In this week’s lecture – we examined sketching and its importance in UX Design.
Sketches are how we test ideas out before committing too much time or money to them. Sketches establishes our initial ideas and helps us communicate those ideas to others. In the lecture, we looked at different types of techniques to use when drawing and sketching. It allows designers to brainstorm, validate or explore several different design concepts before diving into the final prototype.
Sketches usually start on paper first. But why use paper for sketching? What are the benefits of using a physical medium over a digital one?
Many designers choose to start their sketches on paper first, because it allows them to focus and direct their thoughts in a tangible way. Paper is cheap to buy, can be easily carried and managed, and can be freely manipulated.
Sketches are also useful for better communicating design ideas to others. But why is visual information easier to process?
Well, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. So, it is easier to process the information. And we remember a lot more details of what we see than what we are told. You can recognize a person’s face, but would have a hard time remembering a phone number.
Visual note-taking/sketchnotes
Visual note-taking is the process of recording information that are easy to record using visuals, such as sketches, photos, and diagrams. A designer that is well known for this sketch-noting technique is Eva-Lotta Lamn.
She uses the concept of sketchnotes as a way to share and record her design ideas with her teams and clients which allows them to explore design ideas that she might not have otherwise thought of.
I find sketchnoting to be a particularly helpful technique for communication, because it enables the transfer of complex ideas and information in a simple and easy-to-access format. It is also an excellent way to document and record information in a visual way. I will try to incorporate this technique when taking notes for my project for this module as a way to better aid my research.