Digital Sketching in the Early Stages of Architectural Design

In the architectural design, designers are focused on the early stages of the design process or conceptual design. The ultimate goal of this stage is to find a solution for an existing problem, investigate design space, or explore an idea. This stage conventionally begins with sketches and diagrams to explore ideas and solutions; the ambiguity and vagueness of conventional freehand sketching can be a source of creativity.Nowadays, with the advances in digital technology, there are attempts to integrate digital tools into the conceptual design in order to construct a digital design medium in the architectural education. Recent developments in CAAD software shows a shift in focus toward conceptual design interface; but these tools have not developed and still fail to offer an appropriate design environment for sketching; So application of digital tools in the early stages of design, has created problems and challenges especially regarding to creativity. Therefore, this research focuses on the early stages of the design process and investigates the current situation of digital sketching and its related discussions and challenges in architectural design education. Findings show that professors yet doubt over digital tools but, there are attempts to study and propose interfaces and programs to enhance digital systems or new ways of working with them in order to support creativity and sketching

Keywords:

conceptual design , digital sketching , creativity , pen based sketching