By Mei NG Lugo, Graduate Architect

Sketching has been an integral part of childhood for many, including my own journey. Reflecting on those early moments feels almost like an out-of-body experience—children often find themselves instinctively drawing on walls, tables, and floors, creating “doodles” with various tools and techniques. While some sketches may carry meaning and others may not, each sketch represents a profound connection between the unconscious mind, emotions, and the hand.

The Art of Sketching

For me, sketching became a way to foster creativity and organize thoughts.

It is a form of self-expression, a visual manifestation of the mind’s ideas and emotions. A daily exercise involves taking a sticky note each morning and sketching spontaneously. Initially, there is no thought or plan; it begins with the natural flow of the hand and the line it creates. Gradually, the eyes adapt, and those lines transform into something tangible or seen “form”, rediscovered through perception. Of course, this process is entirely subjective, and shaped by my personal view.

Sketching is, at its core, a connection between the mind, the hand, and the medium. It is an intuitive process that fosters creativity, problem-solving, and even empathy. It is remarkable to consider how dreams, ideas, or even fleeting thoughts can begin as abstract forms and evolve into reality through this organic flow of information.

Importantly, sketching is not a skill exclusive to artists, architects, or those formally trained in drawing. It is a tool for anyone seeking to communicate, express, or convey a message. Returning to the basics of sketching allows individuals to understand their starting point, articulate their ideas, and transform them into something tangible and real.

The Importance of sketching as a foundational design tool

Sketching, or drawing, has existed for thousands of years as a thoughtful form of communication. From the walls of ancient caves to modern media, it has served as a way to pass knowledge, stories, and ideas across generations.

Our ancestors demonstrated the essence of design by sketching their surroundings, documenting the environment, and considering the hierarchy of elements in their spaces. These early marks, preserved in lines and imprints, communicate the events, priorities, and contexts of their time.

During my college years, I learned how to deconstruct images, objects, and even words through sketching.

This process revealed that even language has a resonance and rhythm that can be captured visually. Over time, this understanding was carried forward into my time teaching as a graduate assistant for the graphics component of the core design courses in architecture. In this role, I guided students through techniques, tips, and tricks for translating concepts into visual form. Most importantly, students were reminded that they did not need to be exceptional at drawing. Instead, sketching is a tool for personal understanding—a way to clarify and communicate one’s ideas.

Once a concept is clear to the creator, it becomes much easier to share and convey amongst others.

One exercise- I implemented with my class emphasized this principle: students were asked to enter a dark classroom and select three songs that evoked distinct emotions—one sad, one happy, and one angry. Blindfolded, they used paper and pencil to draw without restrictions while listening to each song. This exercise encouraged them to connect emotionally with the act of sketching, focusing solely on the flow between their emotions, the rhythm of the song, their hand-to-instrument, and the paper. The goal was not perfection, but a genuine expression of feeling through lines and patterns.

This exercise resulted in a series of raw, emotion-driven sketches that frequently served as the foundation for new concepts and ideas—many of which later evolved into projects presented to a jury. This emphasizes the power of sketching—not only as a creative outlet but also as a vital tool for developing, exploring, and communicating design ideas.

Problem Solving and Collaboration

In the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, sketching plays a crucial role in addressing complex challenges related to code compliance, design criteria, and construction coordination, among others. It serves as a collaborative tool, enabling professionals across disciplines to come together, share ideas, and develop solutions. Whether it involves reducing costs, enhancing a building’s functionality, or resolving construction challenges in the field, sketching fosters dialogue and innovation for the collective good.

At WGI, I have experienced this collaborative culture firsthand while contributing to the concept design for a groundbreaking facility in Escambia County, which focuses on advancing technology, innovation, and transportation. The team organized a creative, intensive charrette that involved brainstorming, research, and, most importantly, sketching.

Each team member was tasked with developing a concept that would brand the new building for the Emerald Coast Regional Council (ECRC) and Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

The process began with analyzing the context and the program requirements. Drawing on lessons from school, I approached the challenge by starting with a single word that could guide the development of diagrams and, eventually, the overall concept. The chosen word, Crossroads, symbolized two intersecting paths and became the foundation for the building’s design. Through sketching, the hierarchy of spaces was defined, color-coded for clarity, and effectively communicated to the client. Both drawings by hand and AI tools were used to develop many options for the building’s design.

Beyond addressing spatial organization, the team faced the challenge of conceptualizing the building’s artificial intelligence and identity. This process required brainstorming a meaningful name and visualizing how it would integrate seamlessly into the design. Drawing inspiration from the word, Boomerang, I focused on its distinctive shape and symbolic significance. Through sketching, this idea took form, resulting in the concept of AUTO.

AUTO, much like a boomerang, functions by projecting information outward to the public, analyzing it, and returning it to support informed decision-making.

Sketching was instrumental throughout this process, from the initial visionary stage to team collaboration and client presentation. It served not only as a medium for exploring creative ideas but also as a tool for building connections, aligning perspectives, and solving problems collectively.

Through these collaborative exercises, the team transformed abstract concepts into tangible solutions, demonstrating the indispensable role of sketching in both problem-solving and innovation in the AEC landscape.

Sketching for Empathy and Connection

The process of creating a concept, or giving life to an idea, often draws from the history and narrative of the project itself. Whether it is how a word evokes a feeling, aligns with a shape, or connects to a cultural aspect, the act of sketching allows these elements to converge into something meaningful and tangible.

Here at WGI, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) Autonomous Innovation Center project.

This was a unique platform to explore Jacksonville’s rich history, its people, culture, and transportation legacy. The project aimed to enhance connectivity within the city- not only through its transit system, but also by cultivating an abstract yet meaningful connection to the LaVilla community- which was once the hub of Jacksonville’s African American culture in the early 1900s, a center for entertainment, the arts, and home to the largest railroad station in the South.

A particular sketch resonated deeply with the client. It portrayed the essence of the music that once defined the community, intertwined with the imprint of the old transportation system embedded in the ground. The simple sketch symbolized these historical elements rising—like the voices that once filled the city—while simultaneously capturing both the forward-thinking vision of the autonomous transit system’s future and the historical essence of LaVilla’s identity.

The main focus of the project was to create opportunities for public interaction by integrating safe open spaces along the site, with the Autonomous Innovation Center site serving as a central node.

The building itself was inspired by the former LaVilla’s Crane Company building, emphasizing its strong, clean lines and structural integrity as a reference for the project’s architectural form. Open public spaces were drawn from the human body—particularly the arteries, symbolizing the flow of information and connectivity, and the brain representing the AIC as the structure orchestrating the autonomous transit system. Just as the human body continuously adapts and evolves, so does an efficient transportation system, where various components work in unison to perform a common function.

Branding JTA, along with its future intersections and corridors for autonomous vehicles, was a challenging yet rewarding task.

In the early stages of branding, sketching became a critical tool for exploring ideas and presenting concepts. This design approach enhanced dynamism, highlighting the importance of integrating historical context with forward-thinking innovation, ensuring that infrastructure evolves while remaining deeply connected to the cultural fabric of the city, creating a cohesive, and community-forward brand for JTA.

This experience underscores the power of sketching as a medium for empathy and connection. It bridges past, present, and future, aligning the client’s goals with the emotional and cultural context of the project, resulting in designs that are both innovative and deeply rooted in meaning.

Sketching serves as a tool for innovation and storytelling, offering a moment to pause and reflect in a world increasingly led by AI and new technologies, reminding us of the value of human touch in the design process.