I loved scribbling, doodling and sketching as a kid. These days, its easier to just launch Photoshop and start compositing.

I agree whole-heartedly in your first point that you become much more detailed and notice things that others typically won’t.

Great practice to hone skills in UX.

what the eye takes in (what is envisioned)

and

how this is expressed through shape, value, size, direction, composition, spatial relationships, etc

These are basic visual matters central to any art student, no matter in which art field they happen to study. Drawing provides an essential vocabulary for art students, helping them to become better, more consistently effective visual communicators. Drawing can help generate and realize one’s ideas (each spurring on the other).

As a web designer and a photographer, I find myself doodling and sketching layouts and poses plenty, but at the same time, I wouldn’t say that I can *draw*. Communicate my point with stick figures or rough rectangular boxes? Yes. But produce a skilled and accurate drawing that’s almost as good as the final product? No way in hell.

So I’d like to say yes and no to the question of whether designers can draw. Yes, it’s definitely great to draw to visualise a quick mockup of your concept, to communicate what you want to come across, but no, drawing perfectly isn’t a complete prerequisite.

In fact I’ve come across this post while researching the topic; I want to start something of an online community called “Designers Who Can’t Draw”, aimed at helping and teaching designers not only how to draw but communicate and design more effectively. Watch this space, it may well happen!

Cheers, and hi from London!

Dan