Design Methods and Practical Development

Idea Development

Once you have a good idea this needs to be developed further to see if it is realistically possible and if it will lead to the right design or programme solution. Development may take several days or it may need several months depending on the timescale of the project, but it needs to be done thoroughly to eliminate any potential hurdles.

I kind of start something and I normally see it in my head before I do it, then I actually try to visualise that on a computer screen. From there I'll know if it's working and by that I can see what direction I need to go in to make it the right product at the end. Michael Ellott

Often broadcasters give development money to companies if they like an initial idea. This can be beneficial if you do not have the resources to do this yourself, but it will also tie you in with a broadcaster and make it difficult to take the idea anywhere else if they do not wish to take it on board.

The development of an idea means:

• Streamlining and exploring the idea in much more depth
• Working out how it can be done
• Working out how it will work
• Bringing it to life

There are no set ways of doing this, but in order to find the direction in which the idea needs to progress, it will usually involve:

• More brainstorming
• Research
• Discussions
• Mock ups
• Mood boards
• Sketches

Guidelines

• From the idea a theme generally needs to be identified
• From this the design concept will begin to emerge
• Functionality should be a primary consideration in the development phase.
• Calculate time for actual production, testing and re-working, particularly in multimedia
• Technical detail can often be one of the most difficult elements, particularly with website design, so it is essential to bring in experts at this stage to find out what the idea will entail in terms of construction.

Once the idea starts to develop, a formal proposal or project specification will be put in place, often backed up with research. There may also be mock ups or representative pages at this stage along with other visuals such as pilots or relevant footage to ensure the presentation to the client is professional and informative.