The Best Architecture Resources for Sketching, Learning and Designing in Concepts

Why Architects Use Concepts

Paper sketches feel fast and personal, yet they quickly lose their edge when revisions, client feedback and CAD handoffs begin. Concepts solves that challenge by offering a living, Infinite Canvas for hand-drawing floor plans, refining building sketches and marking up existing designs without scanning or erasing.

With Concepts, you can:

• Draw to real-world scale using Grids, Snap, Measure and Shape Guides.

• Sketch naturally and intuitively with realistic pencils, pens and brushes.

• Edit any stroke without erasing, thanks to editable vectors and infinite Layers.

• Move fast between iterations using premade or custom architectural Objects.

• Present your screen live to sketch directly in front of clients or teammates.

• Import and mark up PDFs or images, then export straight to CAD- or BIM-friendly formats like DXF.

As Ewen Miller, Managing Director at Calderpeel Architects, notes, Concepts offers "the perfect merge of technology and craft" for sketching without boundaries. That freedom is why Concepts has grown to more than 1.5 million creators and holds a 4.7 rating across tens of thousands of App Store reviews.

A great tool is only half the equation. Knowing where to learn, find inspiration and download ready-made assets completes the picture.

1. Concepts' Architectural Design Series (YouTube)

What it is: A dedicated video tutorial series hosted by architect Osama Elfar, a Partner at UNii Engineering Consultancy with award-winning projects across residential, commercial and hospitality design.

Best for: Architects who want to learn Concepts through practical, real-world examples rather than generic app tutorials.

What you will learn:

• How to sketch and render floor plans digitally.

• How to model in an axonometric view.

• How to create interior and exterior design presentations for clients.

• How to move work seamlessly between Concepts and other apps in your workflow.

Bookmark this resource first if you are new to Concepts and want architecture-specific techniques.

2. The Concepts for Architects Hub

What it is: A collection of tutorials and workflow interviews with practicing architects, landscape architects and interior designers who use Concepts daily.

Best for: Architects who want industry inspiration alongside quick tutorials on core fundamentals.

What is inside:

• Studio workflow interviews, including The Design Life of a Paperless Architect and Spatial Design Exploration in Architecture.

• Step-by-step guides for floor plans, scale, measurement and perspective Grids.

• Tips on moving from a hand sketch to a CAD-ready export.

3. Illustrarch: Our Featured Partner for Architecture Resources

What it is: Founded in 2016, Illustrarch is an architecture content platform built for professionals and students. It shares our commitment to making design tools accessible to everyone without gatekeeping.

Best for: Architects and students looking for free templates, portfolio advice and daily readings on architecture trends.

What is inside:

• A free resource library featuring portfolio templates, CV layouts, presentation guides and cutout collections.

• Daily articles covering design trends, software comparisons and practical career advice.

• A curated directory of software and resources for design, planning, modeling and visualization.

• Educational workshops on diagramming, presentation techniques and architectural software.

Check back frequently as the team adds new templates and articles regularly.

4. Quick Walkthrough Series Tutorials: How to Measure in Concepts

What it is: A six-video playlist from our YouTube channel focusing on scale and measurement. Mastering these tools will give you confidence and unlock full control over your workflow.

Best for: Architects who need their sketches to function as precise, scaled drawings.

What you will learn:

• How to accurately measure and scale your work in Concepts.

• Create and customize floating measurement labels.

• Measure and analyze surface areas in your projects.

• Draw precise shapes using Shape Guides.
  
  

If your designs require exact dimensions, this playlist is the fastest way to get comfortable with Precision tools in Concepts.

Have a resource to suggest or a design story to share?

Reach out to us at support@concepts.app. We would love to feature your work!