Lab

02.01.2017 ― Lightness of Ideas

Why people should do sketches?

About sketching

One would love to create the perfect outcome by first trial. But in many cases, that is far from reality. Therefore a sketch offers the basis for the final execution. It's an imprecise version of something better.

In general work-life is fully optimized. One is given certain amount of hours, where agreed outcome should be delivered. Sadly this also means that people are paid for doing, not for fooling around. It is easy to point a concrete task and needed execution, but harder when one should invent a new idea. Is creativity something to gain by force and scheduled hours? If not, should one even invest for creative work when no guarantee for solid benefits exists?

Sketches, prototypes and half-baked ideas are middle steps. Stepping stones towards something better. They are multiple iterations and invisible learning curves. As people learn by doing, many bad versions on the way might teach one much more than catching the ultimate solution on first go.

One should be doing prototypes, even stupid ones. Such as attaching a cyborg and a megaphone together. The outcome is more or less useless creation, except being a bulky paperweight. But with that, the final execution is one idea closer. Towards something better. Today's paperweight could be tomorrow's AI. Or it might stay still as a stationery item. As long as it holds sketch papers, preventing them flying away, I am content.

Claim

Creativity is a learning process.