in a more tangible way. I like standing in front of a whiteboard and taking in the flow if data or mockup and tweaking. In these instances, I’m not sharing my camera, it is purely a thought process for myself.

[marcind]

Thanks - I appreciate the thoughtful feedback.

An open-ended follow-up: is there any way the whiteboard could be improved upon (and/or is there a way to better incorporate it into your workflow)?