Sketching in Seattle's coffee shops

okay now i am really impressed! way to take the challenge and nail it.

So you have proven you have the ability to execute different sketch tech. Now practice and fully understand the science between the style you want to use and the audience you are presenting to as well as the emotions you want to invoke from the design you are creating. this will help you to determine what style to use and when. they ability is extremely helpful for a consultant who wants to have clients with extremely different product and market segments.

Also ----- add orange handle touch points and you have nailed it :wink:

Wow, thanks! :slight_smile: will keep playing and posting.

I should note that I didn’t design these, was using them to practice the sketch style :slight_smile:

Sophie, this turned out very well. You really ran with it. It completely removed the toy like style. OK, next suggestion, lets see a bauhaus inspired smart phone design in that style. :slight_smile:

and then a blue duck, because i have never seen a blue duck before.

Looking at your sketching page on your website, i would also challenge you to do some quick ideations sketches

10 on 1 page - thumbnails - no more the 1 minute per thumbnail.
subject matter - what ever you want, but should be the same topic.

Thanks! :slight_smile: I really surprised myself! Great suggestion!

Right, now for the Bauhaus inspired smartphone… I’m not sure this one was as successful… It felt like it could work in my head, and when I initially sketched it out, but looking at it now, it’s pretty flat. The idea was that it could flip either way, and instead of having any buttons or details on the front, the two sides would act as the only physical buttons. But was an interesting exercise!

Sounds great… watch this space!

I see where you are going with it. It could be interesting if you indicated a similarly abstract Mondrian like interface on the screen to complete the object. I’ve done a lot of phone projects and we almost always sketched the back, not the front… since the back is where most of the ID is.

Ah, I hadn’t thought of that…!! It would have made much more sense to have sketched the back…!

I might re-visit this one, I don’t feel like I’ve done it any justice. Perhaps adding the interface will give it a bit more life as well?

It would certainly make it pop a bit more. You could use this view as a minor view on the page and then draw up the back as a more dominant view. Some phone back examples: http://michaelditullo.com/work-deep-pages/consumer-electronics-projects/other.html

Ah… theyr’e a million times better, I might start again on this one with a bit of inspiration from them!!

Added some details, but still not sold… it feels too old school, and not in a good way!

go way thinner, both depth and bezel… it will help make it feel more contemporary.

So a stab at a minute-a-sketch exercise, coffee themed again!! I think I need a random ‘thing’ generator for the next sketch!

I thought I usually sketched pretty quickly with a Sharpie, but have never really timed it, I tend to fill the page with one concept, and a couple of views / storyboard visuals, so this was more different than I was expecting! A minute really isn’t very long at all…! I’m not sure the Bic biro was the best choice of tool?

Some very scrappy sketches… a little embarrassed to post them!



Pulled together a really quick video of some of the ‘minute-a-sketch’ exercise… a sketchercise?!!

https://vimeo.com/200604149

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They look great to me, no need to be embarrassed! These remind me of the sketches I used to do in fine arts to practice forms and shading. It was the same idea— 20 seconds to 1 minute each. It is difficult but really helps me develop forms very quickly without over thinking it.

I really enjoy this thread, and I’ll keep following along. Since you have a lot of cool coffee-inspired ideas, maybe you could try your take on a pour over system?

@Keno, thanks for embedding my video and sharing the know-how :slight_smile:

So I took a very quick break from the job hunt, and ran a little with @Sadie’s suggestion of a pour over coffee maker.

I’ve only used Fusion 360 once before, so no laughing at the render please… feedback is ok though! :wink:



And the final image…


Not quite sketching in coffee shops… but hey!

Sophie, what kind of software/app did you use to put that video together?

Hi Brian, I just pulled it together really quickly in Premiere Pro.

This week I ventured out of coffee shops to a bar for a ‘drink and draw’ evening, it’s a monthly meet up in Seattle, so I’m definitely going to head back to try this again!

I’ve never drawn with charcoal before, or done any life drawing before, so lots more practice needed!