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Paper sketches

Design deliverable

Sketching interface concepts on paper

Sketching is the practice of creating user interfaces as drawings, most often freehand. The designer draws the structure of the screens and shapes their design ideas while accounting for user needs and project goals. These sketches then act as a collaborative working base with the project team, and let you validate the content before moving on to wireframes. A real time-saver in an iterative workflow, which lets you share the first directions quickly.

What are paper sketches for?

  • Saving time: shaping the first directions
  • Iterating, adjusting and brainstorming on this working base
  • Stepping away from software constraints
  • Prioritising and validating the content quickly
  • A more engaging format that supports understanding and helps you step back
  • Saving money: the ideal format for iterating while change is still cheap
  • A useful base for the first user tests

Why use paper sketches?

  • Putting your ideas straight onto paper to make them concrete
  • Sketching out an overview of the user journey
  • Stepping back and thinking about interfaces differently
  • Acting as a basis for thinking and supporting iterative work
  • Adjusting and reworking the concepts at low cost

A few tips for successful interface sketches

You don't need to be an artist to convey your ideas through drawing. But for better understanding, it's important to make the content explicit.

01

Structuring the sketches

Think about breaking down your sketches to highlight the most important elements. Define the overall interface structure with a black marker. For details, switch to a thinner pen, and underline the important elements (buttons, features and so on) with a coloured marker or a highlighter.

02

Spelling out ideas with words

Use the areas outside the screen to describe certain components, pointing to them with arrows. Explain the possible interactions by drawing the step before and/or after (for example, a popup opening when you click a button).

Example of paper sketches 1 of 6

A few of our case studies

Related methods

Co-sketching workshop

To start designing, you don't need a professional design tool. The aim is to sketch out ideas and iterate while change is still cheap.

Read more about Co-sketching workshop

Co-design workshop

Based on collective intelligence, these workshops surface solutions with the project team and/or the end users.

Read more about Co-design workshop

Site map

The site map describes how your interface content is organised into a limited number of categories.

Read more about Site map

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