DDi - June 2013 - (Page 46)

Illustration: Courtesy of FITCH 46 | Illustration: Courtesy of Chute Gerdeman start sketching ideas of possible solutions on a given design challenge. It becomes a ﬂuid, visual brainstorming with oneself. It allows the brain to become totally immersed and focused on expansive “what if” thinking. No idea is wrong…just sketch the germ of the idea and see what your mind comes up with for the next idea. Christian Davies Executive Creative Director, Americas, FITCH I think sketching is the purest form of expressing an idea. From the very beginning of human existence, it has been a tool for communication. | June 2013 It’s spontaneous, unscripted, and crosses borders, cultures and languages. And you can do it with a stick and a pile of reasonably pliable dirt. What’s interesting is your distinction of any kind of drawing as an art form. It depends on your point of view I guess. Some of the best concepts I have ever been involved in literally began their life on the back of a napkin. Is that art? Maybe… I feel very strongly that sketching leads to an iterative design process. Don’t get me wrong. My entire design team in the United States is CAD ﬂuent, and they use it all day. But, they also understand that it is simply a tool. The iterative side of things is important, because sketching is the great leveler. It keeps the design very pure. It is no easier or harder to sketch any single thing— the only limit is your imagination. Whereas in a program or piece of software, if it’s twice as hard to draw a curve as it is to draw a straight line, over time, you’ll start drawing more straight lines. A client once said to me: “Imagine if texting had been developed ﬁrst. And then later someone developed the ability to hear a person’s voice live on the phone. NOBODY would text.” I think it’s similar with sketching. Imagine if someone had developed CAD tools ﬁrst, and then someone came along with this amazing, limitless, expressive tool called sketching. Everyone would be so excited to embrace that. To email this article, visit www.ddionline.com/magazine. www.ddionline.com http://www.ddionline.com/magazine http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - June 2013

DDi - June 2013
Table of Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Cover Story: Isetan
Little Bookworm
Polaroid Fotobar
Creative Roundup
The Art of Drawing
Globalshop 2013: Post-Show Coverage
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

DDi - June 2013