Sketching and the art of making things real

When I was at primary school and someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d always reply that I wanted to be a cartoonist.

When I was at primary school and someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d always reply that I wanted to be a cartoonist.

by Katie Wishlade, Partner, Wilson Fletcher

remember as a kid spending hours creating new cartoon characters and one Christmas, to my delight, I was even given an A0 whiteboard for my room. I simply could not imagine anything better than being paid to draw — brilliant.

25 years later, although I’m sadly not a cartoonist, I still sketch most days. I even have a series of 30 foot whiteboards to play with. Brilliant!

Sketching has become one of my main design tools and I’ve invested a lot of time creating a specific style and improving my sketching speed and accuracy. I’ve relied on it many times to communicate design ideas and bring a story to life — creating storyboards, posters and paper prototypes, as well as facilitating concepting workshops through visuals, capturing discussions and ideas on the fly.

More than anything, the process of sketching helps me think clearly. It has many benefits, particularly at the beginning of the design process…

It’s quick

It can make concepts and ideas tangible very quickly.

It’s iterative

Sketches are easy to throw away, wipe-out and start again. Since you haven’t invested much time in creating the sketch you don’t get attached to it.

It’s collaborative

It provides an easy and informal way to co-create with stakeholders and users. Sketching together is a very powerful exercise.

It’s on display

Instead of being hidden in a file on a computer, sketches can be placed on display for all to see and discuss.

It sets expectations

The fact that a sketch is unpolished by nature means that people are more prepared to give feedback and are more open to possibilities.

It gets you away from your desk

Sketching takes you away from all the distractions on your computer and lets you focus on the problem your trying to solve.

Over the years, I’ve heard many people say “I can’t draw”. But sketching, like most things, is a learnt skill and you need to invest time in it in order to get better and for your confidence to grow.

Try and look for opportunities to sketch on a daily basis. For example, I’ve recently started sketchnoting in meetings and workshops and it really helps to improve speed and accuracy. I’d encourage anyone to pick up a pen and give it a go.

Once mastered, the sketching is the easy part. It’s working out what to sketch that’s where the real challenge lies.