In this digital age, it seems designers may have forgotten how to let our creative juices flow without our computers.
Pressured with client requests, we are becoming accustomed to sitting down at a computer, clicking and dragging, and no longer taking the time to sketch out our ideas. Sketching is the best way to break the confines of margins and columns… to think beyond the restrictions of a templated page. Sketching allows you to freely expand the “what ifs” of creative thought… to explore the possibilities.
5 Benefits of Sketching:
1. It’s the quickest way to explore a variety of ideas, and then assess which best solves the design challenge at hand
2. Allows you to be spontaneous in your creativity, instead of locking yourself into variations on one basic theme
3. Keeps you focused on the essence of your ideas, without the interference of your computer’s parameters
4. Helps give others (copywriters, production artists, illustrators, photographers, etc.) a good idea of what you’re conceptualizing and the space allotment
5. Helps relay your ideas to clients to get their initial reaction before getting too far along, and cutting too deeply into the budget
At Zoltun, when we review portfolios of students or even seasoned professionals, one of the first things we look for is how freely they follow their creative inclinations. What is their approach? Can they sketch their ideas before their fingers ever touch a computer? How do they creatively solve problems?
Sketching ideas may seem passé to some, but we believe it is truly the most expressive way to capture ideas and thoughts without limitation.
So, give it a whirl. Challenge yourself. Get primal and express yourself by sketching. It doesn’t matter if your sketches never see the light of day. They can be mere scribbles on a cocktail napkin or ideas that a client might nix, but you just may be surprised at how conceptual you actually are.
All you really need is a sketch pad, a #2 pencil or Sharpie, and a little imagination.
