No matter the size, any blank sheet of paper can be intimidating.

Where to go, what to do — we are accustom to people telling us what we can and can't do.

Which is why the blank canvas is so menacing. The opportunity to do what we want to go is so alluring, but know that is a mirage.

When we sketch interface designs, we are putting away our computers and allowing ourselves to leverage what we know from research and past experience to purely make. Because of the low investment made, this is when the creative or crazy ideas are hatched.

So use this moment to push the boundaries of what you considered possible for your project yesterday. When you push, you'll find it very likely that a completely new solution will spring forth. This is ok because all exploration is cumulative, and somewhere down the line, the crazy idea you have here will pay off in the years to come.

Resources for review

Please use the following items to guide your exercise attempt:

Article/Video	Source/Author
Evolve faster — with markers	New Pragmatic
The root of 'easy to use'	New Pragmatic

Exercise

Length: Two-to-three hours to complete.

We’ve covered the basics of sketching for idea creation before. Now it is time to apply that to a bigger project. Regardless of what you are trying to communicate, mastering low-fidelity iteration will save you time and effort.

For this exercise, you’ll utilize the Priority Guides and Story Map you created to inform the sketches you create.

First, using the 4-up exercise template, you will create four different approaches for the desktop version of the project homepage. While your sketches will be low-fidelity, you should make use of all content present in your Priority Guides.

Then, using your Story Map as a guide, create single-page sketches of each of the pages present in your Story Map. The goal isn’t to perfect the design but to account for the items present on those pages. Be sure to note which items are present on the page, as these sketches can be a bit messy.

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Upon completion, update your Program Journal with links to any assets produced in this exercise. Post your journal in the Feedback-Loop channel for review.

Up next Fresh Market: Wireframing