Que faites-vous si vos croquis de conception de produits manquent de profondeur et de détails ?

Many of my initial sketches lack the depth and detail needed for clear interpretation. When sketching, it's important to plant seeds to better understand the potential look and feel. One method for iterating on your designs is to ask user-centered questions, enabling you to make granular decisions. For example, at Ox, we focus on creating "Wow" moments for our users, and delivering an experience that creates a strong first impression. Ask yourself the question, "How do I make this memorable?" and after that, "How do I make this easy-to-use from the jump?" Will the sketches ever have enough detail and depth? No. But, this method will hopefully allow you to see things differently.

In over 30 years of professional work in industrial design, it were the concepts as such, and a captivating design process, that were most relevant in the end. I have seen countless off-perspective sketches or dull marker renderings of great concepts, and students or professionals who could rapidly iterate and communicate via some crooked drawings and low-fi mock-ups excelled over time. If you can knock out a crude cardboard mock-up for that decisive fifteen-minute client meeting, a tangible visual anyone and their dog can comprehend, you have achieved something. Too many portfolios and pitch submissions are bulging with overworked over-polished sketches and renderings of dull ideas or inappropriate concepts, shiny things that won't work.

Sharpen Your Skills: Basic Techniques for Powerful Product Sketches Level up your product sketches! Revisit the fundamentals: perspective, shading, and texture. These core skills add depth and realism to your designs. Master perspective: Practice sketching simple shapes from different angles. It's like holding a window to a 3D object! Embrace light and shadow: Use shading to show how light interacts with your product, creating depth and form. Add texture for detail: Experiment with mark-making to represent different textures, bringing your product to life. Refine these basics, then confidently integrate them into your sketches. You'll be amazed at the difference! Strong fundamentals elevate your sketches and communication.

Initial sketches should be fairly high-level by nature; like any effort of this type, sometimes the hardest part of the process is to get started. Know that your initial sketches are just that; a beginning. In my experience, the final product often looks very little like the original design. Be and open and willing partner in the process of refinement.

Start by focusing on the important stuff you want to stand out. Picture your design from different angles, like taking photos from different sides. Then, add shading and highlights to make it look more real, like adding shadows to a drawing. Don't forget the small stuff, like textures or buttons, that give your design its own style. And don't worry if you have to erase and redo parts - it's all part of the fun! Keep practicing, and before you know it, your sketches will be ready to shine!

Immerse yourself in the work of experienced product designers and artists whose sketches exemplify the level of detail and depth you aspire to achieve. Analyze their techniques, study the way they use lines, shadows, and highlights to create a sense of volume and dimension. Deconstruct their sketches and observe how they convey materials, textures, and intricate details. This focused study will provide valuable insights and inspiration for elevating your sketching abilities.

Good sketch drawings are using enough details to communicate the idea, don't leave any dimensions for chances or for others to predict, think of how to make the part easy to manufacture, keep dimension simple don't let them use calculations if possible. You can add every single detail, but even you will hate to read that drawing, make it simple.

Observing and studying detailed sketches from experienced designers can be incredibly insightful. Pay attention to their use of line weight, shading, and how they indicate different materials and textures. You don't need to copy their style, but try to understand the principles behind their techniques. By dissecting their work, you can learn new ways to represent depth and add intricacies to your own sketches. This practice can also inspire you to experiment with different sketching methods and find what works best for your design process.

It's kind of a basic rule that we always look for examples or references to understand the depth and details. Regularly visiting the existing examples and studying the depth and details from the third person perspective will help improve the skill we are looking for. Happy learning!

Studying examples from experienced designers is an excellent strategy for refining your sketching skills. Analyzing their use of line weight, shading, and texture representation provides valuable insights into how to convey depth effectively. While it's essential to grasp the principles behind their techniques, remember to adapt them to your own style and creative process. By deconstructing their work, you'll uncover innovative approaches to enhancing the depth and detail of your sketches. This exploration can ignite your creativity and encourage experimentation with various sketching methods tailored to your design needs.

Objects that demonstrate the actual finish or technique that you are trying to portray in a sketch/drawing/technical CAD really help to tell the story to manufacturing partners. Much can be lost in a chain of emails and through words. The best supporting actors to make your work shine are tangible references that help tell the story.

Gather inspiration from various sources, such as photographs, illustrations, or real-world objects. Study how light, shadows, textures, and proportions are represented, and practice incorporating these elements into your sketches.

Incorporating reference materials into your sketching process can significantly enhance the depth and accuracy of your designs. Gather high-quality photographs, illustrations, or physical objects related to the products you're designing. Refer to these references as you sketch, paying close attention to the intricate details, proportions, and textures. Using references will not only improve the realism of your sketches but also train your eye to capture subtleties you may have overlooked.

