ideeontwerpsense

Ideeontwerpsense is a Dutch-language concept that describes the capacity to conceive and develop design ideas with a strong sense of context, user needs, and practical feasibility. The term combines idee (idea), ontwerp (design), and sense (sense) to denote a holistic competence that bridges creative thinking and pragmatic evaluation in the early stages of a project.

The phrase appears in design education and industry discussions within Dutch-speaking contexts. It is not an official or globally standardized term, but rather a label used by designers and educators to articulate a desirable blend of imagination, empathy, and judgment that guides concept development from sketch to prototype.

Ideeontwerpsense emphasizes empathy with users, contextual awareness, and ethical and sustainability considerations, alongside technical feasibility and business viability. In practice, it involves rapid ideation followed by quick prototyping, user feedback, and iterative refinement, with ongoing reflection on constraints, risks, and potential unintended consequences. The concept encourages designers to weigh desirability, feasibility, and viability simultaneously rather than sequentially.

It relates to broader concepts such as design thinking and user-centered design, while foregrounding a sense-making dimension as a core skill. Some critics view the term as vague or broad, but proponents argue that it captures a holistic skill set that spans imagination and pragmatism in early design work.

See also: design thinking, user-centered design, sense-making, ideation.