How to kickstart visual thinking? In this article on rapid idea generation, we will discuss how to visualise an idea, permutate the representation of a concept and refine the clarity of its depicted shape.
Further, you will learn how to take quick decisions while brainstorming with the drawing pencil, explore and develop functionality, use geometry to generate additional rapid ideas and follow the logic of form and function.
Here is a table of contents for easy navigation.
Table of contents
- How to kickstart rapid idea generation
- Allow every single rapid idea to trigger its consequent conception
- Give every sketch sufficient space and permutate the concept during rapid idea generation
- Stick to the rapidly generated idea and refine the clarity of its form
- Take quick decisions on the fly throughout rapid idea generation
- Pursue any tangent to restore the functionality of a rapidly generated idea
- Conclude that tangent on the side and return to rapid idea generation
- Chase rapid ideas without smudging the drawing and sketch at a greater comfort
- Apply the same method over and over again while rapidly generating ideas
- Use geometry to generate more rapid ideas
- In rapid idea generation, no concept is too trivial to try out
- Re-use the same geometrical structure, but permutate its parts
- Follow the logic of form and function throughout rapid idea generation
Let us dive into proven methods and best practices in rapid idea generation.
1. How to kickstart rapid idea generation
How to get started with visual thinking? Well, simply by getting obsessed with a theme. And in this example here, the concept of the book is the trigger for the thought process of rapid idea generation. Accordingly, exploring the very notion of a book or combining it with the workings and form of another ordinary object of quotidian life is igniting the scintillation of mental imagery.
Consequently, I am jotting down the first rapid idea that comes to mind. Naturally, I am visualising the internal imagery in simple graphite pencil drawing marks on plain white paper. Initially, I set out to draw a rough sketch of the entire volume of the envisioned form. Subsequently, I increase line definition and might add colour hue information to distinguish between different materials or diverse functions.
2. Allow every single rapid idea to trigger its consequent conception
How to proceed from the conceptualisation of a book in the shape of a rake to a subsequent concept? The flow of rapid idea generation will guide us to discover many ways. For example, one solution is to carry over the function of that book’s pointed tines and to start a new book drawing based on the form of a rake’s teeth.
As a result, the addition of that single element alone fundamentally disrupts and utterly transforms the habituated appearance of the concept of a book, albeit not its function. Further, let us add some colour for the book’s spine and a cast shadow to ground it. Finally, a few squiggly graphite pencil marks do suffice to transform the white prongs into serrated book pages. Such is the power of rapid idea generation.
3. Give every sketch sufficient space and permutate the concept during rapid idea generation
It is good practice to allocate enough room on the drawing sheet to place the entire outline of the subsequent sketch while engaging in the workflow of rapid idea generation. In this example, varying the width of the tines of the previous drawing gives me a book with just three prongs instead of five. At the same time, the resulting widened negative spaces between the three teeth invite the depiction of the two corresponding removable wedges.
Consequently, I am quickly sketching the volumes of both chocks. Then, I follow up by delineating the silhouette with line work more firmly chiselled into the drawing paper. In conclusion, the resulting design generated via rapid idea generation is another visual permutation of the fundamental book concept.
And all the while, the subtle sketch lines that assisted in drawing a rectangular box frame to aid the construction of another book have stayed intact. The sketchy lines function like guides in any graphic layout. Yet, there is no need to erase them afterwards. Therefore, I do override their visual information with firmer graphite pencil marks.
4. Stick to the rapidly generated idea and refine the clarity of its form
As applied to the previous two hybrid versions of a book combined with aspects of a rake, swiftly adding a few touches of colour pencil marks define the cover of this book. Let us keep the process of rapid idea generation simple. Working with only one or two colour hues will suffice.
Otherwise, decisions about too many choices of pencil hues will slow down the creative flow every time we switch between graphite pencil and colour drawing tools. The choice of hue is of no importance. Granted, a shade of red might stand out more than a tint of blue. However, what counts is the fact that the colour pencil strokes denote a different material or distinct functionality.
In the meantime, graphite pencil marks reminiscent of encrypted letters turn the three white tines into pages inscribed with enigmatic text. Parallel lines running down the slanting inner sides of the wedges suggest a thick bundle of pages bound together by a spine. So, while rapidly generating ideas, I keep referencing the conventional makeup of a book.
Furthermore, a few pronounced strokes with the pointed graphite pencil tip reinforce the outlines. Edge definition of the depicted shape is crucial. Clear lines of the silhouette on the drawing sheet will also solidify the clarity through which we conceive the form and volume of each visualised object in our mind while we are chasing the endless flow of permutations in our imagination.
