When there’s a task to make a building or Maybe a new model of cell phone and it might be a unique model of a car.
The developer or designer has to go through several levels to achieve the final version of his project. That’s when design and drafting come in handy.
Key Takeaways
- Design involves the creation of a concept, plan, or idea for a product, structure, or system.
- Drafting is creating detailed technical drawings and blueprints based on design concepts.
- Design precedes drafting, as drafting translates the design vision into a tangible, visual representation.
Design vs Drafting
Design involves generating ideas, evaluating options, and selecting the best solution based on criteria such as functionality, aesthetics, safety, and cost. Drafting involves creating technical drawings and using specialized software or manual tools to create detailed drawings, schematics, and blueprints.

Design is the method of representing one’s imagination through drawing. It is the very initial form of creation.
Design is more artistic than drafting, where the designer simply gives shapes to his thoughts or ideas. By seeing a design, it can be gathered what the designer is up to.
Drafting is the stage that comes after design. Here, technical terms like accurate measurements of shape, size, area, dimensions, and the direction of the project are inserted.
A three-dimensional world is necessary for drafting because the designer has to take care of every aspect according to the real-time form of the things.
Comparison Table
Parameters Of Comparison | Design | Drafting |
---|---|---|
Apparatus | One can design with hands as well as it can also be acquired by using computer software and applications. | Drafting is a 3-dimensional form of the thing or project, hence it is ideal to use hands for a better outcome. |
Target | Designing is the initial stage of creation. It is used just to give the idea of what the project is going to look like. | Drafting comes after designing. It is more structured and full of almost every detail about the form of the project. |
Personnel | A person who makes designs is called a designer. He gives shape to an idea. | Drafting is mostly done by hand in the real world. The person drafting is called a craftsman. |
Geometry | Designing is more like drawing. It is thoroughly based on one’s imagination. A designer is free to design anything. | Geometry is a very important part of drafting. The person has to keep everything in mind beforehand while drafting. |
Stages | Designing has 5 stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. | Drafting has 3 stages: Data, judgment, and suitable equipment. |
What is Design?
Suppose someone wants to build a house. Can he start by making many walls? Well, of course not. He has some map in mind or an image of how his house should look like.
From here, the design’s sway begins. Design is the plan of implementation of thought or activity. It can also be unplanned. Design is used in engineering in architecture.
The initial phase of an architectural project is designing.
In designing, various methodologies and components are used in a standardized manner. This is where ideas take place. Designing can take many shapes through the timing of completion.
There are also many professional design engineers. They are responsible for the architectural flow of the design.
When designing a project, the size and shape accuracy doesn’t matter because here the designer is only transforming ideas into life. It is also creating sketches and drawings based on basic data.
There are 5 stages and 4 pillars of the process of designing. Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test are the stages, while Navigation, Presentation, content, and Interaction are the pillars.
It can be done in both 2d and 3d. In short, design is the process of creating beautifully crafted user-centric products.

What is Drafting?
Now go back to the imaginary house. The design of the house is complete. It needs technical details now. It needs a plan so it can fit in the given area.
It is time to decide the house’s real-time length, height, and breadth.
That’s when drafting takes control. It is the second phase after designing. Drafting is also called engineering drawing because it simplifies the details.
It is the tail end of the process of designing. Drafting is very suitable to ease the levels of interpretation. That’s why it is also called the next phase of designing.
Drafting is used as the blueprint of the project because it consists of technical specifications. It is mostly done by hand. Drafting requires a 3d environment.
It provides technical significance. It can be used to describe a scheme that looks promising in a sketch.
Mechanical drawings are an essential part of drafting. In the process of drafting, craftsmen or designers develop and transmit the data for the assembly of the parts.
It is essential for the manufacture of a product. Drafting is based on orthographic projections and has three stages, unlike designing: data, good judgment, and equipment.

Main Differences Between Design and Drafting
- Anyone can accomplish the design, while for drafting, one has to be trained in a specific way.
- Design is more of an art form to perform, but at the very same time, drafting is entirely technical.
- The design process is considered the base of a project, and drafting works as the blueprint for the project.
- Whether it’s 2d or 3d, both dimensions are suitable for designing, but in the case of drafting, a 3d environment is very essential.
- Design can be generated using pc or laptops via software, but when it comes to drafting, it is mostly done by hand.
