I’ve heard it said so many times over the years – “Designers don’t know how to draw anymore” – and I feel there may be some truth to this statement. But it goes deeper than just not knowing how to draw. Studies suggest that interacting with tactile materials can enhance creativity. And designing on a computer is about as non-tactile as you can get. This is a case where thinking outside the box (the computer) can actually help you think outside the box.
Jerry Higgins, Core’s Creative Director, decided to do something about this disappearing skill that only seems to be practiced by school-aged children. He has started what he’s calling Sketch Club for our creative department. Here’s how it works: every couple of weeks members of Sketch Club grab their Core-issued sketchbook (filled with actual paper) and meet at a predetermined location to draw what they see. The locations change every meeting and the atmosphere is relaxed and interactive. The goal is to raise the ability of our designers to communicate visually.
As Jerry puts it, “Learning to draw helps designers lose their fear of not being able to communicate the ‘original’ idea – and to reduce their reliance on finding imagery on the Internet to express the concept.”
Watch for some of the results from Sketch Club on our Pinterest board to appear as they progress.
Pass the graphite.