5. Take quick decisions on the fly throughout rapid idea generation
Continuing with the visual brainstorming session, we can see that the two chocks, which resulted from the negative space between the three tines of this jagged version of a book, could be transformed into a loose stack of triangular pages. However, I spontaneously decided to give each of the two gores a spine and cover, transforming them into a bound hardback in the shape of a wedge of cake.
But, the depicted curvature of those two red book spines is conceptually wrong because it runs counter to their functional principle. The correct way to draw the back of a book would be to connect the triangular cover with the spine via a straight fold so it can be opened like a hinge and enable the line running perpendicular to the edge of the pages to curve in a slight arch, instead.
Nevertheless, misconceptions like this happen with quick decisions taken in the workflow of visual thinking. Be brave to sketch ideas out, regardless of mistakes, and move on with the potent process of rapid idea generation. Above all, it is vital to capture our fleeting fancies the very moment they are racing past our inner eye. Afterwards, there is sufficient time to reflect upon the correctness of the representation and the feasibility of the ideas.
6. Pursue any tangent to restore the functionality of a rapidly generated idea
The mistake above has led us to the next step. Accordingly, this fresh sketch of a wedge corrects the previous error in the curvature of the book spine and restores the full functionality lost for the two previous gores. A few simple but firm lines do suffice to convey the outline and volume of this chock-like shape.
It generally is good practice to investigate any tangent in rapid idea generation. Even if it is only to rethink and correct a minute detail. The remediation shows that we are not merely chasing the mindless beauty of visual form but also the functionality and purpose of our envisioned concepts.
Likewise, there is no need to suppress any scintillation of ideas nor to leave any potential conception unexplored. Let the torrential current of rapid idea generation carry us away. Be brave enough to follow that torrent without any fear or inhibition. In short, it is a mental brainstorming session driven by a visual flow hastily passing our inner eye and registering on the drawing sheet in front of us.
7. Conclude that tangent on the side and return to rapid idea generation
After reflecting upon the above sudden flash of inspiration that entailed a minor flaw in its representation, there is no time to lose on erasing or hiding that error. It suffices to place the correct visual solution next to it. In this case, the improvement is the single book shaped like a wedge or a slice of cake.
Thus, we avoid carrying over the conceptual mistake to the following sketch in the workflow of rapid idea generation. Remember how old master drawings show human figures drawn with several arm positions in faint search lines overridden by a final arm hammered into the paper. A similar principle applies when visually brainstorming away.
Again, utilising the same red colour pencil consistently to denote a difference in function and material, the rectangular spine and triangular book cover do receive a shading fill. Anchoring the wedge with a cast shadow to emphasise its solidity does conclude this corrective action of a part of the previous sketch.
8. Chase rapid ideas without smudging the drawing and sketch at a greater comfort
Following ideas so swiftly barely leaves me time to find the appropriate space to position the succeeding visualisation on the drawing sheet. And that precisely is how it should be. Albeit, a level of aesthetics always will be preserved. Yet, this is a need-driven exploration. In other words, the journey counts just as much as the final result.
The form of a wedge remains the continuous building principle for the ensuing variation in the mental stream of rapid idea generation. Note how I sketch out the initial outlines delineating the new form with a pencil gripped about two inches away from its pointed tip. That grasp of the sketching tool allows for a swift line drawing out of the wrist.
Furthermore, a sharper definition of the silhouette does require increasing pressure exerted by the fingertips. A firm grip roughly one inch away from the pointed tip of the graphite pencil is quite common. Incidentally, an old mouse pad comes in handy to allow the heel of the hand to rest more firmly and softly. Likewise, the mat helps avoid any accidental smudging of the drawing, now needed as the hand draws a new row of ideas starting from the left side of the sheet.
9. Apply the same method over and over again while rapidly generating ideas
Eager to rush on to the next idea, I tend to apply the same drawing method to each idea rapidly generated. Granted, I rely on a trusted step by step approach, but with a sense of urgency. Consequently, there is no time to explore and question the visualisation technique at this stage. The only objective is to follow our train of thought.
So, as we have seen above, I first have sketched out the elementary form of the wedge of cake and intensified the decidedness of its silhouette. Now, I tinge the arched spine and both three-sided covers of the book in red colour pencil for the distinction of different functional and material elements.
Subsequently, shading is hastily added to one side of the sketched object to reinforce its volume. Finally, a cast shadow drawn with a dense net of hatched lines firmly grounds the triangular-shaped booklet on the drawing paper. As a result, another two-dimensional illusion suggestive of a three-dimensional shape has impatiently manifested itself.
10. Use geometry to generate more rapid ideas
Geometry can easily be used as a guiding principle throughout the inspiration process, wherever visual problem-solving is required. No matter how complex a shape, a much larger form easily can be found to inscribe the smaller one. And a larger frame often might have been the origin of the small figure in the first place. We merely need to re-discover the relationship between both forms.
