All images copyright CBS Studios Inc. and Paramount Pictures. STAR TREK® and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.
.
An early idea I tried which I thought might look interesting was to give the spacedock a transparent organic material, almost like a giant cocoon with the new ship being assembled inside. Production didn't go for it though, and instead wanted something that was close to the look of previous spacedocks but would still fit with the 32nd century aesthetic. Would have liked to spend a bit more time developing the design but the final asset by the VFX team looked great in the show! The starship seen in these concepts was an idea from the scripts that ended up being cut from the season.