{"id":65311,"date":"2021-09-14T02:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sacramentowebdesigngroup.com\/?p=65311"},"modified":"2026-02-25T22:09:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T06:09:28","slug":"the-power-of-pen-and-paper-sketching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.sacramentowebdesigngroup.com\/sacweb\/the-power-of-pen-and-paper-sketching\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power Of Pen And Paper Sketching"},"content":{"rendered":"

Need to design something? It can be tempting to start with a computer-based tool, e.g. wireframing software like Balsamiq<\/a>, or design tools like Photoshop<\/a> or Figma<\/a>. These have their place, but I would recommend stepping back and starting with the humble pen and paper.<\/p>\n

Sketching by hand can feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable to those who don\u2019t feel artistically inclined, but the flexibility of hand sketches combined with our imagination means we can work through more ideas and form a better design direction faster<\/strong> than we could if we started with a more concrete, computer-based solution.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, I struggle with it myself at times; while I spent my childhood with a sketchbook perpetually in my hand and graduated from university with an Arts degree, the paper sketchbook was briefly forgotten when I started my web design career. It took years of muddling through uninspiring concepts and feeling like I wasn\u2019t pushing my limits before I realized how powerful idea generation via quick physical sketches could be.<\/p>\n

This process is recommended even if we aren\u2019t designing something big<\/em> or in the capacity of a designer. Everyone needs to be a \u201cdesigner\u201d from time to time; from creating a quick personal homepage, a landing page for a new open-source project, or creating nice-looking slides for their next presentation.<\/p>\n

Grab a piece of paper and a pen, and let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n

Why Start With Paper<\/p>\n

As we\u2019re always on a computer (and I think most of us are, nowadays), sometimes it doesn\u2019t even occur to us to step away and try designing something off-screen.<\/p>\n

Paper sketching can feel like something solely associated with visual art or graphic design (for instance, the legendary logo designer Saul Bass is well known for his advocacy of drawing<\/a>), but even the earliest ideas for computer interfaces started with paper. Susan Kare, the designer of the icons for Macintosh\u2019s graphical user interface, used graph paper to design her initial ideas for the iconic early pixel art<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The power of paper sketching is the sketch\u2019s ephemerality and how they feel less \u201creal\u201d than anything we create quickly on a computer. Start moving words and buttons around on a computer screen, and it\u2019s tempting to fall in a certain direction and never explore alternate paths. Paper sketches force our imagination to fill in the gaps<\/strong> \u2014 far more quickly than if we added those details to a computer mockup.<\/p>\n

We want to try a lot of different ideas when working on a new design. While the first few ideas may feel good enough, our fifth, seventh, or tenth idea might be even better<\/strong>. Working fast and loose helps us to get through many ideas quickly. Ideas flow faster, and we might surprise ourselves with what appears on the page when we work without restrictions.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not already familiar with design tools like Photoshop<\/a>, Sketch<\/a>, or Figma<\/a>, it can be overwhelming just getting started and learning your way around a tool. Rather than working through many ideas, we end up spending our time figuring out which button does what.<\/p>\n

And wireframing tools like Balsamiq? They produce ideas that look like sketches \u2014 squiggly lines, imperfect boxes \u2014 but they still point us in the direction of working on one single idea and messing with it until it\u2019s perfect rather than trying out many different ideas first. It\u2019s quicker to start with pen and paper<\/strong>. Wireframing tools can be the next step in the process (rather than the first.)<\/p>\n

“Sketchy” mockups also do a better job of expressing the kind of feedback we\u2019re looking for when presenting to reviewers. A mockup that is too pixel-perfect will often prompt nit-picking about irrelevant details, but a rough sketch will result in higher-level conversations about layout.<\/p>\n

Repeat To Yourself: Loose, Quick, Doesn\u2019t Have To Be Perfect<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all seen those \u201cdesigner\u201d sketches that look gorgeous and detailed. Those are not the standard to measure yourself against. Ignore them. Our sketches should be quick without much detail.<\/p>\n

Rather, we\u2019ll use really quick lines and boxes, keeping our sketches small and fast.<\/p>\n

Sketching is useful for just about any kind of design task: newsletters, logos, presentations, widgets \u2014 anything that works you need to quickly think of many visual ideas. As an example, how about we explore a few ideas for an ebook cover?<\/p>\n

A good way to start practicing this kind of sketching technique is to take an existing website and reverse engineer the sketch. Not only does this help get you comfortable with the act of drawing, but you also start getting a feel for different design patterns.<\/p>\n

Whichever approach you take, fill your page with ideas! Don\u2019t stop even if you hit on an idea that really excites you and that you want to move forward with. When you fill a page, go to the next. Explore alternate ideas<\/strong> just in case you find something you love more.<\/p>\n

Once you have many options, take a break to let your mind rest, then come back to circle your favorites, refine, and maybe then move on to making a mockup. You\u2019ll have more confidence in the direction you choose since you know you\u2019ve tried and discarded many other ideas.<\/p>\n

Use Inspiration To Aid Your Sketching And Idea Generation<\/p>\n

Sketches should go hand-in-hand with inspiration, so bring that computer back out! Fuel your own design process by researching other designs and looking for details you think would work on your own.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re unsure where to start, look for inspiration<\/strong> in related areas to what you\u2019re working on. For a personal homepage, it\u2019s great to start looking at the homepages of peers in your industry. If you\u2019re stuck or want more general inspiration, check out these resources:<\/p>\n