Author(s): Duarte, Verónica ; Félix, Maria João ; Borges, Miguel de Aboim
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10773/44868
Origin: RIA - Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro
Subject(s): Manual sketching; Drawing practice; Industrial design; Creative process; Artificial intelligence
This article examines the relevance of drawing in the industrial designer profession, considering that there is a growing interest in leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to draw quickly and accurately. Two research questions were asked: What is the usefulness of drawing in industrial design? Does it make sense to use manual sketching in the product development process, given the functions of AI? Based on the literature review, supported by the construction of a conceptual model and a project management model that integrates drawing throughout the entire process, the research suggests that the practice of drawing should be continuous to assist in the iterativity of the creative process. Furthermore, manual sketching is supported by the humanistic skills of the designer, who is concerned with knowing how users think, feel and behave in a given context and culture. In this sense, although AI presents many advantages in terms of optimisation and as a complementary part of the process, it does not replace manual sketching. This study requires additional research into the potential of drawing in industrial design and to understand how advances in AI can affect manual sketching.
