Sketching beyond paper and pencil: lessons learned from using Sketchify

Some recent discussions in the interaction design community have called attention to sketching as an omnipresent element of any disciplined activity of design, and have pointed out that sketching should be extended beyond the simple creation of a pencil trace on paper. More specifically the need to deal with all attributes of a user experience, especially the timing, phrasing, and feel of the interaction, has been identified [3]. In this article, we present our experiences in using Sketchify, a tool which extends the concept of paper and pencil sketching to the more generic concept of rapid manipulation of interactive materials. We present our observations from a case studies in which Sketchify has been used with a group of 12 bachelor students performing small assignments over a period of seven weeks. We describe the lessons learned, first presenting elements that were easy to use and understand, followed by some less successful aspects, and ending with a summary of deduced issues. We observed that Sketchify aids in reflection and conversation, and supports the designers’ memory and cognition. Its unique strength is that it allows designers to quickly understand the possibilities and limitations of interactive user interface, as well as of the technologies involved.