How Drawing Changed the Way I Design

A Lifetime of Sketching

I started getting really into drawing around 5th grade. I would draw on every page in my notebook and would even bring a small little sketchbook around with me in my backpack. I liked drawing comics then, but when I hit high school I slowed down a bit, at that time I was focused on cross country and hockey. Though every once and a while I'd pick up a pencil and draw my favorite video game character doing a cool pose, and then write his name behind him in big letters. 

Nowadays I've been really into drawing in graffiti art. Big crazy looking letters and confidently messy characters. My interest in design has always bled into my drawings, and vice versa. Now, with how much I've had to focus on type, my interest has started to shift to drawing letters in as many dramatic ways as possible. To get to the point theres a few things I'd like to point out that I have recently realized about drawing all this time, and how it's done numbers on my work in graphic design.

Drawing My Thoughts

Drawing has always helped me think visually, which is huge for design. Sketching isn’t just something artists do for fun, it’s actually part of how designers think through ideas. One study published in Design Science explains that sketching supports the way designers explore and develop ideas throughout the process, and even compares designing without sketching to trying to run with your arms tied behind your back.

That makes sense to me because when I draw, I’m not just trying to make something look cool — I’m breaking things down into shapes and paying attention to space. Even now, when I start a design project, I’ll sketch a few ideas first. It feels like warming up before a workout. It helps me see possibilities before I commit to anything digitally.

Imperfection is Perfection

I’ve struggled a lot with imposter syndrome in both drawing and design. I always feel like I’m not doing as good as I should be, and I constantly catch myself comparing my work to others. When I was drawing more seriously, I’d sometimes use a reference and follow it too closely, and it made me feel like I wasn’t really creating something of my own.

Recently, I’ve tried to focus less on making everything perfect. If I want to draw a character, I’ll look at a simple reference and then just interpret it my own way. Sometimes I’ll look at album covers or Pinterest for inspiration, but that’s it. In Why Draw? Janet Saunders talks about how, research on drawing and visual thinking suggests that even rough sketches help us think better because they show ideas in progress instead of polished results. That really stuck with me. The messy parts aren’t mistakes, they’re part of figuring things out. 

Imperfections don’t mean there’s something wrong with your work. Everyone has their own style and way of thinking. Those small differences are just pieces of you showing through.

Learning Patience Through Sketching

Drawing can take a lot of time, so can design. I used to draw for hours, I still do when I have time, it's fun to take your time on something you genuinely care about. Patience is something I learned from drawing. Drawing doesn’t reward rushing. If your proportions are off, you see it immediately. If the foundation isn’t solid, then the whole thing feels wrong. That mindset carries into my design process. When designing, I try not to jump straight into making something look “cool," since thats usually my goal. I focus on structure first, composition before color, hierarchy before decoration. If the bones aren’t strong, no amount of styling will fix it. 

Renatta Algalarrondo and MJ Hall describe in their article Simple Drawings: Unleashing the Power of Visual Thinking, studies on visual thinking also show that drawing activates multiple parts of the brain at once, helping with focus and problem-solving. I don’t think about that while I’m sketching, but I can feel it. Drawing forces you to slow down and think through what you’re building.

How Drawing Still Shapes My Design

Even though most of my work now happens on a screen, I still approach it like I’m holding a pencil. I zoom out often, like stepping back from a page. I squint at layouts to check contrast. I sketch thumbnails before committing to a direction.

Drawing didn’t just teach me how to render characters or letters. It taught me how to observe, how to be patient, and how to build something intentionally. It gave me confidence in my own style instead of chasing someone else’s.

Before the software, there was a pencil. And honestly, that pencil still shapes the way I design today.