Sketching Ideas on Paper is Overrated in the Digital Age

Many believe that a pad and pencil get better results when developing ideas. There is over-romanticizing of showing sketches to make it look like you are more creative or applied more effort. I like to cut to the chase when in the ideation phase.

Sketching ideas is overrated when digital tools offer a more effective alternative. It comes from ingrained behaviors when sketching was used to ensure approvals before costly final solutions.

My pencil and sketchpad were my happy places when I was a child. When I reached art college, I was conflicted with my teachers because I was more interested in visual solutions than art. In later years, I tried to return to a life drawing class, but I found it more frustrating than freeing.

When I started working with the first version of Adobe Illustrator in 1988, it was my introduction to vector illustration. After a while, the digital interface became more natural than traditional media for exploring creative ideas.

Benefits of Digital Drawing

This is why digital won me over when it comes to creative thinking.

Quicker to move from ideation to solution.
Undo!
Quickly generate geometric lines and shapes.
Zoom in and out the canvas for a big-picture view or close in detail.
Iterate an idea into several options you can view side-by-side.
All types of media can be added during creative development.
Asset libraries and templates provide options to get it done quicker.
Collaboration and sharing with others is easier.

Storage and Search

It’s the same with writing and taking notes. I disliked that the content was not immediately digitized. I once found a pen product that allowed me to write in a notebook and then convert it to text on a computer. I’m compelled to have everything available and searchable from my digital knowledge store.

Ideation Tools

There are many digital tools to use, depending on what you have available. I prefer Adobe Illustrator for developing design ideas and wireframes, but Figma is a good alternative.

Most people don’t have time to learn Adobe Creative Suite software. PowerPoint’s vector shapes and libraries make it an excellent tool for ideation and storyboarding videos.

I use Apple Freeform for creative brainstorming, and tools such as Microsoft Whiteboard work well for team ideation.

The Problem Showing Digital Ideas

Care is required when using digital methods to present design ideas. People naturally assume they’re the final solution if you show polished ideas.

Sketching makes things appear to be in the early stages. But this has more to do with the visual style than how you create it.

There is a solution to highlight it’s in development. You can style your vector lines to look more like a sketch than a finished solution.

When Traditional Matters

Non-digital brainstorming in groups works much better when writing, drawing, and using sticky notes. It’s a great team experience and a way to apply design thinking to solve problems with pen and paper or a whiteboard.

Many romanticize the tactile experience and spontaneity of sketching. For me, modern technology offers advanced features that surpass traditional capabilities.

It’s never been about the tool. The key is to develop original thoughts, creative outputs, and the best solutions as quickly as possible.