5 Major Roles of Sketching in Design Inspiration

According to Wikipedia, a sketch is “a rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not usually intended as a finished work.”

But, over the past few decades the most common example of excellent sketch work are comics which keep its readers hooked on to them. This makes it pretty clear that sketching is an art which does not need to be polished for presentation, but more importantly acts as a basic framework for any visual presentation.

While the digital aspect of design relies mainly on the latest technology and trends, sketching acts as the basic framework for any designing process. It gives designers the freedom to experiment with their skills and create a masterpiece which can be then processed for further refinement.

5 Main aspects of Digital Design which are affected by sketching are:

1. Perpetual flow of Creative Juices

Sketching is an art which evolves with the artist. The initial idea is always the basis of creating something amazing, but, it takes a lot of modification and editing to get that perfect design. It also helps in generation of new ideas and concepts. A two hour sketching session can give you several perceptions and help you understand the basic requirements.

2. Liberal Implementation

While the industry depends on high tech machines and designing applications to process their designs, it requires constant use of computers and sitting inside the cubicle. Sketching gives the artists and designers a more liberal approach with the freedom to work according to their comfort and thought process. Sitting in a serene environment to sketch sounds better than facing a screen, doesn’t it?

3. Client communication

Sketching also helps in keeping the client expectations at bay by giving the clients something to look forward to. Since sketching is usually work in progress, showing clients sketches saves a lot of time and effort as it gives room for additions and correction of any errors. Getting approval from the clients is easier with sketches which can later be processed digitally. This adds a convenience factor to the process.

4. Team Building Activity

Sketching is an art and brainstorming ideas is the best way to generate even better ideas. For designers to sit together as a team and collaborate on certain sketching ideas is one of the best team building exercises which ensures a healthy team environment. Designers that sketch together, Stay together!

5. Visual Exploration and Definition

Sketching not only brings out the creativity of the designer but also helps in exploration of different perspectives. The process of designing includes refinement at a later stage, but, the minute details can be added or corrected in several rounds of sketching which leads to better digital design process.

Sketching is an old art-form and many people prefer digital solutions to all their design needs, but it is very important to understand the importance of sketching for a designer. It plays a unique role and while digital processing is the mainstream solution, sketching helps for the basic structure of any design. The larger the project, the more valuable the sketch work and this sketching proves the worth of your design process. So, to all the designers out there, digitization is important but, sketching can help solve all your major problems. Work Wisely!

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