Sketching a Visualisation Diagram

A visualisation diagram is a sketch showing how a finished media product will look. It is more detailed than a wireframe layout, which marks images with crossed boxes; on a visualisation diagram you sketch the actual image content.

Your drawing does not have to be perfect, but it still needs to make clear what the finished product will look like. A rectangle with the word “lantern” written inside is not enough — draw the lantern’s shape, handle and glow. For a poster advertising a community lantern parade, sketch a row of lanterns and a small crowd rather than labelling an empty box “crowd”.

What belongs on it

Do not attach final high-resolution photographs, bespoke artwork made for the finished product, or physical materials collected for inspiration. The diagram is a planning sketch, so those final assets are added later. Backgrounds need not be filled in completely: a few quick shading strokes plus an annotation such as “night sky: dark blue” can indicate the background colour.

Keeping it clear

Make the diagram neat. Use a ruler where appropriate, for example for a border or straight text lines, and make sure every annotation and piece of text is legible. The graphic designer must be able to read your instructions without asking what they mean.

Rough versions and hand-drawing

In industry, sketches are often rough and quick so that designers can produce lots of ideas. An early, rough sketch of an idea is called a scamp; you might produce three different lantern-parade scamps before selecting one. A hand-drawn diagram can use sketching, or assets that are cut out and stuck onto the page — for example, a simple paper lantern shape glued in position while you decide where it should sit.