NAUGHTY LITTLE SCAMPSe ‘art’ of
sketching interfaces

Anatomy of a sketch

Line upAt a fundamental level,
sketches are made up of lines(and a little bit of shading, but that’s just more lines, right?)

Basic line techniqueSmooth actionGo further
than you need toStart light, then build up thickness

BoxesIf we get away from
the idea of a box as a square or a rectangle,we can start to think about an interface as a box containing a seriesof other boxes.

BoxesIf we get away from
the idea of a box as a square or a rectangle,we can start to think about an interface as a box containing a seriesof other boxes.So we need to be able to draw boxes. Even if they are invisible.

BoxesIf we get away from
the idea of a box as a square or a rectangle,we can start to think about an interface as a box containing a seriesof other boxes.So we need to be able to draw boxes. Even if they are invisible. [invisible box]

Tip #1 icker lines can
hide mistakes, as well as lending weight and highlighting

Tip #1 icker lines can
hide mistakes, as well as lending weight and highlightingTip #2Do all your verticals at the same time, then your horizontals

Tip #1 icker lines can
hide mistakes, as well as lending weight and highlightingTip #2Do all your verticals at the same time, then your horizontalsTip #3Start light and build up weight and thickness as you get more confident in theidea (mistakes/over-drawings are fine, it’s not a polished drawing)

Are you sitting comfortably?

If youre not comfortable, you
wont sketch wellIf you can, spread outFind your angleHave your stuff in reachLight is important

Activity 1: Warm upParallel linesIntersecting
linesSquaresSquares in squares

What is a sketch (and
what is not)?

<opinion><rant>

“Wiggly Wireframes” (not a sketch)

Hand-drawn wireframes (not a sketch)

</rant></opinion>

Sketches do not have to
be pretty, beautiful or even immediately understandable byothers. However, you should be able to explain your sketches and ideas when anyoneasks about them.Sketching User Experiences: e Workbook(Saul Greenberg, Sheelagh Carpendale, Nicolai Marquardt & Bill Buxton)

Why Sketch?

I use sketches as a
prop; a visual aid to explanation: ey don’t often work as standalone objects SKETCH ey are ey are supplementary to a often created (written or verbal) as a response explanation or ‘on the fly’

Example: sketch and text working
in tandem

Why use sketches?(paraphrasing Bill Buxton
and my Dad)Sketches give you the freedom to make mistakes and think openly ey can be done at speed - explore lots of ideas quicklyYou can record ideas without getting lost in the detail ey are easy to discuss, share and critique with othersTo have fun (too often forgotten)

“Like sign-language, but more better”

Activity 2: Capture itSketch as
many concepts as you canExplain (using your sketches)Interpret (without explanation)

Quickly sketch something that describes:Sliding/swiping
to scroll or page through a series of ‘pages’Portrait to landscape orientation on a phoneSwitching from list to grid view (or vice versa)A pull-down (or drop-down) menuClick to downloadRe-ordering a listA slide out toolbox or panelShowing or hiding content

Tools of the Trade

My KitHard graphite pencil (H
or HB)Blue ‘no photocopy’ pencilGood eraser/rubberLayout padBlack pens (various thickness/nibs)Markers for shading and depth(3 tones only, 20% apart) + 1 colourScannerPencil sharpener/sharp knife

Tip #1Any pen/paper is better
than no pen/paper(capture the idea first, then come back to it and refine it later)

Tip #1Any pen/paper is better
than no pen/paper(capture the idea first, then come back to it and refine it later)Tip #2Avoid fancy sketch pads and notebooks if you have a fear of the blank page(full notebooks and sketchbooks are beautiful, even if their covers aren’t)

Tip #1Any pen/paper is better
than no pen/paper(capture the idea first, then come back to it and refine it later)Tip #2Avoid fancy sketch pads and notebooks if you have a fear of the blank page(full notebooks and sketchbooks are beautiful, even if their covers aren’t)Tip #3Don’t throw away old pens, but don’t just keep using the same one(sharpie pens are called ‘sharp-ies’ for a reason)

“Pens should be avoided unless
you are practiced with them”Bill Buxton

“Pens should be avoided unless
you are practiced with them”Bill Buxton“Mistakes are ok. Keeping them makes it a sketch rather than a drawing”Sam Smith

e devil is in the(lack
of) detail

Sketches as impressionismAs soon as
you start to get into detail you are drawing (not sketching) and in dangerof you, and the people you share your sketches with, focusing on the wrong thing.

Can you tell what it
is yet?

Can you tell what it
is yet?

Can you tell what it
is yet?

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit ametI
can still read it, even if I can’t understand it Alternatives: Lines SquigglesIf headers and labels are real text they will stand out

Focus on the bits that
are relevantNo need to draw the whole thingVary the level of detail/finesse (high = relevant, low = less important)Use low-fi sketches of the whole thing and ‘pull out’ the detail

Activity 3: FocusShow me just
as much as you need to

How did you plan/book your
journey here? Use your sketch to describe that process(If you can think of how to do it better, great, but don’t spend too long designing solutions)Don’t try to sketch the whole thing ink about how to show:- the device/s you used- interactions- the output/display- how you used the infoOnly show as much as you need to

Give us a clue (Labelling)

Good labels saved many a
bad sketch

Copyright © Night Beacon (www.taehok.com)

A good note is worth
a thousand picturesLabels must be readable (and not just by you)Don’t make me turn my head to read it (stay on the horizontal)CAPS ARE YOUR FRIENDS (it’s not shouting in a sketch)Make your guides into part of the labelDon’t write it tinyTake your time (sketch quick, write slower)

Activity 4: WritingAAAAAAN ARMY OF
ANTSANNOTATE

A sketch not a scribble

A few flourishes and the
rest basicLearn (by practicing) how to make one or two stylistic flourishes and apply themconsistently to your sketches to build up a style, and to go from scribble to sketch.Examples:Handwriting (it really can make a big difference)Lines and framesArrowsHands (for touch-based gestures)

Hands can be a right
bugger ...

... but they don’t have
to be

Activity 5: Adding styleHands /
Shading / Lettering / Arrows

Sketching Interaction

Activity 6: InteractionShow me:What happens?How
is it initiated?

Take-away tipsGet it down first,
worry about the presentation laterDon’t throw sketches awayMistakes are ok (and can often be hidden)Don’t try to draw everything - focusDon’t get bogged down in doing detailKeep it consistentPractice your handwritingRemember what you’re trying to achieveDon’t hold back - bust out a sketch if you think it’ll help

See how the experts do
it*Eva-Lotta Lamm - www.evalotta.netBill Buxton - http://billbuxton.comSunni Brown - http://sunnibrown.comMike Rohde - http://rohdesign.com/sketchnotes/Peiter Buick - http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2011/12/13/messy-art-ux-sketching* en practice until you become one

A call to armsA lot
of us spend precious hours creating heavy documentation that is dated before it iscompleted. Sometimes this is appropriate, but most times it isn’t. is year, re-imagine the way you work. Resolve to develop your prototyping skills. Getgood at sketching in front of people. Learn to facilitate design conversations.Experiment. Question old methods ... ese are exciting times—shape the future!Sarah B. Nelson - Tapir and Tine

ank You Sam (@pub)Jason (@jasonmesut)
RMA Design Driven Innovation