drawing board
Designer's flat workspace
A drawing board is a flat surface, often tilted, used by architects, engineers, and artists to draft plans and sketches.
The phrase back to the drawing board means starting over after a plan fails—returning to the earliest stage of design.
Go back to the drawing board often implies an idea was fundamentally flawed rather than merely needing adjustment.
Return to the beginning
- start overBegin from the beginning
- rethinkEvaluate again differently
- fresh startOpportunity to restart unburdened
- revisionAltering to improve
redesign · overhaul · reset · reassess · new approach · do-over · regroup · clean slate
Right-angled drawing guide
- triangleThree-sided plane figure
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- protractorAngle-measuring instrument
- eraserMark removal tool
pencil · charcoal · graphite · vellum · tracing paper · grid paper · straightedge · drafting chair
Hasty informal drawing
- concept artPreliminary design illustrations
- illustrationPicture explaining something
- renderingInterpretive depiction or performance
- compositionArranged elements forming whole
perspective · layout · storyboard · thumbnail · rough draft · ideation · artistic vision · still life
Detailed technical drawing
- schematicSimplified technical diagram
- CADTechnical drawing technology
- diagramSimplified explanatory sketch
- elevationHeight above reference point
section · floor plan · site plan · specifications · architectural rendering · isometric · orthographic · cross-section
Planned approach to goals
- outlineSummary of key elements
- brainstormSpontaneous idea generation
- roadmapDetailed plan forward
- proposalFormal plan for consideration
feasibility · scope · timeline · milestone · coordination · preparation · project plan · framework
back to square one
Return to the beginning
- start overBegin from the beginning
- rethinkEvaluate again differently
- fresh startOpportunity to restart unburdened
revision · redesign · overhaul · reset · reassess · new approach · do-over · regroup · clean slate · retry
T-square
Right-angled drawing guide
- triangleThree-sided plane figure
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- protractorAngle-measuring instrument
eraser · pencil · charcoal · graphite · vellum · tracing paper · grid paper · straightedge · drafting chair · lightbox
sketch
Hasty informal drawing
- concept artPreliminary design illustrations
- illustrationPicture explaining something
- renderingInterpretive depiction or performance
composition · perspective · layout · storyboard · thumbnail · rough draft · ideation · artistic vision · still life
blueprint
Detailed technical drawing
- schematicSimplified technical diagram
- CADTechnical drawing technology
- diagramSimplified explanatory sketch
elevation · section · floor plan · site plan · specifications · architectural rendering · isometric · orthographic · cross-section · annotation
strategy
Planned approach to goals
- outlineSummary of key elements
- brainstormSpontaneous idea generation
- roadmapDetailed plan forward
proposal · feasibility · scope · timeline · milestone · coordination · preparation · project plan · framework · mapping out
- drafting furnituredrafting desk
- drafting suppliestilt table, drafting chair, light table, parallel bar, flat file
- art suppliesbrush, paints, pencil, easel, eraser
- displaysLCD, LED, OLED, display stand, display case
- drawing suppliespencil, eraser, charcoal, graphite, chalk
- renewalrenewal, reinvigoration, restart, reboot, fresh start
drawing boardfinished product
Completed manufactured good
completion · end result · implementation · rollout · launch
drawing boardreality
What actually exists
built environment · execution · practice · action · real-world application
draw, board, drawing, drawn, drawer, drawers, drawings, boarding, boarder