The Forever in Design

The Forever in Design

Most people don’t realize just how long it takes to bring a design to life. Whether it’s an illustration, a product concept, or a pattern for production, the time invested is endless. It’s not just about sketching an idea and calling it done—it’s about refining, tweaking, adjusting, and perfecting every single detail. A blip in the image, an alignment issue on a print sheet, the balance of colours and shapes—all of it takes hours, sometimes days, to get just right.

Everything I create is hand-drawn, even when digital. It starts as an idea formed in my mind, then gets shaped, reshaped, and meticulously worked on until it’s ready for production. It’s not just a case of “throwing something together.” It’s carefully considering how it will look, how it will print, and ensuring the final product is as perfect as it can be.

I often get sent logos and images by people asking if I can reproduce them. The reality is, if the resolution isn’t right, I can’t just use it—it either needs to be redrawn or replaced with a properly formatted image. That’s why I make sure my designs are created with reproduction in mind from the very beginning. This is something only trained artists or media-savvy creators truly understand. It’s also why we protect our work so fiercely.

When someone takes an artist’s work without permission, to use it for profit or copy it outright, they often expect to get away with it. And when confronted, the burden of proof is thrown back at the artist: “Prove it’s yours.” But I say—no, you prove you created it. Show me your original sketches, your process, your timestamps. In this digital age, every design, idea, and concept is time-stamped and recorded, making it easier than ever to prove ownership. Mistakes happen, but deliberate theft in the creative world is not acceptable.

That’s why AI-generated art is so questionable. It lacks the soul, the thought process, and the years of skill that go into true artistry. You can tell when something is AI-made—it has no real heart behind it. It’s mass-produced, generic, and cheapens what artists do. AI will never replace human creativity because real artists pour themselves into their work.

Today, I’ve spent hours just preparing a sheet for printing—aligning every size, perfecting each detail, ensuring production is seamless. Some days, it’s not about creating something new but about making sure what’s already made is set up correctly for the best possible result. The technical side of design is just as important as the creative side.

So next time you admire a piece of artwork, a product, or a design—take a moment to think about the artist behind it. Every line, every colour, every composition has been crafted with hours of effort, skill, and passion. Creativity isn’t instant. It’s a process. A forever process.

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