Chapter 13 Creating Solutions
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Sketching
Using a sketch can make describing
ideas much easier. The methods of
ideation can be very helpful in coming up
with ideas. Sketches are useful, however,
for describing the ideas to other people.
See Figure 13-8. Sketches are tools that
help designers communicate their ideas.
They are a way to record the designers’
thoughts on paper. As thoughts flash into
the heads of designers, the designers
sketch them so others can see them.
Sketching is usually done in two steps:
• The first step is often called design
sketching, preliminary sketching, or
rough sketching. These sketches are
quick and simple sketches.
• The second step is often called working
sketching, final sketching, or refined
sketching. These sketches are more
detailed and require more time to
complete.
Rough Sketches
During the design process, designers
always have ideas that pop into their heads.
This is especially true during the ideation
stage. Designers might have finished a
brainstorming session and have an idea
on the way home or during dinner. For
this reason, many designers carry sketch
pads and notebooks to record such ideas.
When designers forget their sketchbooks,
you might see them make sketches on
napkins or small pieces of paper. At this
point, it is not important what type of paper
or writing utensil the designer uses. All
that matters is that the designer gets the
ideas onto paper. The designers are not
concerned with the quality of the sketches.
Good designers try to capture as many
ideas as they can.
These sketches are called rough
sketches. See Figure 13-9. The word
rough might seem to suggest that the
sketches are hard to understand. This,
however, is not the case. Rough just
means the sketches are in the early stage
of development. They are not completely
thought out. Rough sketches are basic
ideas showing shapes and outlines. They
do not show a great amount of detail.
Rough sketches can be ideas of
a complete solution, such as an entire
Figure 13-8. Sketches are used to communicate
ideas between one person and another. (Product
Development Technologies, PDT)
Figure 13-9. Rough sketches are early
sketches showing the basic shapes and outlines.
(©iStockphoto.com/feuers)