Design & production are two different things. Which is why they are billed separately on all of our invoices.
Design is the creative process by which an idea is manifested. It is shaped by the criteria that defines its purpose. A concept for a design can begin as a sketch, a thumbnail image or a computer-aided mock-up. Through the design development process, it becomes an actualized final product. The design may be for an identity logo or brand, it may be destined to be printed on paper, perhaps a wine label, a catalog, a tee-shirt, or a symbol formed in glass or plastic, wood or cardboard, a truck sign, a leather belt, an inlay for a guitar neck, a metal gate, a custom doorbell or a hood ornament. It might be rendered electronically, as in the case of a website or other online media. The design may be the “blueprint” for the final product, however, it is not the final “construction drawing” that indicates by what means the idea will be transformed, built, manufactured or printed.
That’s where Production comes in. Production art is created so that the form of the design can be expressed within its intended function. Production art is not the same for every project. There is not one type of production art that can be universally applied to all manifestations of a design concept. Production art addresses specific functions within a given context. In addition, it is always accompanied by specifications that describe how and by what means the design is to be rendered, applied or manufactured. Development of production art requires a keen interest in the technical specifications for each end use product. It also requires attention to detail, careful practice and familiarity with the tools and equipment used for varying types of reproduction and manufacturing. It also takes dedication to the ideas of cooperation, follow-through, oversight and accountability.
Our clients pay for our design expertise, it’s true— but they also pay for our knowledge, accountability and follow-through in creating proper production art. It is what they have come to expect as part of our design capabilities, and it is what we know they deserve.