The power of sketching

Sketching is a low-cost, high-impact way of developing ideas and prototypes. Our design team use it to help teams visualise, think differently and get excited.

Not everyone thinks visually, so we often use sketching during projects to help teams see how ideas might work and refine them. Seeing a minimum viable proposition drawn out on paper can help us progress much more quickly to the final idea.

1. Visualise. It helps people to think differently, generate lots of ideas quickly, and explore them with low risk before anyone starts building anything.

2. Refine. It helps us figure out exactly how an idea might work. What works? What needs changing? This encourages constructive discussions, reducing uncertainty.

3. Excite. It gets the team and stakeholders behind an idea, and keen to make it happen.

Mars Wrigley: fun-size M&Ms

We helped Mars Wrigley develop new concepts for its fun-size M&M’s, especially for sale in its value stores. Our conceptual sketches brought ideas to life, keeping the process fun and easily adaptable.

Early Childhood Authority: visual storytelling

We worked with the government of Abu Dhabi, who had established the Early Childhood Authority to nurture children under eight — the thinkers, creators and leaders of tomorrow. To showcase the work and vision of the ECA, we designed an interactive gallery, using sketching to convey ideas and evoke emotion.

A more finessed sketch, adding words describing the work ECA was doing for children’s education.

The fully illustrated and rendered final drawing looking like a children’s playroom but each object interactive and revealing parts of the story.

This is an excerpt from our latest book Purpose: Built, it’s all about making change happen and designing a brighter, better future. If you’d like a copy of request one here and sign up to our monthly newsletter to keep up to date.

Authors: Miki Chiu, Kit Truman, Andy Lewis

Magnetic is a design and innovation company that helps design better futures. We’ve worked with global businesses to build capabilities, products, services and transform organisations. To find out more get in touch: hello@wearemagnetic.com.