concept design
Concept design is a crucial first step in the product development process. It’s all about taking an idea and transforming it into a visual form that can guide the creation of a new product.
art of concept design
Concept design involves creating initial sketches and models of a new product idea. These early designs help visualize what the final product will look like and how it will function. Our product designers use their creativity and technical skills to develop these initial ideas for your product.
why is it important?
Concept design allows our team to see what your new product will look like before it’s made. This helps identify potential issues and make improvements early in the process.
By exploring different possibilities, concept design encourages innovation. Our designers can experiment with new ideas and technologies to create unique and effective products. And the visual concepts are a powerful way to communicate ideas. They help ensure everyone involved in the project has a clear understanding of the product vision.
And finally, the early designs help us to assess the feasibility of a product. This includes considering factors like cost, materials, and manufacturing processes.
research and strategy
We conduct research and use powerful design and psychological tools to build a design strategy. Ultimately it results in a visual strategic document of 60 to 80 pages. This document helps determine the strategic direction for the concept development, interaction and functionality of the new product.
First of all we build upon your company identity and give fresh new insights on the product, its context and potential new business opportunities.
We observe, study and interview users, which is an important part of the design strategy to understand the good and bad qualities products, the mental model of users and identify potential improvements.
Another powerful tool from psychology that we use are the core meanings of a product. These 15 core meanings are science based and universal among people’s values. All cultures seem to recognize their significance.
early testing of idea’s
After we made a solid design strategy, so that we know the direction, we continue the work and start creating concept design solutions. To find really new solutions we believe strongly in experimentally building and testing new ideas.
We do research, create quick sketches, build mockups, test them and run multiple cycles of iterations.
We use results of academic research, experimental research, information found in patents and results from testing ourselves with existing solutions or new solutions.
The mockups and proof of principle prototypes help us to test assumptions in real life conditions. With a great team and the right mindset, this is a great way to create breakthrough innovation.
concept development
Through rapid cycles of sketching, our designers investigate many possible design directions.
Our senior designers identify and choose the best product design directions from all the possible solutions. We always make choices based on testing, experience and strategy, not based on taste.
During the concept design phase, we hold a ‘look-in-the-kitchen’ session with your team. We present the most promising directions in sketch-form and mockups.
Together with your team we discuss focus, risk, level of ambition and make decisions which concept direction we will develop further.
conclusion
Concept design is an essential part of product development that bridges the gap between an initial idea and a finished product. By visualizing and refining ideas early in the process, concept design helps create innovative, feasible, and successful products.
Whether it’s a new bicycle, a medical device, or a sports product, concept design is where great products begin.
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