We have some really interesting ideas here around query-first schema generation. E.g. using things before they even necessarily exist as anything formally in the system. Powerful IDEs like Visual Studio enable this workflow, by giving you a quickfix that will create a method/function if it doesn't exist. Coupled with heavy normalization (i.e. 6th normal form) and a nice way of dealing with modeling in that world [1], we should be able to provide a really nice iterative experience. Our explicit goal is for working with Eve to feel almost conversational and exploratory. We found one of the biggest problems with tools like Access was that they forced you to plan everything up front, to define schemas and relationships before you can even do something of value. That's a trap we want to make sure we avoid.
> I also dislike drawing diagrams on screen when they're much quicker to sketch out on paper, but that's probably more of a personal preference (and I've not spent enough time with the editor yet).
The current editor evolved out of the question of if we could write programs on paper efficiently. I agree with you and one of the things I really want to explore a bit further down the road is a sketching-like interface that enables you to draw things directly (it wouldn't be too hard to even capture images from a whiteboard or sheet of paper).