Debate: Are hand-drawn sketches better for pitching ideas than polished mockups?

I was reading this article on Design Week last night that said 73% of clients prefer rough sketches over finished designs in early meetings because they feel more open to feedback. But then I see Dribbble artists posting these super clean UI mockups that land them gigs left and right. I have a project coming up next week for a local coffee shop branding and I'm torn. Do you guys lean more toward loose pencil sketches to keep the client involved, or do you polish things up to impress them from the start? Would love to hear what's actually worked for people.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_aaron7d ago

Sketches every time for early feedback. Polished stuff makes clients feel like they can't say anything. Rough lines keep the conversation open and honest.

robinl907d ago

73% feels a little high to me honestly, I've had way more clients get quiet and nod a lot when they see clean mockups. In my experience, @the_aaron is onto something about rough sketches keeping the conversation open, but polished ones can also make you look like you've already solved their problem. Take it with a grain of salt though, every client is different and that coffee shop owner might just want to see the logo on a mockup cup before they commit.