REMEMBER WHEN, WE USED TO DRAW BY HAND?

^{Abaji New Town Planning ABUJA - 1980}

Gone are the days of drawing with the rOtring pens on A1 Tracing paper, whilst you balanced (essential toolkit!)razor blades, rubber, set square, scale ruler on the parallel motion bar (apparatus attached to the drawing board, for those that are unfamiliar with this term), clutch pencil behind your ear, navigating the A0 Drawing Board with it's angle-poise lamp (which often gave your second degree finger burns as you strive for perfection), balancing between mid air and a high stool.

^{NATIONAL SPORTS CENTRE, ABUJA – 1983}

Drawing by hand Played many roles in the creation of the built environment, at IDP early years from the inspired doodle on the napkin to the lavish watercolour painting that convinces a planning panel. It was used to generate concepts, to bring a sense of personality to a design, or just to swap ideas among members of the project team. A drawing can capture people’s attention, win an argument, describe the indescribable. But one of the most fundamental reasons why designers draw is simply to help them to see what’s in front of them, that’s why although our drawing board is digital now, the hand drawn sketch is what always drives our concepts.