I’m not a robot: why showing your workings has never been more important

A new creative currency

So brands have made the handmade process part of their story, reinforcing value through visible effort. The BTS doubles as marketing itself because, by showcasing the human rigour behind the work, it reassures audiences that the brand is genuine and committed to quality, strengthening perceived value.

“For brands, it also builds trust,” says Priscilla Ong, a Singapore-based brand photographer and stop motion artist. “People appreciate knowing there’s real care and intention poured into the visuals they put out. That level of craftsmanship and authenticity helps extend the brand’s presence beyond the original deliverable.”

Brands like Ffern have made the handmade process part of their story, reinforcing value through visible effort. Bespoke craftsmanship for the brand is a key narrative device.

When the new Apple TV ident launched – a brief five-second animated graphic – there wasn’t much initial buzz. That changed, however, when a short behind-the-scenes video was revealed, showing that the central logo was crafted entirely by hand from glass. The production deliberately avoided using AI, CGI, or 3D modelling techniques. Instead, it relied on meticulous manual manipulation of light, colour, and reflection to achieve its striking visual effect.

The benefits of revealing your process

It honours the artistry and effort behind the work

Brand photographer and stop-motion animator Priscilla Ong has embraced BTS as a core part of her creative practice, posting time-lapse videos, tips and advice, and project break-downs on social media. “It’s my way of honouring the artistry behind the work,” she says, where every prop is handcrafted, and every idea is brought to life, one nudge at a time. To her, showing the human process – from the tiny decisions and problem-solving to the hands that shape every frame – feels more important than ever. Especially as this is a form of making that, like many other practices, centres around tactility, patience and precision – and deserves to thrive, not be wiped out by ‘faster’ alternatives.

This emphasis on the creative journey parallels the perspective of Emilie Chen, who believes that sharing the process helps people see that creativity is more than aesthetics. “We are people coming up with ideas to answer problems through visuals,” she says.

Emilie, a graphic designer and art director who has worked with some of the UK’s most prestigious theatres, chooses to highlight not only the finished production posters but also the unseen aspects of her work, often through Instagram reels or stories.

“Working in theatre poster design,” she says, “people just don’t understand it.”

Her work with productions carries the responsibility of capturing audience’s imaginations and conveying the essence of each story. The hard part? Emilie is working months in advance, with poster designs based on ideas and cues from the director or playwright.

“There is only a script; there’s no place; there’s no set design; and there’s no costumes, and often there are no actors. When Instagram started doing the Stories format, I thought, ‘Oh, I could try it’ and the response has been amazing.”

Providing clarity and explanations educates potential customers on why all stages of the creative process matter – it’s not just about the final result.

It showcases your personal brand and personality

One way Super Keen – a New York-based brand strategy and design studio – is achieving this is with its game-changing approach to case studies. To address the challenges in showcasing strategy work (“A lot of it is either too confidential to share directly or too complex to keep people’s attention in written form”), the team started using video formats, embedding reel-style videos in case studies, with co-founder Lauren Wong literally explaining the thinking to you.

“We know that the reason people work with Super Keen is that they want to work with us as people,” Lauren and co-founder Gabby Lord tell me. “It was important to us to show our work, to explain our thinking, and to explain the logic that led to the work on the page.”

Many folks in the creative community, and beyond, have been drawn towards the work of Philadelphia-based studio Smith&Diction, not just through its design work but its Medium page – a candid arena of co-founder Mike Smith’s in-depth thoughts and summaries of project narratives. “I try to write in a style that when you read it, it doesn't feel like reading,” he says. “It feels like you’re just having a conversation with a friend, not some sort of stuffy textbook.”

Written in Mike’s engaging, conversational voice, these pieces – while entertaining – are also thorough proof of a brand’s identity development, adding layers to its ‘story’.

“Some clients have started making our case studies part of their brand announcement strategy,” Mike tells me, with the unique format providing a boost. Most social platforms, like Instagram and Twitter, have been diluting the studio’s reach lately, making it harder for posts to be discovered after the initial buzz or viral moment fades. “Our Medium articles are kinda like a more semi-permanent way to announce the brand,” he adds.

Initially starting as Mike’s personal design blog, it later evolved into “living records” of project decisions. For the studio, sharing shows “There’s no secret machine here. Just six people working really hard to make work that resonates,” says Smith. “I’m a real person trying my best.”

Transparency helps share technical details, historical research and knowledge

French type foundry Sharp Type, like many foundries, put a lot of care into its case studies. Twilio Sans and Rosalie, for example, covering all stages of the project from initial contextual inspiration to sketches and development/production.

“We at Sharp Type believe it’s important to share the process behind a project, as there is so much more work, questions, inspiration and experimentation than people could guess by seeing only the final result,” says My-Lan Thuong, a designer at Sharp Type. “That’s especially true for a typeface, simply because it takes so long to make one! We’re excited to share what we learn with other creatives.”

A medium loaded with history, rigorous theory, and technical advancements, typeface design is an intricate process – a combination of artistry and functionality – so sharing is a way to contribute not only to the type design community but also to the wider design world. Beyond conferences and workshops, these insights allow creatives to continue “learning” from real client/commercial projects outside the university/education bubble.

“I aim to always give more than I take from the community,” says Mike Smith. “If I can get designers to read a 20-minute-long case study and they walk away with a tip or a strategy that can help them, then my job is complete.”

For emerging creatives, adds Priscilla Ong, “I certainly hope it inspires people to explore the stop motion art form and reminds them that creativity is a journey – slow, intentional, and built with heart.”