Sketching for graphic design.

1. Start Sketching
The development process starts with
thumbnails and works through rough layouts
and comprehensives to the final solution.
Thumbnails are small, simple hand-drawn
sketches, with minimal information.
These are intended for the designer’s use and,
like concept maps, are visuals created for
comparison. These are not meant to be shown
to clients.

2. Hand-drawn or Digital?
You should draw all thumbnails by hand (using pen, pencil, or tablet) because:
● You don’t have to make time-wasting decisions that you shouldn’t be making at this
early stage (e.g., what typeface should I use? what color should this be?)
● It’s much faster than doing it digitally.
● Work done on a computer tends to look finished and professional, and this can trick you
into thinking an idea is better than it is.
● The technology of a tool tends to define the way it is used. If you are using a computer,
you will tend to come up with solutions that can be executed only on a computer, and
that limits your creative options.
● Hand-drawn sketches provide a paper trail that shows your concept development
process and can be presented in case studies to reveal your entire design process in a
more personal and engaging way.

3. Roughs
Rough renderings of thumbnails that explore the
potential of forms, type, composition, and elements
of your best concepts.
Often a concept is explored through the
development of three to five roughs.
The rough:
● Uses simple, clean lines and basic colour
palettes.
● Accurately renders without much detail
● Includes all of the visual elements in proper
relationship to each other and the page

4. Comprehensive Layouts (Comps)
Created for presenting the final
project to the client for evaluation and
approval.
Is as close as possible to the final
form and is usually digital
May use final materials or
preliminary/placeholder content if
photographs or illustrations are not
yet available