Basics Design: Design Thinking

Idea generation

Once a design brief has been defined and researched, the idea

generation or ideate stage sees concepts created that may solve

the design problem. This is the part of the design process where

creativity is unleashed. Ideation seeks to generate concepts that

will be worked up and resolved in subsequent process stages, and

therefore concerns ideas rather than the vocabulary of the design.

Creativity conveys a sense of pure inventiveness and knowing no

bounds, yet graphic design requires applied creativity directed towards

a specific end. This is informed or controlled by the requirements of the

design brief and the qualitative and quantitative information produced

during the research stage.

Despite channelling the creative effort in this way, the scope for

inventiveness and novelty is not diminished. Design ideas can be

generated using various methods and reference points that allow

creativity to flourish and produce results in a consistent way as part of

an economic activity. This chapter will introduce some of the methods

and techniques that designers use to generate design ideas.

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Tourism NT (facing page)

This microsite was created to help promote tourism to Australia’s Northern Territory.

Inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s film, Australia, set in the Northern Territory, the design

solution features a cinema advert (top), other cinema collateral and an interactive

microsite to promote destinations within the territory using the themes of the movie

(middle). Site visitors enter their name (bottom) and then a one-minute movie is

shown starring the various Northern Territory destinations. Promoting the destination

in this way provided the client with an opportunity to reach a broader audience.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 OK While every effort has been taken to carry out instruction to customers satisfactionNO RESPONSIBILITY liability will be accepted for errorsCUSTOMERS ARE THEREFORE URGED TO CHECK THOROUGHLY BEFORE

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Title: Basic Design-Thinking

Client: QPL Size: 160mmx230mm

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