Sketch It Out
Digital renders can be really cool and are easily my favorite method of sharing an idea, but they can also be very limiting. If you show a client a beautiful render from a $3000 rendering software, the client will think the design is done and be less inclined to share valuable feedback. If you show them some quick hand sketches they will be quicker to point out flaws with the design. Once you know you have worked out all the kinks, then you can move on to some slick renders.
Nerf Gun Redesign
This project was completed during my freshman year at UIC. The goal was to take an existing product of your choosing, sketch it out, take it apart, and redesign it. I chose a Nerf gun.
An Explosion of Progress
I already possessed an aptitude towards sketching, but this was my first opportunity to think critically about what I was sketching. I was sketching with intent to share technical information about a product. It wasn’t for fun anymore, this time it was for a grade and acceptance into the UIC Design program. There was no room for mistakes. How well I did on this project would determine the success of my academic career at UIC.
Seeing It From All Sides
As a designer you have to be able to look at a product from all sides to see how you can improve it.
Thinking Visually
This was the first time I ever had to think about ideation. I had to express my thoughts visually to convince others why I made the decisions I made. This had to be done with quantity over quality. I had to prove the design decisions I made were meticulously thought out.
