# Notation as a Collaborative Tool Shared notation allows people to form the same mental model in their mind, which facilitates collaboration. [[Rodrigo Tellor]] shared a story about architecture school. One of the first things you learn in architecture school is _how to draw_ and how to read and write [[Architectural Blueprints]]. Master architects can immediately grasp and visualize a real building in a real environment based purely on the blueprint. They can point at a window and say something to another architect like "the light coming through that window will be pretty weak - we need to add another window or skylight to make that room brighter." This immediate shared understanding of a space based on this notation is extremely helpful. Software engineers don't have shared blueprints.