: Drafting Designs - Do you start from paper first, or straight on the computer? When you are initially drafting the design for something, do you usually start from the paper first and draw thumbnails

@Alves566

There 3 ways to work:


starting on paper
starting using the software
starting directly on the code (for web designer projects. There are people that are suggesting to start directly to code and not lose time in prototyping)


There is no good way or bad way, it is mostly habits on which way it is the best to help you to juice out your brainstorming process. I did all 3 above for example.

I personally slightly more prefer to take pencil/or thick pen and paper when I start a project, because it is quicker to sketch on a paper doodles, and erase or pass to the next page to make it real my visual thinking (before I forget).

Many times when I am building/composing my sketches I realise that things don't work, and I carry on on the software or on the code directly to fix the matter.

But above all those things when I start on a project, I do visual research, and this it is the real first step of any design action. Look for competitors, look for similar product or look for things that you like, even just portion of it. From those, I get my inspiration.

Vote Up Vote Down

@Goswami567

For websites, I usually start in Balsamiq, Fireworks, or Photoshop.

For logos or non-web-related graphics, I usually start on paper.

Vote Up Vote Down