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The value of a rough sketch has never been greater than now, in the aftermath of the digital revolution. Sketching out design ideas on paper enables easier and more fluid placement of elements, as it forces the creative mind to see and manipulate both positive and negative space. Therein lies the secret to great design.
Colors, choice of font and photography all are digital elements to be manipulated onscreen, but composition and layout belong in the physical realm — subject to pencil hardness and vinyl erasers.
Logo design especially profits from thumbnail sketching. These days, it’s way too easy to surf online to find images to be shamelessly imitated. Let ideas flow from your mind through your hand and onto paper. Keep the bad concepts along with the good in your quest for a defining image. There’s always a reason (apparent or not) that your imagination links abstract thought to your search for a concept. Study any and all of your sketches and the idea will make itself known.
Once an idea shapes itself on paper, only then can it be truly defined and built onscreen. Remember, an architect doesn’t build a house without blueprints.
Draw it, then design it.