the art of looking sideways.

a scientist, an engineer and a designer were arguing about the height of a church tower, when a man passed by holding a barometer under his arm. he challenged them to find an answer by using his barometer. the scientist took a long time carefully measuring the barometric pressure at the bottom and top of the tower, and then calculating the height by the difference. the engineer, scorning this lengthy procedure, climbed up the tower, judged how much the barometer weighed, dropped it over the edge and worked out the height by timing how long it took to hit the ground. the designer popped into the church and offered the barometer to the verger in exchange for a look at the building plans.

- from the art of looking sideways by alan fletcher, one of the best books i've seen. it's a must for anyone involved in design or the creative process.