The Tribune

By Deidre Bastian

Do you need to know how to draw to be a good designer? Should you know how to swim to work on a fishing boat? While drawing and designing on a grid are different tasks, both are skills that rely on the ability to piece together a composition using some form of mechanical skill.

I always encourage younger designers to draw as a way of thinking and planning. I have a friend who is an art director for a company. At some point, as I was displaying some of my art work and being impressed, he said: “Nowadays, there are quite a few designers out there who cannot draw.”

I do not think it is of great detriment to your graphic design career if you cannot draw. I do, however, think it is a huge advantage if you can.

Being able to observe and draw is advantageous not only in the sense of being able to produce your thoughts. It offers a greater understanding of balance, composition, proportion, perspective and having a great eye for detail. Drawing is essentially visual thinking.

Being able to draw as a graphic designer is probably most important in the initial stages of a brief, when you are producing concept work in client meetings.

Although you, as a graphic designer ,are able to visualise your design in your head, the client you are presenting to may not be able to recreate your visions in their mind.

Being able to communicate your ideas through drawing instantly makes clients understand. How many times have you tried explaining something and ended up saying: ‘Hold on, let me draw you a picture’.

Being able to visualise your ideas in the initial stages of concept work also means you have an opportunity to get instant feedback from your client. However, being able to draw is an invaluable skill to have as a graphic designer, and is a bonus to businesses.

The computer is now the new pencil and paper, and if you turned back the clock 20 years and said to someone: “I want to be a graphic designer but I can’t draw”, they might have laughed.

But technology advances have changed the landscape of the laughing industry. We don’t need the Michelangelos of the world to set type or whip up a decent web page design.

Design software has opened up that avenue for individuals to produce creative work they may not be able to do by hand. Ultimately, graphic design software is a great opportunity for creative minds that may not be able to communicate their ideas with pen and paper. Design software, such as Illustrator or Photoshop, has opened up an avenue for individuals to produce creative work they may not be able to do by hand.

Thus I agree that being able to draw is not a necessity. However, it does help get your ideas on to a page rather than just floating around in your head, and it is useful but not essential. Until we meet again, fill your life with good memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

• NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT COLUMNIST: Ms Bastian is a trained graphic designer/marketing coordinator with qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas