Today and talk to you about what is the concept of design, we all know that many well-known products around the world, are famous for excellent design concepts, in many graphic design, industrial design, product design, these well-known products can succeed behind there must be a very conceptual story. But many designers don't know much about what concepts are and how to apply them in their designs.
01
What is conceptual design
First of all, what is a design concept, from a textual point of view, it means an abstract idea, a concrete project, wrapped up through a concept story. Design concepts are the process of elevating complex designs to rational thinking.
▲ This group of posters was designed by Japanese designer Nobuto Shinmura, and the theme expressed is the camping scene. The picture uses simple graphics to express the harmony between nature and man, and the whole concept is that man and nature live in harmony.
▲ The whole vision is also made of environmentally friendly waste cardboard, and the simple lines perfectly combine mountains, rivers, and tent goods, reflecting the concept of harmony between man and nature.
▲ In the 80s, Frog design formulated the concept of snow design for Apple, and the "snow design language" content included white. People call this white mist color, and this fog color has been used in designs today. It is also the design language of white snow that made Apple very unique in the 90s, and to this day, the most mainstream design of Apple is still white.
In our daily work, various voices often appear:
"Can it be colored a little more?"
"Can this design be horizontal?"
"The design is not advanced enough"
When we hear these sounds, it's like playing a game and suddenly out of the internet. It's hard to explain your design to these people at this point, and your jargon is of no use to them. I've thought of many ways to solve this difficulty before, and in the end, the simplest and most direct way is to start with the concept. Concept of all design roots and solutions.
Literally, concept is design, and design is connected to concept. There are many types of design, product design, visual design, interior design, architectural design, brand design, UX design and so on. There are many types of design, and any design we should give different concepts according to its field characteristics and user groups. So what are the concepts?
02
There are several types of conceptual designs
The concept is also divided into types, as mentioned above, our design has many types, and it needs to be designed according to the people, usage scenarios, and content of the product design. Therefore, the design concept is also divided into 3 kinds, visual concept, functional concept, emotional concept and other three dimensions, what does it mean, I will combine some practical cases and share with you, to help you better understand the meaning of these design concepts.
1. Visual style concept
The first concept is the visual concept, such as if you do a banner design today, then you have to say this banner design style, as well as the design tonal style. To describe your creative design ideas, you must have a clear understanding of the user population, who comes to see this banner, its application scenarios, and at the same time be able to express it clearly.
▲ For example, this poster design, through the combination of realistic life scenes, the use of picture synthesis style, divided into two compositions, to convey the global warming, marine garbage on animals. Through such ingenious design techniques, the synthetic method conveys the meaning that people should love the earth.
▲ NB's advertisement uses geometric figures and text, and the characters are interspersed with each other's design techniques, so that the flat composition creates a 3D feeling, so that the content and information come to life.
▲ These two advertisements use the creation of space to create a 3D feeling and a stage feeling, so that the content and theme echo each other, through the dynamic layout, there is a sense of direction and technology of the text, to create a fashion trend design beauty.
Visual perception is a clear concept of style, what kind of style is used in this design, what kind of font design, what kind of composition method, and what temperament is wanted to be conveyed in the design. We use the style texture to compose with the customer, explain clearly how the design visual concept can better convey the content, so that the user can more easily understand, which is the first layer of visual concept in the design concept. This requires designers to have a good understanding and mastery of the design style.
2. Functional concepts
▲ Functional concepts focus on function rather than vision, with the first visual concept having more design execution layers, while functional concepts convey more product functionality than vision itself. For example, the design above, combining the lounge area and the golf course view, they designed the concept of "office golf" that can play golf in the office area. They designed the office golf concept.
The icon on the right is also, pasting the runway drawings in the office, they did not design the runway but designed the stickers. The "runway concept" was designed.
▲ Take the famous Japanese product designer as an example, his design proposition is: use the fewest elements to show the full function of the product. The most famous design concept, "unconscious design," also known as "intuitive design," transforms unconscious behavior into something visible.
▲ For example, a table lamp with a tray, when you finish the day's work, drag the tired body home, you will put down the key and then open the table lamp, and the design of this table lamp is to cleverly grasp this detail, the base of the table lamp is designed into the shape of a plate, you can throw the key into it very casually, so that the table lamp will automatically light up. And when you plan to leave the house, the light will automatically go out when you take the key. The designer did not redesign the table lamp, but designed the "table lamp concept".
