Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1333960
40 e design process Understanding the space Understanding building structures Organising the space e human interface Sustainable design Communicating design Understanding the project Some designers like to work in a very abstract way during the fi rst stages of a project, allowing ideas to coalesce about a central idea. eir concept work could be generated in the form of 'mood (or concept) boards'. Others will have strong ideas from the start, and without ge ing into detailed planning they may confi dently produce 'concept sketches' which are not intended to be defi nitive, but which serve to illustrate their fi rst thoughts on how a space might work. Clients may want to see initial concept work so that they are confi dent that the design will progress in a direction that they are comfortable with. However, both mood boards and sketches may be very raw, visceral and unfi nished. is is exciting and liberating for the designer, but can be confusing for the client. You will need to judge the personality of the client and, if necessary, modify the work before presenting it. Careful line drawings organised into an understandable if tentative and unfi nished representation of the space, perhaps with colour added to defi ne form, can be a very evocative and ultimately persuasive tool for the designer. Concept work is not about perfection; it is about capturing and communicating the spirit and character of a space. Communicating concepts Concepts can take many forms; they may be visual or literary and may be found or created. A concept can be embodied in a story, a photo torn from a newspaper, a collage of images, a poem, a pa ern shown on a fragment of used wrapping paper, a page from a scrapbook, or indeed anything that grabs your imagination and provides an anchor, a strong and compelling idea that says everything that you need it to about the project; what it looks like, how it feels, the history that it evokes. However it is presented, the strongest concepts o en make li le direct reference to the constituent parts of the project. Rather they are an abstract representation of the ideas of form, texture, colour, style and mood expressed in the brief by the client. Concepts work by providing a reference point for the designer. All the decisions made during the development of the design that defi ne the look or feel of the space can be checked against the concept. Does the formal, grid- like furniture layout you are contemplating work with the concept? Which furniture fabric strengthens the ideas of sophistication and elegance that the client wants? Check against the concept, and you will have your answer. Researching concepts