Sketching is a critical tool for not only User Experience practitioners but for any professional in a creative line of business. On September 19, we were delighted to host the IXDA’s “Thinking, Talking and Showing” Sketching Workshop by Ray DeLaPena. The workshop combined both a fascinating lecture on the rich history and process of sketching, as well as a hands-on sketching workshop.

Ray emphasized the point that you don’t need to be an artist or expert at drawing to sketch out your ideas. Using tools like Dave Gray’s visual alphabet, anyone can easily and effectively communicate their thoughts to their colleagues. Sketches can also rely heavily on words to get the point across.

And sketching doesn’t just help with commmunicating better, it also engages the auditory, kinesthetic and visual functions of the brain, enhancing learning. It helps accelerate the design phase, as we’ve seen with our very own Draftfcb Digital Workshop process. I encourage you to start sketching in not only more formal brainstorming sessions, but in everyday collaborations with your colleagues.

You can check out Ray’s deck here.