Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

1. Our plan to raise money for a new swimming pool didn’t work. Now we’re back to the drawing board and trying to think of a better plan.
2. The idea of buying computers for the public schools through the lottery failed. The city leaders had to go back to the drawing board to think of another way to come up with the money.

Compare to: back to square one. The expression originates from the idea that plans and designs are developed on a drawing board.