Web designers’ sketch pad

How do you first plan the look of a website? As a web designer, you have a wealth of tools to choose from.

Most of these will be digital tools, as you’d expect. They’re an essential part of every web designer’s tool set.

But are they always right for the job? Sometimes they can get in the way…sometimes it’s better to go old-school – back to basics.

The 20i Web Designers’ Sketch Pad

We created the 20i Web Designers’ Sketch Pad for those times when only a pencil and paper will do.

It’s to help web designers plan and present responsive website designs when a screen isn’t available or wanted.

Imagine you’re in a scoping meeting with a prospective client. If inspiration strikes, it might be more convenient to sketch-out an idea on paper than to lose yourself in a screen. It’s ideal for capturing spontaneous creative ideas.

Plus you can show off your pencil skillz: the general public are surrounded by high-quality digital imagery, and think it’s easy to create. Impress a potential client by showing them that you can actually draw (“an artist!”) as well as being a digital wizard.

Many uses

Despite all the great digital planning tools we have, there’s still something to be said for sketching-out ideas and sticking them to the wall. You can share a sketchpad online, but it’s not the same as handing someone an actual piece of paper.

Or what about when there’s no power or signal? Or you’re in the kind of place where you’d rather not advertise that you own an expensive electronic device? Sketchpad to the rescue!

Or when you’ve really had enough: there’s nothing more cathartic than tearing out a page, crumpling it and throwing it in the bin. We don’t recommend trying that with a computer.

Designer pad specs

It’s printed to emulate three browser types on one page: desktop, tablet and phone. It includes a faint one-centimetre grid to help with sizes and positions of elements later.

It has 50 sheets of 100gsm recycled paper with rounded corners: this is to prevent accidental injuries if you’re over-enthusiastic. It’s A3 in size, which is about the size of a sleeping cat.

Its thick paper also makes really good paper aeroplanes, we hear.

Sketch pad giveaway for 20i customers

If you’re a customer of 20i, you can get one of these web design sketch pads for free by answering one question. We’re giving away 50 of them.

Update 25 March 2019: The survey (and giveaway) has now ended.

Let us know what you think of the sketch pad.