Digital Sketching Project

What happens when a designer approaches a blank sheet of paper? Usually we can only see the finished work without knowing how it came together. A new kind of pen allows us to peek over the shoulder and examine the drawing process in more detail. With a Logitech Io digital pen, we can record a designer's pen strokes, and use its "instant replay" software to see how a picture was constructed. We are studying how we can learn more about drawing techniques with this pen. We have collected drawings from experts and students in order to share successful drawing strategies in a new way. Rather than showing museum pieces, we are collecting the kind of quick sketching that designers need on the job.

Why would we want to bother with anything as old-fashioned as drawing or sketching?

Drawing, the act of intensely looking, reflecting on and recording a place, can be a way to really appreciate an environment. Sketching is an efficient, flexible way to quickly generate, develop and communicate design ideas. Design students need to develop fluency in sketching so they can convey their ideas visually and get the most of their education. Being able to directly create sketches in a digital format could make for a more fluid process that bridges into more elaborate computer graphics,

This project is part of a larger study of mobile tools that help designers understand about places called PlaceTools. We found that the simplest, most connected gadgets worked best. We were curious how we could best use its accessible pen-and-paper interface and interactive timeline software in the classroom. This website documents our efforts in teaching the process of drawing with a digital pen.

Website Organization

Gallery contains examples demonstrating drawing techniques.

Research explains this study and describes the technology used to collect samples.

Teaching tells about using the pens in the classroom.

Links lists sources for more information and provides ways to reach us.