Three years into studying design I encountered the limitations of traditional sketching techniques beginning to weigh down the increasingly tensioned timelines imposed by projects. We needed to produce more ideas. Faster. To allow designs to diverge flexibly but converge systematically, as the design process naturally is. So I began exploring new techniques, within photoshop, sketchbook pro and concepts app.

One of the first things I noticed was how easily mid-tone rendering was achieved. Digital rendering cemented analogue techniques that had long eluded me, and having the ability to create highlights, shadows, reflections and texture passes over mid-tone colourings opened up an array of possibilities. At first, it felt like cheating. Everything was faster, more forgiving - but the more I explored digital platforms, the more I realised it wasn’t a shortcut but an extension of analogue techniques. 

Layers were by far the most influential feature - and understanding the fundamental way of approaching layering in general would later become a cornerstone of many future projects. Layers allow for masking, constrained brush strokes as well as blending - offering exponential flexibility with colour management and detail variation. Adding “layers of detail”, noise in essence also helps additively build up texture and realism within brush based textures. 

When learning how to sketch and render digitally, I was forced to become accustomed to thinking non-destructively. Digital mediums naturally afford flexibility, and when mastered allow you to quickly produce controlled variations. Industrial design confronts this fundamental tension between time and quality. Accelerating development often risks compromising refinement, while prioritizing quality can delay delivery. Technology serves as a critical translator; a catalyst that enables designers to achieve higher fidelity in less time, preserving intent, without sacrificing execution.