Evaluating the effects of hand drawing on the conceptual process and the implications for final design solutions.

Abstract

As students become dependent on computer aided design programs to execute projects, they abandon the use of hand drawing in every aspect of the design process. Despite the prevalence of technology in the field, professionals continue to value hand drawing as a part of the ideation process and its role in the development of design abilities. The purpose of this study is to examine drawing as a communicative tool for use in the conceptual design process and its implications related to the success of final design solutions. Design programs perpetuate the notion that proficiency in hand drawing and the use of digital design software are mutually exclusive. This sentiment is echoed in studies where benefits of hand drawing are analyzed through the production of a refined artifact as opposed to content, attempting to distinguish one method as superior. Findings provide little direction as to the ways in which faculty emphasize drawing as a tool for communication and its implications for the success of project outcomes. Junior-level interior design students (n=8) participated in a mixed-method study, where the effects of hand drawing as a part of the conceptual design process were examined against the success of the final design solutions. Data from semi-structured interviews and final design presentations were analyzed within the context of instructor feedback and individual student grades to explore a positive correlation between engagement in the design process and higher project scores. Four participants indicated situations in which hand drawing as a part of the conceptual design process facilitated visible improvement related to memory, reflection, and problem solving abilities in the course of achieving project goals. Although modest, results compel educators to re-examine the role of drawing within design curricula and the ways in which it can be reincorporated to best serve student interests at the pre-professional level.