Depending on your industry and company, you may have to follow or adopt certain standards to avoid confusion. Good drawings in manuals and documentations uses known reference objects for comparison, like human, a pencil, or other well known items

References are invaluable tools for enhancing the realism of your sketches. Whether utilizing photographs, real-world objects, or other designers' work, references provide valuable guidance for incorporating realistic details into your designs. Analyzing how light interacts with various surfaces and observing the intricacies of complex components helps you recreate these elements authentically in your sketches. By leveraging references, you can infuse your designs with lifelike details, elevating their overall quality and believability.

Create depth in your sketches by employing a layering technique. Begin with rough sketches to establish the overall form and proportions, then gradually build up layers of detail and refinement. Use different line weights and shading techniques to distinguish between foreground, middle ground, and background elements. This layering approach will add visual interest, depth, and a sense of dimensionality to your sketches.

I worked before with an engineering company that uses a layer for each discipline, starting from Architectural layer that defines all building dimensions, we add Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and others; detailing all components required by each discipline. This will keep everything tidy and easily manageable.

Layering your sketches is a strategic method for gradually refining your designs. Begin by sketching with loose, light strokes to establish the basic shape and form, allowing flexibility for adjustments. As you advance, use darker lines to define edges and incorporate finer details, progressively enhancing the depth and intricacy of your sketch. This iterative process enables you to rectify any proportion or perspective issues before finalizing the finer aspects of your design. With each layer, your sketch evolves into a more polished and professional representation of your product concept.

Enhance the clarity and communication of your sketches by incorporating annotations. Use notes, labels, or callouts to highlight specific features, materials, or construction details. Annotations can provide additional context, clarify design intentions, and ensure that your sketches convey the depth of information needed for effective communication and collaboration.

Annotations and notes are good to have, as well as a solid overview of the problem statement. Higher fidelity designs allow for more detailed feedback, and can allow those outside of the immediate process to more quickly understand a concept. While low detail, low fidelity designs can be quick and efficient, they should be balanced against higher resolution designs.

Annotations may differ from place to another, make sure to use best practices and try to communicate as much as possible while maintaining clear and clean drawing. Use Circle (balloon), Triangle, hexagon, or other shape to draw the attention to important notes and revision changes.

Enhance the clarity and communication of your UX sketches by integrating annotations. Incorporate notes, labels, or callouts to highlight specific interface elements, user interactions, or design rationale. Annotations play a crucial role in providing additional context, clarifying design intentions, and ensuring that your UX sketches effectively convey the depth of information needed for collaboration and understanding among team members and stakeholders.

Annotations serve as valuable supplements to your sketches, offering insights into features, dimensions, and materials. By providing context and clarification, annotations compensate for any shortcomings in detail within the drawing itself. Utilize annotations to highlight crucial elements of your design, such as functional mechanisms or surface textures, enriching the depth and informativeness of your sketches. This practice not only enhances the visual depth but also ensures that your designs are comprehensible and informative to viewers.

Embrace an iterative process when it comes to improving the depth and detail of your product design sketches. Don't be afraid to revisit and refine your sketches multiple times. Experiment with different techniques, materials, and approaches, and learn from each iteration. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or experienced designers, and use their insights to identify areas for improvement. Consistent practice and iteration will sharpen your skills and help you achieve the level of depth and detail you desire.

Understand that creativity often emerges through iteration and refinement. Don't be discouraged if your initial sketches lack creativity; instead, treat them as a starting point and continue to iterate and explore new directions.

As the very popular saying goes " practice makes a man perfect "! This holds true for design sketches as well. The more you practice, the more refined your sketches are. Also - good hand sketches also prove to be the base for good CADs, so it is even more imperative to first get your hold on hand drawn sketches and then progress onto CADs.

Remember sketches are a form of communication and have a language all their own. Different disciplines have different meanings often for similar words and this goes for physical objects as well. Sketches are tangible often limitless palettes from which to convey your thoughts. Depending on your industry to may want to seek out tech that has boundaries for efficient structure, perspective, and layers. Many times scale and proportions are critical. I find using multiple apps on an iPad allows me to import a scaled perspective drawing into a sketching app and I can draw iterations of additional content in layers to turn on and off as needed. Add notes in layers in color. Making it easy to communicate multiple aspects in one document.

Share your sketches with others and actively seek feedback and critique. Fresh perspectives can help you identify blind spots and areas for improvement, ultimately leading to more creative solutions.

In addition to the strategies mentioned earlier, it's essential to cultivate a mindset of continuous improvement and experimentation. Embrace each sketching session as an opportunity to learn and refine your skills. Don't be afraid to explore different techniques, mediums, and styles to discover what resonates best with your design vision. Remember that creativity thrives on diversity, so draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including nature, art, and everyday objects. Lastly, seek feedback from peers, mentors, or online communities to gain fresh perspectives and refine your approach further. By staying curious and adaptable, you'll continually evolve as a designer and elevate the depth and detail of your product sketches.