▲ There are always some special troubles in life, such as where will you put the rice spoon that has just been filled from the rice cooker? Naoto Fukasawa paid attention to this small detail, a flat lid that can hold the rice spoon can be solved, the designer himself did not redesign the rice cooker, but designed the "rice cooker concept".
▲ When it rains, everyone is used to bringing an umbrella, but if you carry more things in your hand, there is no extra hand to take the umbrella! Naoto Fukasawa paid attention to this detail and designed an umbrella with a groove at the curved hook of the umbrella so that the umbrella could have a functional hanging plastic bag, and the designer redesigned the "umbrella concept"
▲ Let's take a look at the product design, alipay exits the system after the interface will be blurred, the designer actually did not spend a lot of effort visually, more in the functional protection design. Including the amount of money management, the designer is also protecting the privacy of users, which is actually redesigning the "concept of security and privacy".
▲ Starbucks APP, users can order online, and then go to the store to pick up things. This design is also designing the function, redesigning the "user buy coffee concept design", rather than the visual itself.
▲ Jingdong AR pendulum viewing function, when you buy electrical appliances, you can not only see the graphic explanation, but also simulate the 3D scene, you can see what you buy, and the effect of placing it at home. Designers design more "shopping function concept"
A functional concept is a design that even if you don't explain it, the user can know to understand its function and understand its concept. It is different from the visual concept in that the visual concept needs to explain the reason for the design and the information content conveyed through words, pictures, and visual means. Functional concepts do not require much explanation.
3. The concept of emotion
▲ The concept of emotion is more in the design of a spiritual yearning, the design of the user's proposition for life, emotion, as shown above, this design, is to convey the concept of healthy water, emphasizing that this product can make you drink water more healthily.
▲ The same design, like the user conveys the emotional concept of natural juice, without adding any additives. Connect with users on an emotional level through concepts.
▲ The design of cosmetics and bags is combined with scenes to spread the emotional concept of ideal life to users. The design of tableware is like a user conveying a warm home emotional concept.
▲ Apple is the most powerful in this piece, the product is not and the appearance, not hanging with the function, but directly linked with the emotion, such as the Watch is to put the future of health on the hand, when you go to emphasize how bullish the product function parameters are, Apple is already emphasizing healthy life.
▲ iPad is also, why should your next computer be a computer, directly redefine the computer, and at the same time will help you improve your efficiency from all aspects of your life. There is no emphasis on how the product is, and the concept of life is emphasized.
▲ Xiaomi's earlier products are also emphasizing output, running a score, how cost-effective the performance is, the main cost performance, but in the later stage of the product, it begins to gradually connect with the user emotionally, born for enthusiasts, and loved by rice noodles. So great companies are connecting with the user's thinking level to design emotional concepts.
▲ For example, every year double 11 has a brand solidan, such as last year's wish realization of the surprise, double 11 is to help you achieve your wishes, although the essence is to let you chop hands to buy, buy and buy, but the design level from the emotional dimension and you connect, let you participate in double 11 is to achieve your wishes.
▲ In its online and offline scene promotion, the concept of desire is repeatedly emphasized, and Double 11 can not only carry the idea box of all consumers' wishes, but also make people feel innovative in design.
The most difficult thing about design is actually to talk about the concept, no matter how beautiful the concept is, or no matter how strong the design ability, the designer will do not say the problem, so in addition to understanding the concept, we also need to pass the concept out well. Combining your design with the concept is the end of the story.
Source: Our design journal, copyright belongs to the original author
Copyright notice: "IXDC" pushed articles, unless it is really impossible to confirm, we will indicate the author and source, this public account for the reproduced, shared content, statements, views and judgments remain neutral, does not provide any express or implied guarantee of the accuracy, reliability or perfection of the content contained, for the reader's reference only. Some articles can not be contacted with the original author when pushing, if it involves copyright issues such as content or works, please contact us by the original author, give the URL where the content is located and provide relevant supporting information, we will immediately correct or delete the relevant content after verification! This official account does not assume any responsibility and has the right of final interpretation of this statement.
Editor-in-charge | Sun Yao
Final Review | Su Jing