Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matthew Stubbs on June 26, 2012 at 2:37pm

I could not agree with you more Craig.  I ended up in a similar situation at my previous employer.  I was designing directly in CAD and I feel most of my designs suffered and did not have the feel they had at previous stops.  My design process had always been create a concept by hand and when it was time, take that hand drawn concept scan it in and convert it to CAD for CD's.  However at my previous employer they were not real fond of Hand Drawings for whatever reason.  So they would do concept all the way through CD in the computer and it would drive me nuts doing things that way.  So even though I don't have full time gig now I am happy to be out of the situation and able to design the way I like to, which is starting out by hand. 

 

They also thought that a 3D printer was a more worthwhile investment and large format scanner.  Even though they have yet to bill anything that they have used the 3D printer for, which is extremely expensive from a material and labor standpoint.

 

So It was good to see that someone had kind of went throught the same struggle that I have gone through which is whether of not to design in the computer.

 

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Permalink Reply by Craig Anthony on June 26, 2012 at 3:24pm

Mathew I too was influenced by people I worked with to design in cad. Once I realized that I was seriously out producing the cad only people with my hand/cad hybrids it was a no brainer. It’s like the ideas just start flowing when I put a pencil to paper.

 

3D Printer, COOL! Sounds like another studio dust collector to me. I would have taken that large format scanner any day and a color one would be incredible.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Smith on June 26, 2012 at 3:26pm

Doodling is productive. :) Most artists don't design in CAD...so it makes sense, drawing is more intuitive to me.

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Stubbs on June 26, 2012 at 4:13pm

Especially when you can buy 4 color scanners for what they paid for that studio dust collector.

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Permalink Reply by Roland Beinert on June 26, 2012 at 5:01pm

That was a major difference between my first and second jobs. At my first job, my boss would come back with a sketch or ask me to draw up a few concepts on trace based on notes from a site visit. At my second job it was all done in CAD from start to finish. Luckily it was just simple planting design at the second job, because it was very hard to think in front of a computer. I like using CAD for the finished product, but in the beginning of a project I like a pencil in hand.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Smith on June 26, 2012 at 5:40pm

I agree, Roland. Drawing/doodling at the beginning...CAD for the working document.

Permalink Reply by Leslie B Wagle on June 26, 2012 at 6:26pm

Wow, similar to the lowdown on LEEDS, am I glad to find so many LA's here sharing the limits of SketchUp. Something deep inside me has been resisting it, but not just out of general allergy to change. I was suspicious that behind all the hype, it would be a time eater beyond just getting some quick basic guidelines. For plans where you don't need SketchUp anyway, I tend to pencil, then over-draw in CAD, but don't "think" there, although sometimes I can refine there. On sketches, after getting a grid or rough perspective from other technology (or from photos), I move on to digital, adding entourage saved from a variety of sources. And in both views, I like to re-use and re-size trees and symbols that were originally hand-drawn and have that "painterly" look that prevents the hard stick like effect from taking over. In other words, a combination technique a lot like (and maybe influenced by) the webinars that were hosted by Land8. 

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Permalink Reply by Roland Beinert on October 10, 2012 at 2:18pm

I'm reviving this discussion because of this article: http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/47043
Haven't had a chance to test either of the apps mentioned, but will take a look on the appstore soon.

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Permalink Reply by Russell MacDonald on October 11, 2012 at 8:28am

Oh dear Roland, it looks like you have found the missing link in our technology that naysayers have been saying does not or can't exist yet. You have found the magical unicorn.

Great catch Roland, and you you get it. The future of drawing is DRAWING by hand. Technology will make you draw by hand if you like it or not.

The scene, a coffee shop in 2018, a client has two landscape architects he must chose between for a project. One sketches in front of him on a tablet. Ideas and designs flow. The other sits and listens and tells the client he has to "construct" a design, but not there in front of him. Who gets the design you think?

The new bright shiny future. Not brought to you by Sketchup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Reed on October 20, 2012 at 6:36am

Russell, 

I couldn't agree with you more and I look forward to the day when the tablet can really showcase and allow for hand drawings and personal expression that only our hands can deliver will be enhanced by technology.  

I was thinking this very thing a few days ago and can't wait for this day to come.  There is something about sketching out ideas right in front of your clients eyes and having a real time collaboration with them that is so powerful.  It is a way to really strengthen the trust between you and the client, save time by working out ideas during your meeting time, and also communicating on the highest level.  I believe that hand drawing allows for this and have cultivated and weaved this talent into my quiver of skill arrows.  

I believe that we must all be cultivating hand drawing skills now and we need to instill these skills in those that believe that designing with a computer will suffice.  What will happen to the thousands of students and professionals that don't have hand drawing skills when the tablet and technology allows for a truly fluid hand drawing experience?  

Are you using any technology for this type of application right now? If so, what have you found to be the best way of using it and why?

Thanks again for your great post.  

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