Drawing Innovations and Inventions

Inventions are drawn using a variety of examples, such as: photos of robots; or taking inspiration from the shapes and colors of birds or a tsunami barrier. Creativity is stimulated to conceive sketches for systems, installations or equipment. Depending on the group in which the lessons are given a choice is made to extend greater freedom - or by contrast - students are led step-by-step to work toward developing a variation based on one or another form of an invention.
The lessons are available to both adults and older children/teenagers.
This approach can offer the following advantages:

    • Rapid discovery of the foundation for new ideas or new products and systems;
    • Initiate, by use of improvisation, the invention and design of new products, systems or devices that make a contribution to the world, can improve the world or add something novel;
    • the potential to discover additional problems that may pertain to the ideas previously conceived, whereby the invention can be improved.

The drawings are often a first step in development of an invention. Subsequent elaboration of these can be done on a computer, so the drawings are the beginning in the process of developing a new invention; then technology, measurement and models play a role. During the lessons we focus on the initial development of drawings expressing ideas, and how to work out those ideas in the form of sketches and drawings.

"The Struggle against the Water" of artist Johann van Noort. Made as a result of a drawn sketch of the artist.