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In my schooling, I learned to sketch out my ideas on paper first.

Golden advice.

Sketching is such a valuable tool in design — even especially for non-designers.

It allows us to…

• See the big picture and anticipate how a design may end up.

• Get all of our bad ideas out of the way as soon as possible.

• Quickly visualize ideas off the cuff to get the right look and feel.

Not to mention…

Working with pencil and paper (or on a whiteboard) means no distractions from the digital environment.

Now, I know what you might be saying…

Even if Your Drawing Skills Are that of a Penguin…

Sketching speeds up our development of visual concepts.

It boosts the quality of our output by starting off right.

Your “drawings” don’t have to be “good.”

Quick doodles and squiggles work great.

Sketching First Always Wins

Once in a while, I skip the sketches and dive headfirst into Illustrator or Figma.

My brain somehow convinces me that it would be faster to go straight to the computer.

But I soon realize the “sketch it out first” approach often wins.

I know what you’re probably saying at this point…

Yeah…

Page builders are wonderful — and I use them a lot.

But sketching is still a useful first-step to find clarity in what kind of design lies ahead.

Without sketching first, you may find yourself constantly moving blocks around or being indecisive about which template to use.

…and I know what you’re probably wondering now…

No worries, I gotchu…

Tips and Techniques for Sketching Ideas

Let’s use a web page layout as an example:

• Answer the Big Questions First

  • What’s the goal of this website/page?

    • What action do I want visitors to take?

    • How do I want them to feel?

  • Where do I want the major components?

    • What order are the sections in?

    • Which parts are one column or two?

    • Which parts need images? Where are the buttons?

• Use Basic Shapes

  • Rectangles are for images and buttons.

  • Circles are for profile pics, logos, and icons.

  • Straight lines are for body text and squiggly lines are for headings.

• Make Notes While Sketching

  • Explain your thinking to help you recall information and context later.

• Practice and Fundamentals

  • Keep a notepad handy for whenever you have a free minute to sketch something.

  • Learn/practice the fundamentals of design — like hierarchy, alignment, and balance.

So… you want to see a couple examples?

A Couple Recent Sketches I Did

Below are the initial wireframe sketches I did for a couple advertorial layouts.

The copy had already been written, so I knew which elements were to appear on each layout:

• A fairly long headline

• 7 numbered subheadings

• Lots of imagery

• A “Click Here” call to action

• Source links at the bottom

After referencing a bunch of high-converting advertorial landing pages…

I grabbed a blank sheet of paper, threw on some drum and bass, and got to work.

(I also drew a thick line down the middle so I could sketch the two layouts on the same paper.)

Sketching: A Fundamental Step in Design

Pencil sketching is a natural step in the creative process.

It is used in every discipline of design, from logos to products to fashion to architecture.

I use it a lot for all kinds of layouts — web pages, banners, ads, etc.

Even if you’re not doing the designing… a simple 10-second sketch can help communicate to other designers what you have in mind.

Do you sketch your ideas?

What are your thoughts on sketching in design?

🤖 Robert

🧡 Share this newsletter… and I won’t remove all the arrow keys from your keyboard.