A client asked me to hand sketch a concept before I even opened CAD

I was doing a site plan for a small garage addition, and the homeowner, an older guy who used to build houses, asked to see a quick pencil sketch on graph paper first. He said, "The computer makes it look too final too fast, and I can't see what you're thinking." It made me realize I jump straight to the software every time now. Has anyone else gone back to rough sketches for early client talks?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_jackson8d ago

That old school approach sounds like a waste of time. Clients pay for a finished product, not a messy drawing. The software is the tool for the job because it's accurate and fast. Sketching just adds an extra step that you'll have to redo perfectly in CAD anyway.

charlescraig8d ago

My first boss at a small architecture firm in Chicago made us sketch every single detail by hand before touching AutoCAD. It forced us to understand the problem, not just the tool. I've seen junior designers jump straight to software and get stuck for hours on a roof line that a five minute napkin sketch would have solved. The mess is where you find the good ideas. CAD just polishes the answer you already found.

jennifer8338d agoMost Upvoted

Exactly! @charlescraig gets how sketching solves problems before software.