design drawing

Drawing used to convey information. Design drawings can range from rough sketches outlining ideas to neat, accurate presentation drawings explaining how a product is put together.

Rough sketches are sometimes called concept sketches. They are a way of putting down ideas on paper to clarify the designer's thought process. They may be simple, flat, two-dimensional pictures, or they may be given depth and added detail by drawing in three dimensions. Types of three-dimensional drawing include perspective drawings, isometric projections, and oblique projections.

Written detail is usually added to design drawings. This may be a simple labelling of parts or it may involve short notes, called annotations, which explain the ideas behind what has been drawn. Lettering is written in capital letters using guide lines, and there should be a 3 mm/0.12 in space between each word. Other detail, such as colour, shading, and rendering, may be added to give effect to the drawings. Lines on a drawing may be heavy (to emphasize edges) or feint. Dimensional lines, showing the length of objects (which may be drawn to scale), have arrows on the ends with measurements alongside.

Hidden detail is shown by using cutaway, sectional, or exploded diagrams. Diagrams that show precise detail are described as technical drawings. These are usually drawn to scale, and must conform to British and international standards, using accepted symbols. Orthographic drawings are detailed, formal, working diagrams, which show a product from three different perspectives. Other design drawings include maps, plans, and flow chart diagrams.