FROM CONCEPT TO VISUAL NARRATIVE: THE LIBRES FRAMEWORK FOR MEANING CONSTRUCTION IN DESIGN

Abstract

The translation of abstract concepts into coherent visual artifacts remains an under-theorized process within design practice. While existing methodologies emphasize stages such as ideation and prototyping, they often overlook the intermediate cognitive and semiotic operations through which meaning is constructed and translated into form. This paper introduces LIBRES, a structured design framework that makes explicit the relationship between conceptual intent and visual execution. Grounded in semiotics, design cognition, and research-through-design perspectives, the framework is organized into five iterative phases: conceptual exploration and decomposition, visual translation, narrative construction, perceptual validation, and iterative refinement. Through this structure, LIBRES enables the systematic externalization of abstract meaning, supports alignment between concept and form, and integrates perceptual evaluation as a continuous component of the design process. A case study demonstrates the applicability of the framework in producing more coherent, intentional, and evaluable visual narratives. The findings suggest that formalizing intermediate stages of design contributes to greater transparency, theoretical grounding, and reproducibility, positioning LIBRES as both a methodological and pedagogical contribution to contemporary visual communication design.