Process
Dyehouse
Where proofs are marked, sentences are rewritten, and nothing goes live without a pencil line and a signature.
The dyehouse is not a separate room — it is the hour after lunch when the long table holds only marked pages and cold tea. A designer sends a PDF; someone prints it because screens lie about weight and spacing. That is when review begins.
The critique session
Every substantial deliverable passes through a structured critique session. These happen at the studio or by video, always with printed or shared proofs visible to everyone in the room. The session has three movements: read aloud, mark, rewrite.
Reading aloud exposes sentences that look fine on screen but fail when spoken. We read headlines, body copy and call-to-action lines in sequence. If someone stumbles, the line is marked. No one defends a sentence that cannot be read cleanly.
Marking uses pencil on paper or comment layers on PDF — never verbal-only feedback that disappears when the meeting ends. Each mark carries a category: cut, rewrite, check against brief, or escalate to client. Categories are consistent so production teams know what each symbol means.
What gets marked
Message drift is the most common fault. A headline promises one thing; the subhead introduces a second proposition; the body copy chases a third. We mark contradictions first, aesthetics second.
Channel-specific errors come next: copy written for a landing page pasted into a social format without adaptation; a legal disclaimer missing from an email version; an audience segment addressed by name in one channel and generically in another.
We also mark production faults — orphaned widows, inconsistent capitalisation, photography that contradicts the written tone — but only after message hierarchy is confirmed.
What is rewritten
Rewrites happen in the room when possible. A marked headline gets three alternatives on the spot; the group picks one and moves on. Longer rewrites — body copy, email sequences, landing page sections — are assigned with a deadline and re-enter critique at the next session.
We rewrite against the campaign spine document, not against personal preference. If a sentence cannot be justified by the architecture doc, it is cut regardless of how well it scans.
Who signs it off
Studio sign-off requires two initials on the proof cover sheet: the strategist who holds the brief and the creative director who holds the visual language. Client sign-off is a separate line — we do not conflate internal approval with client approval.
For retainer clients, standing sign-off rules are agreed once and documented. For sprint clients, each major deliverable requires explicit written approval before production partners receive final files.
Critique rhythm for ongoing engagements is described in Weaves. Half-day alignment sessions use the format on Courtyard.
The dyehouse name is deliberate. Dyeing is irreversible in textile work; so is publishing. We treat every proof as something that will go live unless someone marks it otherwise. That discipline slows the room down — and saves rework later.
Remote clients receive marked PDFs with the same symbol key used in the studio. Video critique sessions follow the same read-mark-rewrite sequence; we simply ask that someone on your side prints a copy locally when possible.