So, in this case, we re-examine the concept of a wedge-shaped book by re-inscribing the gore into a larger frame that consists of multiple instances of the wedge’s volume. Re-inserting the gore into a larger cylindrical form did yield a three-dimensional pie chart or cake with eight wedges delineated by a division of the cylinder’s circular top into eight sectors.
As mentioned before, I grip the pencil between my fingertips at about two inches’ distance from its sharp end. That grasp allows for swifter sketching as the wrist carries out the overall movement. Meanwhile, we simultaneously maintain a better overview. The resulting longer reach of the drawing hand shows sketchy pencil strokes that build up the required geometrical outlines with ease. Keep drawing fast!
11. In rapid idea generation, no concept is too trivial to try out
As before, the visualisation workflow follows these repeatable steps: a faintly sketched outline, intensified contour definition, addition of colour information, tonal shading lending volume under directional light and, finally, a cast shadow to anchor the object in space. Go along with the flow of your ideas and let the simplicity of the drawing technique solve the representational tasks.
A repeatable step by step approach to visualisation is invaluable for the sketching process driving rapid idea generation. A tried and trusted representation method also works well as a guiding principle enabling the realisation of more complex drawings. See, for instance, my seven easy steps to a better colour pencil drawing.
In the meantime, the book wedge or wedge book has transmuted into a piece of cake. Hence, the sole gore becomes a single insertable volume of an eight-volume book or a tiny circular library. It is easy to imagine what a library would look like if all its volumes got stored on turnable cylindrical shelves. And this is far from an inconceivable idea, as it is common practice to arrange file folders on circular shelves at the point of sale.
12. Re-use the same geometrical structure, but permutate its parts
Rapid idea generation relies on our curiosity to question every aspect of a concept under examination. Let us carry over the principal geometrical base structure from the previous idea and see what else we can build with it.
Decrease the number of subdivisions
Impatient to discover new forms, I decreased the cylinder’s division from eight sectors to only six. The resulting subdivision yields six wedges with a sixty degrees wide angle, distinct from the narrow forty-five degrees angle of the eight gores in the previous sketch. Adding even one single variation to the base structure of our concept can open up a whole new gamut of avenues worth exploring.
Correct any mistake in form and function
Hence, I decided to straighten out the concave arch of each of the six individual book spines that otherwise would have continued to form the circular edge of the cylinder. This decision firstly corrects a functional error, as the previous eight-volume book would have great difficulties opening its pages along its laterally curving spine. That is the same issue we encountered above in section 5 of this article and resolved in section 6.
Repeating conceptual mistakes in rapid idea generation is inevitable. I do correct them on the fly. And this amendment of the back of the book, secondly, gives us a volume based on an equilateral triangle, i.e. a three-sided figure with three equal angles of sixty degrees in each corner, which arguably is among the most stable structural principles available for construction.
Use building blocks of nature for rapid idea generation
Reducing subdivisions within the original cylindrical body allows us to abstain from an otherwise octagonal base and revert to a more compound hexagonal shape. And the hexagon is one of the most solid building blocks in nature. Think of the unique geometrical form repeating itself inside a honey beehive. As a result, each of the six cross-section corners of our six-volume book become formed by two adjacent sixty-degree angles equalling 120 degrees. Thus, any number of equally sized hexagons fit into one another without wasting any space. And this is a great way to stack hexagonal books in either a horizontal or vertical plane on a bookshelf.
13. Follow the logic of form and function throughout rapid idea generation
Previously, permutating the concept of a book, we did transform the basic wireframe of the cylinder into the geometrical shape of a regular hexagon. And the latter divides into six equilateral triangular wedges. A single graphite pencil did perform the whole magic trick required by rapid idea generation.
Next, logically following through with the variation decided upon, I had to add six triangular book covers. Leaving three boards open and three book fronts closed illustrates their function. A few booklet pages convexly bulging outward hint at the volume. Admittedly, they would communicate more clearly if depicted in a concave arch anchored at the spine. That correction is shown above in the featured image of this article.
In a further step, the tonal values of the red covers and spine of the hexagonal six-volume book receive more intense cross-hatching to carve out their three-dimensional appearance. Finally, a cast shadow added to this sketch in graphite pencil increases the sense of directional light illuminating the scene. And the flow of rapid idea generation will continue on the next page in the sketchbook.
Bonus video
I hope this article helped you understand proven methods and best practices in rapid idea generation. If you want to see more stages of the creation of this drawing, you may also want to watch my video “How to visualise ideas: variations on the concept of a book”.
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