My 30-Minute iPad Design Process

Real-life scenario: You’ve just moved into a new space, and you need to visualize a room - fast. Maybe for your designer, or for yourself. The deadline is tight, and you'd love to see that dream concept take shape in less than an hour so you can keep the project moving.

Let’s dive into my go-to method for quick, effective designs - conceptualizing directly on your iPad.

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Let me show you: This balcony you see above? It took less than 30 minutes to design the final concept. All I needed was my iPad, Procreate, and a photo of the space. And that brings us to today’s topic: Designing over a photo, quickly and creatively!

Take my kitchen for example. (Okay, technically, it was left by the previous tenants, but this MASSIVE kitchen counter? A headache 🫠 It blocks the entire entrance AND living room area. Help!) I knew I needed a design solution ASAP because the thought of that layout being final? Nope. NO WAY! So, I grabbed my iPad, started sketching directly over a photo of the space, and before long, I had my design solution.

Cutting to the chase - if paper sketches or computer renders feel stiff and time-consuming, my iPad design approach offers a flexible, faster alternative. And the best part? You can master this technique as quickly as it takes to finish the design itself. Yep, less than an hour!

🖥 As someone who’s transitioned from paper sketches (with their limitations) and felt frustrated by flat, uninspiring computer renders, I knew I needed something different. Let’s be real - who wants to feel ordinary? Not in personality, and definitely not in design.

→ Here’s a peek behind the scenes:
This is what the design process on the iPad looks like - quick, fluid, and so much fun.

Want to learn how to do this yourself? I've just released a brand-new quick-start mini-course on iPad sketching, and you're the first to hear about it. It's packed with fresh techniques, stunning concepts, and, as always, the highest quality learning experience I can offer.

Access the tutorial here and start designing in a way that fits your process and sparks your creativity ✏️

In fact, I’m already planning to create more quick designs this weekend because, honestly, this method just makes the process so enjoyable 🥹 Plus, you can even print your designs like I do!

Happy creating!
Anna at @andshedrawsbig