Introduction

     You have heard the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Visualization through images (as opposed to words) allows people to absorb large amounts of data quickly. Sketching is an important skill for  engineers and  designers. Sketches provide a means through which one can quickly and clearly communicate ideas.  Representing existing objects and new ideas with sketches can make the  design  process more effective  and efficient and greatly enhance the ability of others to understand your ideas.

     One of the most important skills necessary to create an accurate sketch that realistically represents an object is the ability to make careful observations of the characteristics of that object.  Paying close attention to the underlying basic shapes and the relative proportions of various features of the object will allow you to more accurately reflect the true shapes and proportions of the object in your sketch.

     Another important key to success in sketching is practice. As is true with most activities (like playing soccer, solving rubik’s cubes, and playing the guitar), the more experience you gain, the better you will perform. So consider carrying a pencil with you wherever you go. When you notice something interesting, something that can be improved, or something you would like to share, make a quick sketch instead of taking a picture. Your sketching skill will improve, you will impress your friends and family with your ability, and you will become a more competent designer.

In this activity we will begin developing our sketching capabilities.  You will document your work in your engineering notebook in the following template: 1.5 - Concept Sketching Lego and Calculator (ENET)  but first we will review the following presentation.