Rethinking Design Freehand Sketch Training in the Computer Age

-- Guo Weimin (School of Design, Wuxi University of Light Industry, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214064, China)


[Key words] computer; design teaching; creative thinking
[Abstract] This paper holds that the computer is a double-edged sword and needs proper grasp in teaching. Otherwise, it is unfavorable for the cultivation of students' creative thinking. Therefore, it is necessary and indispensable to carry out freehand sketch exercises for students.


The revolution in information technology and its achievements have brought about tremendous changes in people's ways of working, learning, and living. Computer technology has been widely used in design disciplines. In the design department, computers are widely used, and the bidding and evaluation plans and design plans for leaders at all levels also require computer performance charts and design students to use computers to design and reflect the final design results. No doubt computer technology gives traditional design and design. The teaching method has injected new vitality.

First, computer technology is to "double-edged sword"

The extensive use of computer technology in design disciplines has brought about changes in design methods and concepts, and has become a new trend and new trend in design and creation. First of all, the development of computer virtualization technology and its application in the design field have led to the disappearance of the separation of art and technology in design, that is, the partition of the materialization process of design works. This has also led to a fundamental change in the traditional design process. It is possible to achieve “parallel design” in the true sense, so that design works can integrate art, structure, craftsmanship, technology, materials, economics, and other factors, in order to seek the best and most complete realization of the way, so that the final materialization theory The high degree of feasibility and economic integration has become an important tool for reviewing design. For example, Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall designed by architect Frank Gehry uses computer virtualization technology to review, improve, and deepen based on the original concept of traditional models, and ultimately completes the drama that traditional 2D drawings cannot represent. Shaped, moving architectural design works. Second, computer technology has also impacted traditional design concepts. Computers are also a generator that can inspire design creation and are an effective means of acquiring new, non-traditional design programs and viewpoints based on the shape of the model. Just as a Nobel laureate and famous physicist said in a lecture at a university in China, the secret of his success lies in the momentary deviation from “right track” and “fault into the jungle”. Similarly, design innovation should also capture creative inspiration from science and technology and seek a new concept and idea in the process of coordination and integration of technology and art. Computer technology provides a creative new approach and new concept for the design of the information age. For example, the famous architect Peter Eisenman used computer technology to design Max Reinhardt, the tallest building in Berlin. He created a geometric prototype and obtained his ideas. The design of the "magic turn" generated by the design reflects the new concept of the urban architectural landscape in the era of information consumption. Again, computer technology has greatly reduced the design's labor intensity, improved design accuracy and speed, and its virtual reality technology has made design performance charts intuitive and vivid. At the same time, computer technology can also make repeated use of design results and play a role in promoting the standardization and industrialization of design.

However, like all high-tech, there are many negative effects of the use of computer technology in design disciplines. If computer technology brings about the "alienation" of design, it is reflected in the specific design that "represents" "light" and "design". The bidding of the design plan becomes a computerized effect contest; the design of the student is reflected in the performance of the computer. The time spent is much longer than the time when the design plan was conceived, and the situation of “resulting” light “process” is very serious. Another example is that the characteristics of computer technology itself are also bound to a certain extent, the wings of the design thinking process "fantasy", a domestic designer once said that design is to make "impossible" become "possible" process, I am this point of view Strongly agree, but the limitations of the computer technology and its software and the level of the operator have affected the design concept, stifled the fleeting design inspiration in the conception of the program, and caused users to abandon the vagueness of the initial phase of the program and Randomness, and surrender to the computer, makes the design art creation a simple industrial "production." For example, in designing teaching, students rely too much on computers and indulge in computers, neglecting strict basic training, losing their passion and pursuit for the design and use of freehand sketches, and ultimately leading to design analysis, thinking, and creative abilities. Loss also reduces student's literacy.

Second, design freehand sketch training is to increase creativity

The effective way of thinking ability

Design freehand sketching is actually a way of designing graphical thinking. At the beginning of a design, especially at the beginning of the design, the original design image is vague and uncertain. The process of design is also a constant "coordination" of design conditions. The way of graphical thinking is to consider the organic and sporadic inspirations of the design process and the "coordination" process of design conditions through visual graphics. And thinking images are recorded. “Such drawing style representations are appropriate tools for abstract thinking activities and can therefore reveal certain aspects of the thinking activities they represent” (Rudolph Arnheim). As a computer, its characteristics of maintaining accurate data concepts—points, lines, surfaces, and shapes that are clearly and positively displayed on the screen, stifle the ambiguity and randomness of the design thinking during the conception and design phase of the program, and it also does not meet the initial design requirements. The stage of design thinking and the expression of its design. Obviously, computers cannot replace creative thinking activities.

Design is a process of resolving problems and coordinating conflicts. In this process, the two contents are very important. One is to find problems and analyze problems; the other is to evaluate the answers to the questions that are solved. The previous content is the basis for the latter content and the prerequisite for a good design. It is also a very weak link in current design teaching. For students lacking the ability to imagine and create ideas, the use of graphic freehand sketching training, the design of graphical thinking, will effectively enhance and develop their creative thinking ability. Practice has proved that many excellent designers and design masters at home and abroad are good at this, and excellent graphical thinking is also their success.

The fundamental point of the iconic thinking mode is the visualized thinking and analysis. The designer extends the thinking activity in the brain to the outside, and makes the outward direction and concreteness through the figure. As Degas stated: "SKETCH" is a discovery behavior. In the process of thinking, brain, eye, hand, and graphics are all in one.

The famous esthetician Rudolph Arnheim elaborated in his "Visual Thinking - Aesthetic Intuition Psychology": "Visual is a basic tool for thinking," "Art is a visual form, and Visual form is also the main medium for creative thinking." The visual thinking function helps us to think and create through icons. While discovering, analyzing, and solving problems, the mind's thoughts are sketched by hands, and the images are leaped to the surface of the paper. The sketched images are fed back to the brain through eye observations, stimulating the brain for further thinking and judgment. In a comprehensive way, the cycle of this cycle is followed by a deepening and perfection of the original design concept. It can be seen that this way of visualizing freehand design sketches is a combination of visual thinking ability, imagination and creative ability, and painting expressiveness. In this process, it does not care about the effect of the picture, but cares about observation, discovery, and reflection, and emphasizes the interaction of the brain, eyes, hands, and graphics. The training of freehand sketches is undoubtedly an effective way to train students in their ability to visualize thinking, design analysis and program evaluation, and cultivate students' ability to develop innovative thinking.

Third, the conclusion

High technology has indeed brought a lot of help to design and design teaching, and computer technology has brought no change to the design. But computers are not "everything". They cannot replace our brains. They cannot replace the creative thinking of design. Computers can only be a good helper for our design. In designing teaching, training in the design of freehand sketches and the organic, continuous visualization of brain-eye-hand-graphics and the process of re-observation, rediscovery and re-creation will help students improve their observation and discovery Problems, ability to analyze problems. Creative thinking ability and comprehensive design cultivation can enable designers to generate more new ideas. And new ideas. “Freely draw, understand the concept of volume through lines, construct surface forms... first look with your eyes, observe carefully, you will discover... eventually inspiration comes” (Le Corbusier).