Purpose: To realize how one’s thoughts and ideas can be communicated to others using simple sketches
Importance of Sketching
Click the image to the right to go to a website that covers a lot of great points about the importance of sketching, especially as it pertains to the Design Process
Sketching ‘Rules’
- Sketch quickly!
- The sketch is not to scale
- Perfection is less important than being neat and simple
- Make it proportional
Sketching in our class
In this class, since we design and make things, we sketch. A lot! Sketching can be – and often is – a method of BRAINSTORMING novel ideas to solve a problem or design something new. The more ideas we come up with, the better solutions can be. Want to see some class examples from the past? Click here
Activity 1: Orthographic Views

- Introductions and explanation and purpose
- Examples of orthographic sketches
- Tasks and practice: Sketch Blocks 1, 2, and 4 in composition book or other paper (see examples in the line above)
- Help Videos
Having trouble? Think you CAN’T sketch these?
Activity 2: Isometric Views
- Introductions and explanation and purpose
- Tasks and practice: Sketch Blocks 1, 2, and 4 in isometric view in composition book
- More reading on isometric views: example 1 Sketching , Sketching blocks blocks Rounded corners example Intersections example Drawing simple rounds How to sketch like a product designer
Activity 3: Adding Dimensions to the Isometric blocks
- Lecture: Explanation and purpose
- Task: Using correct dimensioning guidelines, measure the ‘actual’ dimensions asked for in the link below. Do this with your group, making sure everyone has the same dimensions. Put those dimensions on one of your best isometric sketches in your composition book
- Click here for dimensions of blocks #1, #2, and #4
Miscellaneous Links
- Orthographic Projection
Great intro to 3-view drawings. First half is best for 7th grade. - Third projection
- Orthographic animation*
Measuring
- Metric Ruler explanation
- How to read a tape measure – You Tube