Design requires practice—much like sports or music. The tasks listed below may serve as a helpful aid in this regard. They do not necessarily build on one another and can be considered or completed independently.
Sketching
Take objects you find around the house. Draw them from different perspectives and gradually increase the level of abstraction, or reduce the details step by step until you reach an icon. Choose simple objects and avoid more complex structures (e.g., glass reflections). Which details do I need? Which can I omit?
Pictorial inventory
Draw 30–50 pictorial signs that come to mind spontaneously—without doing any research. Do not focus too much on thematic affiliation or stylistic features. Which ones do I know? Which might be generally known?
Orientation
Choose a physical location you have visited recently (e.g., a vacation spot, favorite place, train station, airport, …) and sketch which pictorial signs would best represent this place for a stranger. Identify 7–10 motifs. Which pictorial signs do I need to “describe” the place? Which motifs are necessary? Which form is most suitable? Which pictorial signs can be inferred from the context?
Basics
What ingredients go into your favorite dish? Visualize your favorite meal using only its components. Use only basic shapes (triangle, circle, rectangle) for this purpose. Combinations of shapes are allowed. How can food items be represented? Which elements can be inferred from the context of the task?
Formstorming
Find a well-known or commonly used pictorial sign. Develop at least 12 design variations and evaluate them after elaboration. What variations can be created? What role does form play in conveying the message?
Interaction
Develop an interface concept for your favorite shop—whether a café, restaurant, or store. How can the products be visualized? Which pictorial signs do I need in order to navigate the interface quickly?