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The Blueprint of Creativity
Sketching is not just a fundamental tool for designers; it’s a gateway to creativity and innovation. Beyond its practical applications in visualizing concepts, sketching offers a unique opportunity for designers to explore ideas freely, without the constraints of technology or perfectionism. It allows us to capture the essence of a concept quickly, fostering a deeper understanding and connection to our designs. Sketching encourages experimentation, iteration, and collaboration, enabling us to communicate ideas more effectively and refine them with input from others. Ultimately, sketching is not just about putting pencil to paper; it’s about unleashing our imagination and bringing ideas to life in a way that is authentic, intuitive, and profoundly fulfilling.
2025
This winter, we launched our second annual Winter Sketch Challenge, a friendly and collaborative event open to the entire Knickerbocker Group team. Each week, a new prompt—ranging from Connection and House to Something Old and Window Seat—encouraged our team to think outside the box and bring their visions to life.
Scott Stark: House
“There were many great recommendations for winter sketch challenge prompts this year. We combined several of these suggestions into the first prompt, which focused on different types of houses. The prompt for a fairy house immediately made me think of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and the fairy houses on Mackworth Island. Inspired by those collections of found natural objects, I quickly improvised a sketch.”
Andrew Clark: Something Old
“My first thought for ‘Something Old’ in our sketch challenge? Bourbon, of course. There’s something intrinsically captivating about the rows of charred white oak barrels aging in a Kentucky rickhouse that’s stood for over a century, lit only through the gaps in the hardwood. It’s hard to capture the scent of mash in a thumbnail sketch, but if you get the chance to visit one, I highly recommend it.”
Eric Wittman: House
“The first prompt this year was ‘_______ House,’ and with the snow and freezing temperatures, I knew I wanted to draw a beach house. The palm trees, the shack by the ocean, the sand—it was the perfect prompt to daydream about while sketching.”
Greg Norton: Connection
“The sketch was part of our company’s internal Winter Sketch Challenge, which encourages everyone to ‘defrost their sketching skills’ and share their creativity through weekly prompts. The theme ‘Connection’ coincided with our company bowling evening, so I used the prompt to showcase people connecting outside of work, while also highlighting the interconnectedness of building systems and structures. A big thank you to Eric Wittman and Scott Stark for spearheading the sketching challenge!”
