A workshop in 3D hand drawn concept realisation and presentation.

Confident Concepts is a hands-on workshop designed to help interior designers develop, visualise and present their concepts quickly and confidently through hand-drawn techniques and perspective.

EVENT PROGRAMME

A one-day intensive workshop designed to help interior designers develop free-hand sketching as a practical and dynamic tool for concept development. Led by Charles Leon and Lester Bennett, both past presidents of the BIID, this intimate, hands-on course brings together decades of professional experience and a shared passion for sketching as an essential part of the creative process.

The day will focus on using overlay techniques and free-hand sketching to translate three-dimensional spatial thinking into clear and confident two-dimensional visual communication. Through demonstrations, guided exercises and individual support, participants will explore how sketching can be used to test, develop and communicate concepts quickly and effectively.

The morning session will begin with a discussion of attendees’ floor plans and initial concepts, followed by live demonstrations from Charles and Lester exploring hand-drawn approaches to visualisation, both on paper and digitally. Participants will then begin developing their own concepts using overlay sketching techniques.

In the afternoon, attendees will build their concepts further into three-dimensional sketch perspectives, with one-to-one guidance throughout, working towards a final developed sketch by the end of the day.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Expect an immersive and intensive day of creative exploration, focused on concept generation and development through free-hand sketching and overlay techniques. This workshop is not about the full design process, but about learning how to think visually, communicate ideas quickly and confidently, and develop a stronger design narrative from the earliest stages of a project.

You’ll be encouraged to push ideas further, drilling deeper into a brief and using sketching as a tool to develop robust, well-considered concepts that go beyond surface-level solutions. The focus is on developing a process that can support presentations, client communication, contractor communication and internal design development alike.

Attendees will:

Take part in engaging exercises designed to build confidence in sketching.

Learn techniques to quickly record spaces and forms with clarity.

Explore perspective, composition and tonal studies.

Practise in an inspiring setting with expert guidance throughout.

WHAT YOU WILL LEAVE WITH

You’ll leave with a fresh and faster approach to concept design, using overlay sketching as a thinking and development tool that sits alongside, and often ahead of, CAD. More than simply learning a technique, you’ll develop greater confidence in your ability to sketch ideas spontaneously, communicate concepts clearly and visualise spaces quickly and effectively.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have developed your own sketch plans, details and perspectives, along with practical methods for translating ideas from plan into three-dimensional visual form. You’ll also develop a more structured approach to observing and simplifying what you see, giving you a practical foundation for using sketching as part of your everyday design process.

You’ll leave with a workbook of exercises for continued development, as well as sketches and techniques that can be immediately applied to your interior design work.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This course is designed for interior designers at all stages of their careers who want to strengthen their concept development, sketching and visual communication skills. Attendees should already feel comfortable with the fundamentals of design and space planning, as the workshop focuses on concept exploration and visualisation rather than the design process itself.

Whether you are early in your career and looking to build confidence, or an experienced designer wanting to refine and accelerate your creative workflow, the day is structured to provide meaningful individual guidance and practical insight.

Students and emerging designers will benefit from developing a confident foundation in hand-drawn visualisation, while experienced designers can refine their existing skills and explore ways to integrate sketching more effectively into their creative workflow.

WHAT TO BRING

Attendees are encouraged to bring the floor plan issued in advance, with your concept layout plan drafted in, and to familiarise yourself with the project brief ahead of the workshop.

Please bring your favourite pens or pencils - the tools you already feel comfortable using. A set of marker pens is also useful for differentiating areas within your sketches. Layout paper, consumables and a range of additional materials for experimentation will be provided throughout the day. iPads with Procreate, or a similar digital drawing app, are also welcome.

Come ready to draw, explore ide

Description supplied by the event organiser.