So much more than random scribbles

April 17, 2018

Doodling is a spontaneous act that has been misinterpreted by many.

It is not only ideal for facilitating thinking, expressing concepts and processing emotions but also for making ideas tangible. Jesse Prinz, a philosophy professor at City University of New York Graduate Center who studies doodling explains how doodling can keep you in the present moment and how it helps you concentrate more. “Doodling helps hit that sweet spot between listening too much and listening too little. It keeps you in a state where your mind can’t wander, and your mind can’t also reflect or think more deeply about what you’re hearing.”

As a designer, I find doodling plays a large role in my design process because it clears my mind and allows me to think outside the box. I find it helps me to express myself and create something that can inspire me and the people around me.

The doodle trend is now being incorporated into mainstream advertising with brands such as Sharpie and Starbucks taking the lead. It’s a way they can relate to their consumers and allow creative self-expression, and individuality. Brita Lynn Thompson, a-21year-old Pittsburgh art student, participated and won the Starbucks Doodle campaign. “I get choked up thinking about it sometimes because it is truly an amazing feeling to have thousands and thousands of strangers say that I, Brita Lynn Thompson, inspire them to create. I never thought in a million years I would be such an inspiration to that many people or to anyone at all. Being able to connect with people all around the world through what I love to do makes me happy. I’m lucky and grateful.”


 
Sabine Assaf
Designer