What is a concept design?

A concept design is an approximate description of the technological, functional, and aesthetic form of the product in development. A designer seeks to create a concise description of how a product will satisfy a customer’s needs using sketches, models, and descriptions. The importance of this stage in the design process cannot be underestimated. The quality of a concept largely determines the degree to which a product satisfies customers and can be subsequently successfully commercialized. While a good concept may be implemented poorly in the finished product, a poor concept can rarely be turned into a successful product. It has been estimated that 85% of all product costs, from manufacture to materials, are determined and committed at the concept design stage.

Concept design can adopt two distinct approaches:

• Convergent thinking—The designer follows an analytical process, developing a design in a sequential manner.
• Divergent thinking—The designer explores as many solutionsas possible in a lateral manner, following all creative paths.