January 19, 2026
Concept-first, surface later
Every project at GDO starts with a written concept, not a moodboard. Here is why, and how we run a one-day concept sprint.
By Mehdi Gerami · 1 min read
A moodboard is a record of taste. A concept is a record of thinking. Taste is necessary but insufficient; concept is what compounds.
The one-day concept sprint
- 09:00 — Read the brief out loud.
- 10:30 — Write three single-sentence concepts. No images yet.
- 12:00 — Defend the concepts to each other.
- 14:00 — Choose one. Write it on the wall.
- 16:00 — Begin the moodboard, but only of artifacts that test the concept.