The foundation of custom mobile app development and its goals is an effective design concept. Developing a design concept necessitates a thorough understanding of the problems your app seeks to solve, your target audience, and the ideal aesthetics of the finished product.
It is critical for success to begin the mobile app design process with a clear design concept.
When we brainstorm an app idea as a designer, entrepreneur, or business user, our minds automatically create a concept. However, creating a conceptual design ensures that everyone’s goals are aligned and puts you on the right track to developing a good UX/UI design for your app.
This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about design concepts and why they are so important. We’ll also walk you through the step-by-step process of developing a design concept, as well as the key concepts of concept design.
What is a Design Concept?
A design concept is a broad idea and perception of a product that drives its development and is communicated through sketches, images, written statements, and other visuals.
Conceptual designs assist developers, designers, and stakeholders in staying on track during the design stages and creative process, ensuring that the final product delivers value to its target audience when it is released to the market.
The best design concepts highlight a product’s core objectives with precision. It necessitates a thorough understanding of the target users, the problems that must be solved, the preferred aesthetic styles, and the visions of all stakeholders.
Why You Need a Solid Design Concept for Your Mobile App
During the early stages of a mobile app development project, conceptual design is critical. It serves as the foundation for visually shaping an idea or concept.
Investing in a design concept reduces the likelihood of future problems, confusion, or setbacks. Everyone on the team will understand the concept, making it less likely that they will steer the project in the wrong direction.
Starting a project without a clear purpose is risky, especially when real money is invested in the product. Re-designs and major changes after development has begun can be costly and will most likely extend your development timeline.
The final product suffers as well if a design concept is not clearly established from the start. This results in a poor user experience, which can harm your brand’s image and revenue.
A solid design concept, on the other hand, speeds up the design process, and development stages and helps deliver a visually stunning final product. Users will enjoy a great UX/UI design that will keep them returning to the app for more.
The moods, emotions, and gut feelings of artistic methods are established by concept design. It is about creating something aesthetically pleasing while describing your brand image and conveying app information.
A design concept is fundamentally a thought or an idea. Putting that idea on paper, on the other hand, bridges the gap between abstract perceptions and attainable visuals.
You can use design concepts to create a design language that communicates clearly with UI/UX designers. A design concept does not delve into the app’s stylistic details; rather, it lays the groundwork for the design features.
5 Steps to Design Concept Development for Apps
The following are the five steps for developing a design concept. Make a point of starting with these steps before moving on to other aspects of the mobile app design process.
Step 1: Get Organized for the Creative Process
The first step in this process is to collect your thoughts. You can’t communicate the concept in the next stage until you’ve thoroughly understood everything.
You must understand the app’s purpose, goals, and business objectives, depending on your role in the project. If you’re a business owner or an executive-level decision-maker in charge of this project, you’ve probably already figured out the answer.
However, if you’re a designer or project manager, you’ll almost certainly need to gather a lot more information from your clients or stakeholders before proceeding.
Spend some time researching the competition. How do other apps in your category look? Is the UX/UI design of these apps good? Or are some essential features missing?
Then you must decide whether you will mimic certain concepts or create a completely original concept. Internal testing with real users to see how they react to competitor apps is worth the investment.
Collect all of the data from your tests and use it to guide your concept design.
Step 2: Verbalize Your Design Concepts
Again, a concept begins as a thought. However, before you can formalize these ideas, you must first jot them down. The first step in this process is verbalization.
Many creative people struggle to put their ideas into words. Everything is dependent on the project.
An app designer, for example, will most likely have a very different background than an architecture student. A UX/UI designer may or may not have interior design skills. However, in order to complete their respective projects, all of these roles necessitate creativity and precision.
If you’re having trouble putting your thoughts into words, consider mind mapping.
Begin with a single word or phrase associated with the brand or other designs. Then, using that word, brainstorm similar words or phrases that come to mind. This will assist you in developing a distinctive sequence for your thoughts and the characteristics associated with that concept.
Set a time limit for this process. You should give yourself enough time to allow your creative juices to flow, but not all day.
It is critical that you schedule your brainstorming sessions when your mind is clear of distractions. Everyone is unique. Some of us are more creative first thing in the morning. Others are more imaginative at night and on weekends.
Limit your use of phones, computers, televisions, and other forms of technology. A walk or time spent in nature will also help with the creative process.
The final step in verbal ideation should be a complete phrase or single sentence that precisely illustrates the concept. This will allow you to concentrate your efforts on that specific concept throughout the design process.
Check out our app design resources for more ideas and examples.
Step 3: Sketch Your Design Ideas
Now that you’ve spoken your thoughts out loud, it’s time to put them on paper. To complete this step of the project, you must have a firm understanding of the app’s core goals.
It’s okay if you’re not particularly creative. Make sure you have a pen, paper, colored pencils, and markers on hand. There is no correct or incorrect way to sketch your concept.
Your best bet is, to begin with, informal low-fi sketches. Don’t worry about the specifics or complexities just yet. You’re simply putting your thoughts down on paper.
You could try out different app layout ideas or templates. Or perhaps you simply want to highlight some of your core values. It’s perfectly fine if your sketches look completely different from those of others going through the same creative process.
In fact, your sketches don’t even have to be related to mobile apps for the time being. They can be any creative idea or inspiration for the following steps.
Final Thoughts
Developing a design concept is a critical step in the app development process. It gets everyone on the same page before development begins, ultimately saving your project time and money.
Schedule a free consultation with an expert strategist from the best software development company if you need assistance creating a design concept.
We can handle all of your design, development, and post-launch requirements, allowing you to get your app to market faster than traditional development methods. This allows you to concentrate on your business and customers while we handle all of the technical details.