Pencils Before Pixels

Abstract

Drawings and sketches can be powerful and persuasive rep- resentations of ideas, events, sequences, systems, and objects. As part of a larger collaborative design process, hand drawing can serve as a key method for thinking, reasoning, and explor- ing opportunities, yet it inher- ently differs from wire frames and conceptual models. Innately, interaction designers employ a variety of methods for represent- ing ideas and information, both internally in a cognitive sense, and externally in the devices we employ to record, share, and reflect. However, competency in sketching and drawing by hand seems to be diminishing across design disciplines, making it a more highly desired skill in con- temporary design practice. In addition, there seems to be an apparent phenomenon of fear when it comes to drawing ideas. For many practicing designers, they have convinced themselves that they can’t draw and thus position themselves on the periphery of concept generation. The fact is that we all can draw, and there is a misperception that one has to be the Michelangelo of design drawing to be able to communicate visually. As young children, we had no fear of drawing and putting our work out in the public domain, but as adults, we’ve grown extremely self-conscious of our abilities and inabilities and now fear being judged. Gaining compe- tence in drawing is similar to becoming a marathon runner; it can’t happen overnight. But, like running, most of us can already somewhat do it—we just need to devote the time and energy toward building this skill to become truly versed in it. As a drawing instructor in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University, my role is to shape students to become bet- ter visual communicators and therefore, better visual thinkers. We always start our creative processes with hand drawing: pencils before pixels. This article will touch upon some of the methods used in the School of Design to present a primer for practicing interaction designers to become better visual thinkers and communicators by employ- ing hand-generated techniques to enrich their creative design processes.