Quality of Line

A long time ago when I was a young architecture student I remember being perplexed by criticisms around something called ‘quality of line’. At the time I didn’t really get it. I do now.

Every line we draw has meaning and commitment embedded in it. Especially if that line is drawn by hand and reflects a creative moment in time. The architect Alan Dunlop speaks passionately about the 'authenticity of this approach'. But whatever the medium, every line counts. Sometimes a design drawing can fail spectacularly to convey any sense of meaning or commitment. And sometimes a few simple marks can conjure up a world of intent and quality.

I have said elsewhere that every word in a brief needs to be authentic – whether it is inscribed in stone or typed on a touchscreen. Lines are how we communicate design: they need to be as honest and as beautiful as our intentions.