Deriving Design Ideas

Developing Concepts
Graphic design concepts
What is concept ?

• Most of the famous designs globally are famous because of

their ‘outstanding concepts’.
• Many have failed just because of the opposite.
• Many professionals, students and designers across the world
fail to understand the very concept of ‘concept.’
• Graphic designers, product designers, architects, planners
and artists, the success of their design is mostly governed by
their respective concepts.
What is concept ?

• A concept is an idea
• Something formed in the mind; thought or notion.
• Mind representation
• Solution
• Driving force of any project
• An identity of the project
What is concept ?
Definition of a concept

• Idea • Image
• Theory • View
• Notion • Intention
• Conception • Plan
• Opinion • Thought
• Abstraction • Impression
• Philosophy • Hypothesis
• Belief • ………DESIGN
• Inspiration
Developing Concepts
• Concept development is a process of developing ideas to solve
specified design problems.
• The concepts are developed in phases, from formless ideas to
precise messages in an appropriate form with supportive
visuals and content.

Ideally, you are trying to develop a concept that provides

solutions for the design problem, communicates effectively on
multiple level, is unique, and standout from the materials
produced by competitors
Developing Concepts
• A concept is not a message. A concept is an idea that contextualizes a
message in interesting, unique, and memorable ways through both form and
design content.

• A good concept reinforces strategy and brand positioning.

• It must be appropriate for the audience, facilitating communication and
motivating that audience to take action.

• A good concept provides a foundation for making visual design decisions.

• A good concept is creative, but it also must be appropriate.

Developing Concepts
In order to communicate effectively and motivate your audience, you need to:
A — attract their attention.
Your design must attract the attention of your audience. If it doesn’t, your message is
not connecting and fulfilling its communication intent. Both the concept and the form
must stand out.
I — hold their interest. 
Your design must hold the audience’s interest long enough so they can completely
absorb the whole communication.
D — create a desire. 
Your design must make the audience want the product, service, or information.
A — motivate them to take action. 
Your design must compel the audience to do something related to the product,
service, or information.

Your concept works if it makes your audience respond in the above ways.
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS
Were do ideas (Concepts) come from?

• Site (site analysis}

• Program (functional requirements}
• Place I Culture I Society
• Technology I Materiel I Method
• Personal Architectural Influences
• Movement
• Space I Emotions
• Speed I Technology
• Memory I Place
• Precedent Research
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS
Dimensions of Concepts

Any building concept should provide:

• Exterior Expression

• Interior Experience
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS
levels of Expression

The concept should be appeal to both:

• The Normal Layman

• The Professional Specialist

 ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS
You might be asking yourselves: I can design without a concept,
Why do I need to go through all the trouble?

you need a concept because:

1. It gives depth and meaning to your work, the more innovative and coherent
your concept the more interesting your work is!
2. Concepts open the door for more related ideas, they make you think and
research. A richer concept means a richer building
3. Concepts are what distinguish architects, yes anyone might be able to design
(functionally) with experience, but your creativity is what makes you special!
Even among peer architects and designers.
Approaches to deriving design
Pragmatic - function/technology/material
Iconic - symbolic
Canonic - applied rules
Analogy - similarity
Approaches to the design
Functional
Material
Contextual
Conceptual
Formal
Collaborative
Philosophical
Pragmatic
• driven by practical
needs
• availability of materials
• trial and error
Iconic
• Use of an established form/ symbol/ pattern
• Retaining/ continuing an established way of building
• A fixed image derived over time
• Beliefs in the origin and continuity of a form
 The Taj Mahal is a white marble
St Paul's Cathedral, London mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh,
India.
 Hong Kong skyline

The Eiffel Tower, Paris The Louvre

Canonic
Derived from rules, proportioning systems,
Prescription
 An inspiration to architects all
over the world over the last 2,000
years, the Pantheon roof remains
the world's largest unreinforced
concrete dome

Built approximately 2000 years ago, the Pantheon

continues to inspire architects all over the world
Analogy
Similarity
Parallel
Comparison
Resemblance
Correlation
Types of Analogy
1. Literal Analogy

Direct imitation or transfer of an idea/ shape/ from

2. Intellectual Analogy
Represent the idea/essence/ theme/ spirit of something
The Petronas Towers in Malaysia's
capital city Kuala Lumpur
 Metro entrances
Science Center
Norman Foster, Bilbao, Spain
Amsterdam
LA GRANDE ARCHE, LA DÉFENSE,
Paris, France
Intellectual Analogy

Gateway Arch, St Louis

Arch
Gate
Bridge/link
Sails
Shells
Clouds
Kursaal Convention Center
San Sebastian, Spain
Architect: Rafael Moneo
Intellectual Analogy

TWA Terminal JFK<

Eero Saarinen, Architect
Flight
Lightness
Yale Hockey Rink
Eero Saarinen, architect
shell, leaf
Dulles Airport, Washington DC
Eero Saarinen, architect
Dulles Airport, Washington DC
Eero Saarinen, architect
Pompidou Centre, Paris
Piano and Rogers, Architects
Building as machine
Lloyd’s Bank, London Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, Hong Kong
Piano and Rogers, Norman Foster
Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka, OK
Fay Jones, Architect
Forest, light
La Sagrada Familia church, Barcelona, Spain
Antonio Gaudi, Architect
The Alhambra, Granada , Spain
Analogy: an oasis
Notre Dame Chapel,
Ronchamp, France
Corbusier, Architect
 Light, cave, mystery

Notre Dame Chapel, Ronchamp

Borobudur Stupa, Java, Indonesia
9th century (Buddhist)
Lower terraces: orthogonal, straight, high balustrades, focused path, hard
Upper terraces: Circular, railings disappear, formless, free, open,
Holocaust Memorial, Berlin
Peter Eisenman , Architect
Jewish Museum, Berlin, Daniel Libeskind, Architect
Lightning bolt
Slashes
Intersections and juxtapositions
Turning Torso Building
Santiago Calatrava, Architect
Dancing building, Prague
Frank Gehry, Architect
Beijing Olympic Stadium
Herzog & de Meuron, Architects
Bird’s nest
Orient Station, Lisbon
Science Center, Valencia
Calatrava, Architect
This must be how Frank Gehry got his idea for the concert hall.
 The Basket Building

                                
                              
Located in Newark, Ohio the Basket
Building is the home office of The
Longaberger Basket Company.
Founder Dave Longaberger decided
he wanted the corporate home office
in a giant basket