The Tribune

Do I have to draw well to be a good designer? This is one of the most frequent questions designers always ask of me, and the main reason people give for not being a designer or any type.

I have witnessed designers who have created terrible sketches but great designs, and great sketches by hopeless designers. Therefore, my answer to this question really is "Yes" and "No".

In reality, you only need to draw or sketch well enough to communicate your concept on paper without having to explain. You may not win the beauty contest, but you will have to do well enough so that a fellow designer (or, if you want to be tougher on yourself, a non-designer) can understand what you are attempting to communicate.

Notice the key words. They are not drawing, draw, design or sketch; it is "communicates". A good sketch communicates an idea clearly and succinctly. And to achieve this, it is necessary to have an eye for detail. Designers are known to be pragmatic and observant.

So, you love working with technology and people, and you are excited by the thought of communicating visual messages to a large audience. Your only problem? You are not exactly a skilled drawer. The good news is you are not alone. And you certainly do not have to abandon your career goals just because you are not the next da Vinci.

Drawing skills generally are not a requirement in most graphic design job descriptions, and are not listed in the top design job postings. So, take a deep breath, and know that the lack of drawing skills definitely is not a deal-breaker.

There are many other skills you can employ to thrive in this industry. To excel, it is essential to master how to operate design software, color theory, typography, composition, user experience (UX), the psychology behind marketing and so much more. These fundamentals of design are things you will acquire in accelerated graphic design programs.

If you are not good at drawing, and do not aspire to be, there is always an option to focus on the more technical fields, such as user interface design and UX design. You can become an illustrator using collage, thereby not having to draw, but I am uncertain if you will be any good as an illustrator if you have not studied drawing. Then again, this begs the question: Why an illustrator if you have no interest in drawing? Is it not like saying you would like to be a doctor but do not want to study medicine?

Drawing is like any other skill; all it takes is practice. Even the worst drawer can improve over time and become skilled. Prepare to work on improving your drawing skills using /r/learnart, Proko (on YouTube), or DRAW platforms.

Moreover, judging a design on aesthetics can seem a bit juvenile and lead to subjectivity rather than objectivity when evaluating it. In the same vein, a man who cannot communicate his ideas effectively is failing on the same mission as the one who had no ideas in the first place.

Sketching is only "one" fragment of a design process. A strong understanding of proportions, colours and manufacturing processes are all other important elements that make or break a design. So, do not despair if your sketching ability at this time is not up to par, as there is always a chance to refine it as you move upstream.

To this end it is evident that the aim of my article is to remind designers that they do not have to be the best sketcher to be a good designer. A designer needs to merely reach a level good enough to produce strong concepts and communicate their ideas creatively to attract the targeted audience.Until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT COLUMNIST: Deidre Bastian is a professionally-trained marketing co-ordinator/graphic designer with qualifications of MSc, BSc, ASc 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.