Studies suggest avid doodlers are better thinkers – so it’s no surprise that many architects are guilty of doodling at every available opportunity.
In a recent TED talk entitled Doodlers, Unite! writer and thinker Sunni Brown extolled the virtues of doodling as a vital tool for retaining and processing information. She describes the doodle as “one of the greatest allies of intellectual thought” – often thought of as a sign of losing focus, she explains, “in reality it’s a pre-emptive measure to stop you from losing focus.”
Once, being caught doodling during a meeting or conversation was considered a faux pas; now, it’s increasingly recognised as a way of gathering and expressing thoughts. In London’s Battersea, the Will Alsop-designed Doodle Bar invites people to come in and share their ideas over a drink and a scribble.
For architect Catherine Greig, of East London-based practice Make:Good, doodling is an essential part of the creative process.
“My most prolific doodling time is first thing in the morning. It is almost a morning ritual where I write the date and then doodle around it while I plan and prioritise my day,” she explains. “I always doodle a series of squares, cubes, cuboids and hatch in a pattern. They are all very similar and repetitive. They don’t relate to a project but are almost like a meditation which gives my brain space for deep problem solving.”
Doodling helps Greig get into deep thought, develop ideas and mull over problems. “It is something I do every day to help me move projects forward, so it helps me out on a daily basis. They also prompt conversation in meetings; clients sometimes comment on them and how I keep my notebook (which I am actually really precious about and take a ridiculous pride in!). In an odd way they can be an icebreaker and give people a thing to connect with me on.”
This story originally appeared on bdonline.co.uk