We Love Pen & Paper
From design sprints to the fine art of doodling; read our latest blog to find out our thoughts on why putting pen to paper is the bread and butter of any design process.
Last week at nooh Studio we held a design sprint with YAA in our London office Second Home, to create a brand and identity for their upcoming event “One Heart Festival” happening in June. The event attracts more than 4000 young people under the Westway bridge, to take part in all kinds of activities from arts & media, to sport, a food court and live music.
To kick-off the project, the design sprint was a chance to put pen to paper and bring together everyones ideas. We had in the room three designers, the client Alessana and her colleague Anne-Marie and two young people Rueben and Luke.
We were invited to be part of a Design Sprint at Nooh Studio. It was amazing to be part of the creative process from the start, and have our ideas be brought to life on the spot. We brought a couple of our young people, who got first hand experience of working in a professional setting. Their ideas were really valued and we felt listened to. It was such a great experience and to have all the different minds and ideas in one room is a way of working that we would love to do again and now want to apply in future settings. We were proud with what we came up with collaboratively by the end and left feeling really good about the work produced.
Alessana Hall, Youth Action Alliance - Events Lead
As always, a design sprint is a brilliant, collaborative way to share ideas and squash any confusion or discussions surrounding a brief or project. You leave with your creative thinking having been tested, and your ideas having turned into more advanced designs to take onto development.
The start of these sprints always feel nostalgic - a pot of felt tips and coloured pencils placed in the middle of the table, and a wad of paper to draw on. Happy days. Sketching in a design sprint is an essential way to kick your creative thinking into gear and help you to discover new ideas. It takes away the technical constraints and provides an inclusive environment for all involved.
When we invite a client into a design sprint, it opens up the conversation and helps us understand their needs in a more synchronised fashion. Thinking organically and developing ideas live can push the designs further faster - not having distance between the client and the designer creates an exciting atmosphere where collaboration meets new heights.
So why draw on paper?
The organic thinking and developing of ideas is quicker on paper, when you’re not constrained or limited by technology. Here are some reasons why we love Pen & Paper!
Flexibility: When you design on paper, you have more flexibility to experiment and make changes quickly. You can easily erase or cross out something you don't like and try something new. With technology, you may need to use specific tools or software to make changes, which can be more time-consuming and less intuitive.
Constraints: Digital design tools often have constraints that limit what you can do. For example, a specific software may only allow you to use a certain set of fonts or colors, whereas with pen and paper, you have access to an unlimited range of options.
Creativity: Some designers find that they are more creative when working with physical materials like paper and pencils. The tactile experience of drawing and sketching can help to generate new ideas and spark the imagination in a way that working on a computer cannot replicate.
Skill level: Designing on tech often requires a certain level of technical skill, which can be a barrier for some people. In contrast, pen and paper are accessible to anyone, regardless of their level of experience or training.
So whether it’s in a design sprint or a quick doodle in your notepad, start with your pen and paper before you go digital, you’ll never know what ideas you might come up with!
Don’t miss out on our latest updates, sign-up to our monthly newsletter!
