Back of a napkin

File:Parlt-061.jpg

Back of a napkin sketch of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings by the architect Sir Basil Spence while dining with Keith Holyoake

Back of a napkin is a phrase used to explain the proposal of something in a very informal and quick way. An idea might have sprung up during a dinner and the only paper available to scribble on is the dinner napkin on the table. This gave rise to phrases like "back of a napkin sketch", "back of a napkin calculation", and "back of a napkin business plan".

Examples

• When British engineer James Nasmyth was asked to build a bigger hammer after the workpiece was too big for existing fall hammers, Nasmyth, after a little thought, sketched out on a piece of paper the design for the steam hammer.
• There is a commonly-held legend that economist Arthur Laffer first explained the Laffer Curve on the back of a napkin.
• Legend has it that the original Southwest Airlines "Texas Triangle", connecting its major cities (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) was created on the back of a napkin.
• Designer Paula Scher drew her redesign of the Citibank logo on a napkin.

See also

• Drawing
• Figure drawing
• Back-of-the-envelope