SKETCHING AS A TOOL FOR DESIGN THINKING IN PROJECT WORK

Abstract

The study aims to determine the role of sketching as a tool of design thinking in project-based activity, to clarify its functions at different stages of the design process, and to systematize the main types of sketches with regard to their practical application. The paper employs a systematized review of international scholarly sources and a thematic synthesis of research findings devoted to the cognitive, communicative, and methodological aspects of sketching. The theoretical foundation is formed by works in which sketching is considered a means of external representation of an idea, support for visual thinking, reflective reinterpretation, and project communication. It has been established that sketching performs not an auxiliary but a system-forming function in project activity, since it ensures the transition from an internal representation to a visually fixed form, facilitates the structuring of illdefined tasks, supports the variability of solutions, and creates a basis for the further refinement of the concept. It is shown that at the stage of problem formulation, sketching contributes to the visualization of the situation and the identification of relationships between its elements; at the stage of idea generation, it stimulates the production of alternatives; at the stage of refinement, it helps to verify the form, composition, proportions, and functional logic of the object; and during communication and evaluation, it enables the rapid presentation of the concept and the preliminary assessment of solutions. A typology of sketches is proposed, encompassing exploratory, explanatory, persuasive, and evaluative forms. Particular attention is paid to the risks associated with the use of sketching, including design fixation, evaluative distortion caused by the visual attractiveness of a sketch, and the possibility of inaccurate interpretation of the image. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of using them to improve the methodology of teaching project-based disciplines, to develop the visual thinking of future designers, and to enhance the effectiveness of professional project activity.