Comm Design Workshop: Concept Illustration

Instructor

Peter Laundy

NOTE: workshop course topics change each semester. This is one example of a recent workshop.

ID 582 will focus on innovation concept illustration and presentation. This course contrasts to many ID workshop courses in two significant ways:

First, many courses at ID require students to generate, illustrate and present innovation concepts. Their primary focus is on the development of the concepts. Illustration and presentation stages are often rushed and conducted while sleep deprived. In this course the kernel of the concept to be illustrated will be provided, so the focus can be on developing the illustrations and presentation, and in the process refining the underlying idea.

Second, key ID courses involving innovation synthesis are focused on ideas that are much bigger than can be implemented by a single client organization. This course focuses on innovation concepts at a smaller scale designed to be driven by a single organization (even if the concept involves a platform dimension involving third party participation).

Innovation concept illustrations are used at an extremely early stage in the concepts development. They help executives get a tangible sense of alternative futures for their brands and their companies BEFORE they commit resources to creating them. They inform decisions to fund a project to pilot an innovation and to attract sponsors and partners.

In my 25 years of experience doing this on Doblin projects, I have found that such illustrations can build both alignment around and excitement about a concept, shifting discussions about what to do or whether to do anything to how to get it done.

Format & Grading

You will be provided with concepts to be developed. This year one of the concepts may be a real world project in an urban economic development context. It would help participants experience not only the innovation concept dimensions of a concept development project, but also the client relationship aspects. It also has the potential of being implemented and making a real difference. The other concepts will not involve real world clients, though students will be asked to identify clients and build their presentations to pitch their concept to a specific prospective implementor. Here students can focus their efforts on developing their concept through the illustration process and then on building a compelling presentation.

You will be also be provided a blueprint of the four stages for developing your illustrations and presentation, and templates and examples of output in each of these stages.

During most workshops I will check in with each team and work with them to address issues that arise, keep them on track and provide guidance on the next stage.