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Manual sketching: why is it still relevant? Revisited

  • University of St Andrews
  • Uppsala University

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

In 2009, Goldschmidt explored the role of sketching within the emerging landscape of digital drawing tools and Computer Aided Design (CAD), concluding that manual sketching remained fundamentally important. In 2025, this question demands renewed attention: In an era of smartphones, the Internet of Things (IoT), and a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) goldrush, images can be created instantly from text or speech. So is manual sketching still relevant in the face of automated creative output? Does it retain an irreplaceable quality? Or is a new hybridity emerging? Is it naïve-or even irresponsible-to ignore the digital transformation shaping creative practice today? And what costs come with this transformation? Based on preliminary results from two recent case studies, we reflect on this, examining the evolving role of sketching for practitioners, researchers, and students, illuminating how we choose to navigate the complex intersection of human creativity and machine generation.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCHI EA '26
Subtitle of host publicationproceedings of the extended abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
EditorsNuria Oliver, David A. Shamma, Heloisa Candello, Pablo Cesar, Pedro Lopes, Valentino Artizzu, Fiona Draxler, Gustavo Lopez, Anke V. Reinschluessel, Xin Tong, Phoebe O. Toups Dugas
Place of PublicationNew York, NY, U.S.
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Number of pages5
ISBN (Electronic)9798400722813
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Apr 2026
EventCHI 2026: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Barcelona International Convention Centre, Barcelona, Spain
Duration: 13 Apr 202617 Apr 2026

Publication series

NameConference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

Conference

ConferenceCHI 2026: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Country/TerritorySpain
CityBarcelona
Period13/04/2617/04/26

Keywords

  • GAI
  • sketching
  • UX

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