You can design, but can you draw? (I can't...)
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- nocomply0
Wow! An awesome topic on QBN that people are actually taking seriously!
There have been so many great points already made, and I've copied and pasted a handful of them into a text file for later use/inspiration.
But to add my perspective to the mix... I tend agree with the original poster. I'm not very "good" at drawing, and as such I've never practiced it and allowed myself to improve.
When I do produce design work, it's only web / UX design and I can get by just fine. In fact, sometimes I'm even damn proud of the stuff I design.
But I'm terrible at logo / identity work. I think for that knowing how to draw or being a "natural drawer" helps tremendously.
Also, I've noticed over the years that even web layouts created by people who can draw have an extra creative spark that I can never match.
I think a lot of that comes down to one's thought process and how we tackle the problem of design.
For me personally, I'm a very logical/methodical person and it shows in my work. I tend to prioritize usability and information organization over creativity.
The more artistic types that I work with are more free-spirited and it shows in the designs that they produce. They find ways to make information-organization work, but it's often done in a non-conventional way that I never would have thought of.
Both approaches are great at the right time, but I think it's hard for one person to do both well. Everyone has their own style/aesthetic.
But I think if I had some drawing chops my ability to design would improve significantly. There are definitely times when my inability to draw is immediately recognized as a limitation, and as such I move on in a different direction with my design.
I guess you can say I've learned how to play to my strengths... which would be color, texture, composition, information organization, etc...