On the Evolution from Drawing to Idea

Chris Ebbert/ Product Design/ Otago Polytechnic


DC3

On the Evolution from Drawing to Idea

Many hold the view that you must have an idea before being able to draw. This is only somewhat true. It is usually the interaction of an ongoing, alternating process of drawing and reflection on the drawings which leads designers to the discovery of their way in every individual project.

It is a curious thing that the French word “dessigner” means “drawing”. The similarity to the English word “designer” is certainly not coincidental, neither ethymologically, nor by content.

Large design studios cultivate an atmosphere of calm and inflection in which designers can be seen drawing for weeks on end, all day long. It is part of our profession to draw passionately and with no regard for further facets of the job until the drawing phase has come to a close – which it normally does as soon as a concept has emerged which warrants an immediate move towards those stages of the design process which lie outside the drawing room. But until then, designers draw.

It is expected that much of your output will only be process work. Nobody is looking for end products at this stage. But we can put refinement into our sketches by the dexterity we possess, be it though talent, or through “mileage”.

Even during these very tentative stages of the design process, try to exude confidence and clarity in the way you draw. It will help you think properly, and it will also give you something tangible to put on your wall.

It must be possible for you to extract the essence of that which you have taken away from a day’s work and express it in a series of clean, attractive drawings. This forces us to draw conclusions from our sketches, and it takes us one step closer to having an outcome. Conveying our ideas in large, clean, page-filling drawings makes it possible to put them up for discussion, be it within the team, or for superiors, or clients. Never forget that we get paid for doing this, and that a designer must be able to produce about NZ$1000 worth of work every day someone can be billed for.

In a world in which intellectual property changes hands for amounts in the millions and billions, this is strongly linked to the clarity with which you express your ideas, as any recognizable feature you draw may become another claim to strengthen the case within a patent application. It is on you to spell these things out.

And it is therefore vital that you portray all the possible guises in which you can see your idea. No engineer and usually not many patent attorneys have the vision or the inclination to do this for you. So, if you can think of another way your idea may become a product, grab another sheet of paper, and give it life.

If you have no idea just yet, it is considered a good tactic to start doodling. You must keep your pen busy at all times during this stage, and you will be amazed by the things you will find in doodles if only you allow yourself to do so.

Remember to photograph, scan, or photocopy things as often as you like. It will allow you to start over from one promising sketch, and it is a great way of getting more images for the sake of comparing subtle variations without having to redraw things.

Once you have gained an idea from one of your doodles, focus in on it and develop it.