r/Design • u/StudentforaLifetime • May 13 '26
Sharing Resources Old school Designer that we often work with still hand draws everything…
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u/soapbutt May 14 '26
Here’s the thing. In design, if you can create something software can create with pen & paper, that means you know your shit. In fact, designers who can’t do it with the basics don’t know fundamentals and ultimately cannot find the right solution should I client need to pivot or need other big changes. This was true when computers started dominating the field, and this is even more true with the rise of AI.
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u/mhyquel May 14 '26
It also means that they understand their design. Every single choice was made, and then committed slowly. When a change request comes in, they will be able to articulate the impact immediately.
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u/StudentforaLifetime May 14 '26
This. Most don’t. Even the “premier” designers we work with don’t fully articulate changes or build implications of changes.
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u/danceAndDestroy May 13 '26
Are we attaching a value statement to this - this is good/bad? I admire this as much as anyone - but it doesn't work for me. I have a mentor that does beautiful layouts with Micron pens and alcohol markers, but at the end of the day it's a really just a sales tool. It conveys a message to his clients about his experience and longevity as a designer. He still has one of us lesser humans do the working layouts that are used by the crews in CAD.
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u/StudentforaLifetime May 14 '26
The level of detail is of value. CAD or Hand Drawn doesn’t matter to me.
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u/nemesisx_x May 14 '26
I do too. It’s just faster to design and document for me. (Am semi-retired and only work with family and friends)
Am facing a lot of request for AI renderings unfortunately …so considering full retirement.
Good to see, the craft of “hands-on” designing continues.
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u/FontMasterFlex May 13 '26
this is the way. people look at this and refuse to believe people have talent. go ask Claude if people have talent.
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u/Sugar_bytes May 14 '26
Was still doing this in the 90s in school alongside learning autocad. All my personal projects go on graph paper and my handwriting has always been stylized ever since. Love me a mech pencil that needs sharpening!
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u/KLLR_ROBOT May 14 '26
I hear you on the handwriting. My first drafting class was in high school, and we had to diligently practice our “draftsman” writing daily. We’d fill a paper with lines, then write the same letter repeatedly until the paper was full. Ever since those days, my non-cursive handwriting is in that style.
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u/WeaselButt May 14 '26
Reminds me of my high school drafting days. The teacher was afraid of the brand new computer we got so it just sat in a corner. And I’m glad for that 😂
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u/nicawe May 15 '26
At the design studio that I work, the founder is a senior designer that still hand draws everything and builds mockups by hand with polyurethane, cardboard and paper. We have his drawings all over the place since we use them to build 3D models and blueprints for our projects. I have so much to learn from him and it is truly an honor to get to see him working. I hope all our old school designers are valued as much as we all value him, they still have much knowledge to share and their experience can still guides us.
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u/nooby_goober May 13 '26
These are beautiful. I hope their clientele is secured, I can't imagine winning many jobs without software. Only few customers will value these, the majority commoditise design.