When Clients Ask for “Just a Quick Sketch”: Why Your Time Isn’t Free

There’s always that moment. Someone finds out you’re a designer, and within minutes, they’re holding out their phone saying, “Can you just sketch something quickly? Nothing fancy — just to see what it might look like.”

It sounds harmless enough. You could probably doodle something over coffee, right? Except that “quick sketch” is never actually quick. It’s the visible tip of an invisible iceberg — the kind that sinks evenings, weekends, and sanity.

Except that “quick sketch” is never actually quick.

And yes, I used to think it was flattering too. Until I realised what was really being asked for: free design work.

The Myth of the Quick Sketch

A sketch isn’t just a few lines on paper. It’s a design decision in shorthand — informed by years of training, hours of analysis, and the mental gymnastics of solving ten spatial problems at once.

Behind that innocent napkin doodle are questions about proportion, light, function, and flow. You’re not drawing a chair in a room; you’re visualising how that room will actually feel to live in.

So when people ask for a “quick sketch,” what they really want is a professional concept without the invoice attached. They don’t mean harm — they just don’t see the invisible work that goes into even the simplest design idea.

The Friends-and-Family Favour Trap

And then there are the worst offenders: friends and family. You know the tone — “You know about this stuff, can’t you just help me quickly?” Cue the photo of their living room with the caption: Thinking of painting one wall dark, thoughts?

I always dread it a little, not because I don’t want to help, but because it never is quick. It takes time to think properly, to visualise, to find the right words. And if we’re honest, they usually don’t want a real opinion anyway. They mostly just want you to confirm their own. If they genuinely wanted a designer’s input, they’d have hired one.

So you end up in a lose–lose situation: you spend time you don’t have, and they still ignore your advice.

Why Boundaries Protect Everyone

Design is one of those professions where ideas look effortless — and that’s precisely the danger. Because when something looks easy, people assume it is easy.

Setting boundaries isn’t about being defensive. It’s about protecting the value of creative work. If ideas are given away freely, they’re treated like throwaway inspiration rather than intellectual property.

It’s about protecting the value of creative work.

And once that line blurs, it becomes very hard to redraw. People start expecting more “quick sketches,” and before you know it, you’ve designed an entire room for free and still haven’t been paid — or even thanked properly.

How to Handle the “Quick Sketch” Request Gracefully

Whether it’s a client, a friend, or your cousin’s neighbour’s aunt, saying no can still feel awkward. But there are ways to do it politely, without sounding precious.

• Acknowledge the enthusiasm. “I’d love to explore that properly — once there’s a brief in place.”

• Explain the process. “A sketch comes after layout and concept development — it’s part of the full design service.”

• Offer a first step. Suggest a consultation or design session instead of a free favour.

• Stay firm. A polite boundary is still a boundary.

The Real Cost of “Quick”

Every time a designer creates an unpaid sketch, they’re investing creative energy into something that may never see the light of day. Over time, those small favours add up — to fatigue, frustration, and a quiet sense that their expertise is being undervalued.

And ironically, the people asking don’t benefit either. Without the structure of a proper process, the result is usually a half-baked idea that looks fine on paper but falls apart in practice.

Good design takes time because it considers everything — the architecture, the furniture scale, the light, the budget. You can’t capture that in a rushed doodle, no matter how charmingly drawn it is.

The Lesson I Learned (The Hard Way)

I’ve done it. Many of us have. The “sure, I’ll just sketch something quickly” moment, followed by an entire weekend spent overthinking sofa placement for someone who’ll probably never follow through.

It’s a rite of passage — but also a useful boundary check. Once you realise that ideas are your currency, you stop giving them away for free.

So next time someone asks for a “quick sketch,” smile, nod, and remember: it’s not just a drawing. It’s the distilled expertise of a professional — and that deserves to be valued, even by friends.