The Important of Concept in Design: Why a design without a concept is a useless design.
When you think of design, what comes to mind? Creativity? Innovation? Beauty? Each of these words represents an important aspect of design. However, there’s one element of design that is often overlooked but is perhaps the most critical: concept. To understand the importance of concept in design, we first need to understand what it is and what it means for a design to have one. A design with a concept is something more than just aesthetics or a style; it’s something that stands for something bigger. It has meaning beyond its surface. It is not only visual but also conceptual—and this explains why so many works of designers don’t simply rely on aesthetic appeal or cool graphics to leave behind a lasting impression on viewers but instead tell stories, convey messages, and present ideas that speak directly to their audience and viewers.
Why is concept so important?
Simply put, a design without a concept is a design without purpose. A design without a concept, whether it is print design, web design, branding, product design, or even architectural design, is just a collection of aesthetic choices that are pleasing to the eye but lack the ability to say something meaningful to its viewers. A design with a concept, on the other hand, is one that not only looks good but also has a message, an idea, or a meaning behind it that makes it stand out from the crowd and seems to resonate with its viewers. A design with a concept is not just a pretty picture—it is an experience that involves not just what you see but also what you think, feel, and imagine about what’s presented to you.
How to discover a design concept?
As we’ve seen above, a design concept is something that extends beyond aesthetics and visual style: it is also conceptual. In other words, a design concept is an idea, message, or story that a design is trying to convey. To discover a design concept, then, you have to start by thinking critically about the design you are working on and asking yourself the question: what is this design trying to say? What is the message it wants to convey? What is the idea it is trying to communicate? You can also start by taking a look at your audience: who are they and what do they care about? What do they want to know or understand? What issues do they need help with? Once you understand your audience’s needs and wants, you can then use this knowledge to develop a design concept that will speak to your viewers and help them solve their problems.
3 examples of successful design concepts
- The Black Lives Matter logo - The Black Lives Matter logo is a good example of a design concept that extends beyond what is seen on the surface and speaks to its audience on many different levels. It starts with the name of the organization: Black Lives Matter. The name is a reaction to a widespread misunderstanding that the Black Lives Matter movement is solely about the police killings of black people when in fact it’s much more than that. The name is a clear reminder that black lives matter too and that all lives matter. The logo then takes this message a step further. The use of the bold letter B and the way the two ends of the letter loop back to form an M is more than just a visually appealing logo: it also represents unity. The intertwined letters are like people joining together to form one single united movement. The logo’s goal isn’t just to be visually appealing or to look cool but rather to convey the important message that black lives matter and the BLM movement is all about unity and coming together.
- United We Dream - United We Dream is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights of immigrant youth. Its logo is another good example of a design concept that extends beyond what is seen on the surface and speaks to its audience on many different levels. The logo uses a visual language of shapes and colors that is common to the fabrics used in quilts. It is meant to represent coming together as a community to form a single large quilt made up of many smaller quilts—like the many communities in the country coming together and supporting one another. The logo’s goal isn’t just to be visually appealing or to look cool but rather to convey the important message that the immigrant youth in the country should be supported and empowered to pursue their dreams and not be afraid.
- Clean Meat - Clean Meat is a new sustainable food technology that aims to reduce the environmental costs of meat production. Its logo is another good example of a design concept that extends beyond what is seen on the surface and speaks to its audience on many different levels. The logo uses a visual language of shapes and colors that is common to the materials used to make circuit boards, like circuits, wires, and microchips. It is meant to represent food that is clean, safe, and sustainable. The logo’s goal isn’t just to be visually appealing or to look cool but rather to convey the important message that the new food technology is a clean and sustainable solution that can help reduce the environmental impact of meat production.
Conclusion
The Importance of Concept in Design: Why a design without a concept is a useless design When you think of design, what comes to mind? Creativity? Innovation? Beauty? Each of these words represents an important aspect of design. However, there’s one element of design that is often overlooked but is perhaps the most critical: concept. To understand the importance of the concept in design, we first need to understand what it is and what it means for a design to have one. A design with a concept is something more than just aesthetics or a style; it’s something that stands for something bigger. It has meaning beyond its surface. It is not only visual but also conceptual—and this explains why so many works of designers don’t simply rely on aesthetic appeal or cool graphics to leave behind a lasting impression on viewers but instead tell stories, convey messages and present ideas that speak directly to their audience and viewers.