Sketching

Personal, March 2023 - Present

Context

I’ve loved drawing since I was a kid. In elementary school, I’d watch videos upon videos of how to sketch cartoon characters. Entering college, I knew taking a formal drawing course was a goal of mine. In Spring 2023, I took an Industrial Design course, re-sparking my love for sketching. I believe that sketching is a powerful tool in communication, especially in the process of brainstorming and helping others understand your ideas.

Outcomes

Throughout the course, I designed men’s dress shoes, a bus stop for Northwestern’s campus, and a furniture design concept for my Grandparent’s backyard to promote family gatherings.

Men’s dress shoes:

I have entered the corporate work force, and fashion is a relevant component of my daily routine. This is the first sketching exercise I did, taking thumbnails through a final concept. I aspired to re-invent the traditional brown shoe by integrating ruggid, blue fabric.

Bus Stop Design:

Northwestern’s campus has a variety of busses hustling across campus, giving an opportunity to integrate an innovative design. The university enjoys using the term “AND is in our DNA,” so I thought it would be creative to leverage this term as inspiration for my bus stop design.

Communal Furniture Design:

I’ve spent the past decade participating in family reunions at my Grandparents home in South Carolina. Inspired by this, I created a furniture design that centralizes a large fire pit as the central piece, with a set of removable “hammock” style seats. These seats are then collapsable to be stored under the firepit.

Project Learnings

About myself as a Creative:

  • Take risks! Thumbnail designs can be as crazy or unrealistic as you want; it gets you closer to a solution.

  • Less is more.

  • Sketching is an activity that helps me “shut off my brain” and be entirely present in the moment. I seek other hobbies that do this, like doing jigsaw puzzles, for my wellbeing.