Importance of Sketching in the Design Process

This article draws on the importance of sketching in the design process to build your next successful design work. A creative person, irrespective of them being into design work, would have used a pen/pencil and paper at some point of time during their work process. Since online sketching courses and sketching applications are popular in today’s times, the traditional way to conceptualize ideas on paper is being replaced by virtual sketches.

Primary way to spark creativity

You always get a creative feeling when you make a pencil sketch than with a mouse. It offers you more freedom for illustrating your ideas than on a PC or laptop. When you make pencil art, you start to use your creative spark to come up with interesting concepts which can make for the initial foundation of your designs.

Easy, fast, and could be done anywhere

Sketching doesn’t happen just on your working desk. It can take place anywhere you want, be it recording something you saw, listing out an idea, or simply getting your inspiration from your surroundings. Carry a small notebook and a pen where you go. You wouldn’t know where you’d find some amazing notable ideas as you keep going!

Effective visual communication tool

You might come across a potential client when you’re in public places or not at work and you might want to show them your pencil portraits or talk about your work. The notebook and pen you carry would work as a great visual communication tool. You can show up your sketchbook or rough sketches and describe your creativity for instant work from the client.

Visual exploration

When you start working with a sketch, you wouldn’t limit yourself to just one variation of your idea. You can explore multiple options through your sketches in a specific design concept.

Rough sketches give you greater ideas

Often when you are out of ideas, simply scribbling and sketching your imagination would give birth to some amazing designs and ideas that you’ve probably been figuring out for several years!

Discover new skills and improve your drawing skills

As a designer, you must have those extra skills to use in your design. With sketching, you develop one of the most important skills, drawing. When you are able to draw and visualize things and concepts on paper, they can be your greatest weapon.

You are likely to win a client over the ones who find it difficult to draw a distinguishable object. You would also discover more skills with sketching like creating storyboards, art direction, and character designing. Sketching enables you to start the best ideas. It’s a powerful process since it always helps you in discovering new ideas and solutions to your designs.

When you start sketching your ideas and imagination, you open a way to put your creativity to action and in turn enhancing your skills. This is the reason sketching would always remain an integral aspect of the design and development process. 


Originally published February 25, 2021