The Dying Art of Sketching………………………….

Sketching to me is one of the most enjoyable aspects of how I work on a design. It enables me to get the ideas and thoughts that are in my head down on paper so I can communicate them with others.  I can quickly explore form and function in a very efficient way, from a quick thumbnail sketch during a discussion with an engineer or supplier, to a more detailed sketch for a presentation to get a client on board with a direction. It is in effect my most valuable tool.

The fact I enjoy drawing and always have means it is something I have practiced since I was a child so I have a confidence in it, and am not too bad at it. I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy sometimes the looks on peoples face when they look at my sketches or when I am doing it and appreciate the skill involved.  The same way I wish I could play an instrument when I watch some who is an accomplished musician, or kick a ball like anyone on my favourite football team.  One of my biggest regrets is I have no co-ordination when it comes to sports, but never mind can’t be good at everything right.  So I do understand that not every designer has the same passion for sketching as I and to be honest a good designer doesn’t need too.  For example Mr Dyson is well known to be one designer who does not really produce fine art drawings when he developed his ideas, instead he made models…………….lots of models. It’s what worked for him but he did still sketch very basic ideas first, and he is not the only one.  Many of today’s top designers are more than happy just sketching out very rough sketches because they understand the basic principle that it is a tool to communicate.  If it shows what they are thinking to another person and that person can understand it then it’s a great sketch. Even better because it’s done quickly and efficiently which is important, as they say time is money, especially when working in consultancy as costs are based on time spent. Great works of art are rarely ever needed to convey an idea and if that’s what you want to do be an artist not a designer.  Besides in the design world of today if you really need that final visual that has all the bells and whistles and makes a final design sing then it’s easier and more efficient to do in a computer and render it out where changing colours and finishes is just a couple of clicks.

So getting back to the title of this post, something I have watched over the last decade of working in design is the decline in designers who are comfortable sketching and even an increase in those who don’t use it at all.  Now I am not saying it’s not being practiced, it’s just that I see less and less evidence in portfolios that show sketches in the development of projects. I get a brief and then final computer renderings.  I actually have to write to the applicant and say can you please send me some sketch work so I can understand how your idea developed and get told often oh I didn’t do any???? When I was a graduate I always had my whole sketch book with me for an interview and always included key sketches in my portfolio to show my ideas did not appear out of thin air by magic.   Now I have employed many young designers and it is one of the key things I look for because I need a member of staff to be able to communicate.  Now many of those who I have employed would much rather draw something in Illustrator or model it up in CAD but its time consuming, even when they tell me they can do it quickly.  Now a thumbnail sketch on a piece of paper can take 30 seconds, my laptop won’t even turn on that quick, now I am sure that may have something to do with certain websites I visit but you get my point.  There are some who say what about sketching on a tablet which is fine for presentation sketches when again you have a bit more time, but do you really need to wheel in expensive bits of kit every time you want to have a quick development meeting when really a pad and pen go anywhere easily.  

When I take somebody on even if they don’t want too I make them sketch and try to develop their confidence with sentences like “Don’t worry it’s not to go on the wall, it’s just for us to understand your thinking”.  Some I have even had to remember the exercises I was taught at University and pass them on.  Now I have asked many young design graduates and been astounded that there are many centers of design education that do not teach this most basic skill (tool) which I find incredible.  They have sat through hours and hours of lessons on computer rendering which is used very rarely and always at the end but not sketching, the most basic design communication tool there is which has been used since people painted on cave walls to express ideas!!!!  So design schools the world over are churning out more and more designers that in my humble opinion are not equipped to do the job in the best way.

This is of course just my opinion and would love to hear from others who agree or if you think different please get in touch because I have to be honest it makes me a little sad and maybe your experience or thoughts can change that.