Development of Ideas

• ‘Development of Ideas’ is a major part of your creative process, where you use your research to develop and refine your original idea.
• Starting with your preliminary idea, you should be continually developing and changing it. This is a process of exploration and experimentation.
• Sketching and using other visual representations are vital ways of developing your ideas.
• Ideas can also evolve by trying out different materials, techniques and processes, seeing how these affect what you’re trying to communicate.
• You need to critically analyse your own work as you progress. What’s working, and what isn’t? Are there elements that could be improved?
• It’s crucial to reflect on both the aesthetic and conceptual aspects of your work. Aesthetically, are your designs appealing and do they effectively use principles of design like balance, contrast, and unity? Conceptually, are you effectively conveying your intended message or theme?
• As your ideas develop, continually reference your sources of inspiration. Artists, styles, historical periods, societal issues, personal experiences; these should all be serving to inform and motivate your work.
• Iterate and refine. Trial and error are part of the process and should lead to you refining your ideas.
• Use ongoing analysis and evaluation as part of the development process. Consider how your work relates to that of others and how it fits into wider contexts.
• You should consider both form and function in your design. How does it look, and what does it do? What are its physical characteristics, and how does it communicate or interact with its audience?
• Make your idea development visible in your portfolio. Track your thoughts, changes, and evaluate decisions. This review and reflexion may lead you to new branches of ideas or improvements.
• Final thoughts should be revised considering the peculiarities and requirements of the media and materials you choose for the realisation of your final piece.
• Remember, the ‘Development of Ideas’ stage is about progress and transformation, not about having a perfect final piece from the start. Keep an open mind, experiment, and learn from your mistakes. Your best work will often come from exploratory risks and unexpected discoveries.
• The development phase is not linear, and your ideas could take several different paths before you settle on a final design. Don’t suppress those different paths - explore them and see if they enhance your final outcome.