Models for Concept Derivation and Materialization in Design Management

Design is a process that oscillates between visualization and materialization. Within this process, products usually start their lifecycles as abstract concepts that transmute incrementally from raw mental presentations in the inner world of their creators into physical objects in the external world. A framework and associative models for concept management, processing, formation and transformation are introduced and discussed. The framework comprises a set of major phases of concept development from primitive mental images into final materialized products. Concept derivation represents the core of the concept processing framework. Consequently, it is represented as the main nexus between knowledge abstraction and product materialization in design. Nine methods of concept generation and eight elements of concept translation into tangible design products are described and discussed. The concept generation and translation process are illustrated by examples of model implementation.