like pencils and pens, we can express ideas in lower fidelity very quickly. The expediency of this process tends to yield visualizations that communicate best to the author/designer but often fail in communicating to others. To better understand the role that drawing can play in the design process, it’s best to have fairly simple expectations and goals for hand-drawn activities. Explicit goals for drawing and sketching are 1. to externalize and convey the process of thinking—to transform intangible ideas to tangible information for others; 2. to reveal ideas/ relationships, not results; and 3. to engage discussion around the subject/problem as an inclusive activity. The common link to all of design drawing is in constructing a graphic representation in a coherent format, one that speaks to alternative ideas and the evolution of an idea. The images that result from this process serve as vehicles to bring

others into the designer’s mind to better facilitate conversation and collaboration.

Envisioning ideas and transferring the ideas in your head onto paper can be challenging. The style of drawing, the methods of collecting ideas, and the media used can all vary greatly—thumbnails, Post-its, napkin sketches, and doodles are valid when trying to capture an idea. There is only one rule when drawing to capture ideas: Each idea must be explored from many different perspectives. Too often people try to capture an idea with one solitary sketch that edits the amount of information. Drawing ideas in variations, details, and from multiple viewpoints can enhance communication and enable the author to think more critically about the completeness of an idea as well as to provide reference points to more effectively express each thought.

One of the most powerful uses of sketching is to record ideas

A child’s visual interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. Children often will draw with any available implement on any available substrate to explore ideas and tell stories. Is it possible to sustain our interest in the world and develop the ability to tell visual stories beyond childhood? (Sketch by Ana Baskinger, age 4)