- Speed is critical to sketching,…because ideas, thoughts, and observations are ephemeral.…They come and they go quickly,…so if they're not captured…or recorded in one form or another,…they could vanish just as quickly.…Furthermore, ideas rarely come out…of our heads fully formed.…We actually need to coax or tease them out…whatever way possible.…This might include jotting down notes…or words associated with the ideas,…as well as quick thumbnail sketches.…And when there are several possibly competing ideas,…it's important to respond quickly,…but also carefully to the various flashes…of inspiration competing for our attention,…so as not to let good ideas get away.…
So in the early phases of sketching,…much like in brainstorming,…the focus should be on spontaneity…with an emphasis on perfusion rather than precision.…In fact, designers generate a lot of initial ideas,…so that they can sift through them…and discover the best ones.…Initial judgement, in other words,…should be withheld to avoid slowing down the process.…
Author
Kevin Henry
Released
12/21/2015Kevin Henry, a product designer and educator responsible for the influential book Drawing for Product Designers, teaches beginning and intermediate students how to visualize ideas for small-scale and mass production with just a pen and paper. He combines explanation, illustration, animation, and hands-on demonstrations of concepts such as sketching basic shapes as well as more complex forms, creating planes, the mechanics and methods of two-point perspective, projection principles, and creating the illusion of shade and casting shadows. The goal is to get students generating ideas, and sketching them as accurately as possible without inhibiting the creative process. At the end of the course, Kevin explains not just how designers sketch products, but also why. When you're done, check out the rest of our product design courses, which expand on advanced methods of sketching and visualization, including prototyping and computer-aided design (CAD).
- Exploring the relationship between analog sketching and computer modeling
- Creating the illusion of form
- Using different systems of drawing
- Sketching 2D shapes and 3D forms
- Creating orthographic projections
- Sketching in one-point and two-point perspective
- Creating curved surfaces
- Projecting shadows and other visual touches
- Sketching example product design concepts
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
Views
-
Introduction
-
Welcome1m 12s
-
-
1. Design Sketching Overview
-
2. Design Sketching Fundamentals
-
Drawing systems overview6m 14s
-
3. Orthographic Projection
-
4. Perspective Projection: Inside the Box
-
Seeing and sketching5m 33s
-
5. Perspective Projection: Outside the Box
-
Creating curved surfaces5m 15s
-
Challenge: Sketch a thermos1m 23s
-
Solution: Sketch a thermos4m 42s
-
6. Finishing Touches
-
The workhorses of sketching:5m 48s
-
Projecting shadows7m 15s
-
7. Putting It All Together
-
Conclusion
-
Next steps3m 39s
-
Take notes with your new membership!
Type in the entry box, then click Enter to save your note.
Press on any video thumbnail to jump immediately to the timecode shown.
Notes are saved with you account but can also be exported as plain text, MS Word, PDF, Google Doc, or Evernote.
Share this video
Embed this video
Video: Understanding why speed is critical to design sketching