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Traditional design teaching that’s still relevant
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Traditional design teaching that’s still relevant
It’s always best to start designing with a sketch. Don’t worry about lines being straight – the idea is to get your ideas down quickly. You can produce multiple sketches in just a couple of minutes. This long-standing advice hasn’t changed in the digital age.
When I run design workshops I take pens to encourage people to sketch. I like Pentel Sign Pens, which are thick enough to force you to sketch unfussily. And I think you also need a fineliner, and a light grey marker for backgrounds.
You could use a tablet with a stylus pen, but I like the tactile quality and friction of pen on paper. And you end up with a physical product on your desk that you can reflect on.
Once you’ve chosen a sketch to take forward, try to retain its key qualities when you create your actual document – the proportions, contrast and placement of the main elements.