Cartooning prepared me for interaction design

After repeatedly and methodically constructing comic strips on a monthly then a weekly deadline for years, I started to get the hang of it.  I learned to write out a bunch of ideas to discover the best one.  Then I learned to rough sketch the panels until I found the mix of drawings that told the joke best.  And finally I would put on the polish with detailed ink and shading.

Interaction Design wasn’t too much of a leap after constructing strips for so long.  Like comic strips, the best way for me to start designing an interaction is to first write it out.  I write scripts that tell the story of the user performing the critical actions of the design.  Then I follow up with sketches (wireframes) to find the right delivery and finally add the polish with ui and graphic design details.