Meaning
To start planning or designing something again from scratch because the previous plan, design, or attempt has completely failed.
It is used specifically for creative, technical, or strategic work that needs to be reconceived from the ground up, rather than simply repeated or patched up.
Origin
The phrase was coined in a 1942 cartoon by Peter Arno published in The New Yorker, showing an airplane that has just crashed nose-first into the ground while its designer walks away carrying the blueprint under his arm, saying he is heading back to the drawing board. The image of the drafting table where engineers and designers sketch out plans made the phrase an instantly clear metaphor for scrapping a failed design and starting the creative process over.
Examples
The prototype failed every safety test, so the engineers went back to the drawing board.
Investors rejected the pitch entirely, sending the founders back to the drawing board.
After the app’s redesign confused every user in testing, the team had to go back to the drawing board.
A: Did the committee approve the new logo?
B: No, they hated it, so it is back to the drawing board.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Back to the drawing board' mean?
To start planning or designing something again from scratch because the previous plan, design, or attempt has completely failed.
It is used specifically for creative, technical, or strategic work that needs to be reconceived from the ground up, rather than simply repeated or patched up.