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UX Sketching
Why is it necessary?
When I start my UX process
every surface becomes a sketchpad to jot out quick ideas. Sometimes it’s on the back of a sushi menu, the floor to glass ceilings at the Digitaria office, or the pages of a moleskin notebook.
In the beginning, It’s just about brainstorming. I list out a jumble of words and draw tiny sketches related to what I’m working on (and find the parallels later). Personally, I prefer paper with a grid so I can convey things responsively. Most of the time perfection isn’t an issue and the sketches are just for me.
Before I sketch out interactions
I’ll list them out to see what makes sense. At this point in your project, you’ll probably have defined a set of requirements. Use those for when you start to draw out your interactions, here’s what Smashing Magazine recommends:
Define multiple interactions on one sketch, and then strategically remove pieces one at a time before scanning them in or copying the sketch.
Use different colors to represent different types of interaction.
Is one sticky note not big enough for your modal window? Add another right next to it.
Is one sticky note too big for your tooltip, user a ruler as a guide to quickly rip the note down to size.
The more tools you have the better
Think of it as your designer arsenal. On my computer and in the cloud I have hundreds of thousands of resources to help streamline my digital process.
When it comes to tools for sketching you have your typical drafting ruler (analog rulers are surprisingly tough to find in a digital art department!) Your array of…
