Ship design is a convoluted process that involves multiple steps before the construction and fabrication work is commenced. When we use the word convoluted, it not only means complex but also a roadmap where with each stage, the methodology becomes more specific and refined and the shipbuilding process gets closer to being commenced.
The various stages of ship design are discussed below.
Concept Design
Unlike a car or a commercial aircraft, a ship is designed specifically based on the exact requirements of the mission and the optimization of various parameters and resources.
This is the preliminary stage at the outset of the entire design cycle, where the vessel’s operational requirements are identified. Operational or mission requirements essentially mean a study

