Key Innovation #2: Bit by Bit

I have learned that the key to any project is maintaining forward momentum. This is what trips me up in most editors. They don't encourage forward momentum. They don't allow me to work on one thing at a time. Every time I open on them, I am confronted with the entirety of the project and I have to then choose again what I'm going to work on. I wanted something different for Draft.

In my other work, breaking things down into small bite size pieces is what helps me to keep moving forward. How could I replicate this in a writing app? How could I simplify the process without placing frustrating limits on users?

I considered not allowing any editing at all - as soon as you type, you can't go back. That felt frustrating to me. Not being able to fix a typo as I typed, or rework the sentence I was on felt more frustrating than beneficial. I broadened it.

One paragraph at a time.

Had I seen this anywhere before? Yes, this is the prevalent method of communication right now. It's the way texting works. It's the way Slack works.

I landed on a layout where the block of written text is displayed above a text input box. The writer focuses on the sentence or paragraph they are crafted. They press enter and it is added to their draft. I tried it. It felt incredible.