Studio
Brand collab
Open collab frames and jigs with textile and ceramic houses.
Outcome
Collabs that stay open-source honest.
Steps
- Share files
- Agree edition tags
- Ship sample
Visit sequence: collab set-up with Textile and Ceramic studios
On a typical collab week, Day 1 starts with the visiting team arriving at our Woodstock atelier just after the morning commute. The tiled workbench is cleared, and we lay out our latest laser-cut Textile Panel Frames, a few ceramic jigs, and an envelope of Maker Mark Brass samples. We sit down with the guest studio leads, usually straight from their own workshops in Paarl or Salt River, and open laptops to share files and drawings. Cad files, hand sketches, even phone snaps of glaze samples, all go up on the screen. We take turns annotating the frame cut-outs and jig tabs, making sure everyone’s measurements line up. The goal is a shared edition tag scheme, hammered out over coffee and a pile of colour swatches.
Day 2 is all about hands-on trial runs. Textile houses bring a finished panel, and we test the fit in our frames. Ceramicists load clay slabs into the open jigs, pressing out plate blanks and noting where the brass marks will sit. We mark up every change in pencil on the workshop whiteboard. Final tweaks are made on the spot: extra holes, wider rebate, thicker jig rails. Before everyone leaves, we pack up one sample set each for shipping, labelled by edition tag, wrapped for the trip in our bakkie to their studios. Everyone leaves with something tangible to work from, not just a CAD file.
By Day 3, the first cross-studio samples are in transit and we regroup by email to confirm that everything fits together as planned. It's always a bit of a scramble, but we keep the process transparent. If changes crop up, they're logged in a shared doc, not buried in a WhatsApp message. By the end of the week, our goal is achieved: a collab set-up that any studio in the loop can pick up and run with, keeping the designs open and adaptable.
Checklist: keeping the collab rolling
With so many moving parts in a multi-studio collab, we keep a tight checklist in the atelier.
- Confirm all studios have editable design files (DXF, STL, PDF).
- Agree on edition tags and the labelling method for frames, jigs and brass marks.
- Test all hardware (fixings, brackets, hangers) with real samples on site.
- Arrange safe packaging and label every sample with date and edition.
- Schedule one follow-up to double-check fit, finish and tagging before full production.
Where collabs go wrong, and how we catch it
Sometimes a studio forgets to update their file, or a ceramic house tweaks a jig but doesn’t tell the rest of us. The most common slip is mismatched tags, one studio using last month’s system, another adding a new code halfway through. Misaligned files used to be a major pain, especially when the frames or jigs were already cut and shipped.
We catch these issues early by insisting on live file-sharing while everyone’s at the bench. If something’s changed, it's flagged in front of everyone, in real time. Our team double-checks edition tags and sample labels before anything leaves Woodstock, especially for collab sets heading to the Highveld or the coast where humidity and temperature can change a fit.
If something still goes pear-shaped, we’re quick to ship a new sample or tag, no fuss. Keeping the collab process open and honest is what makes these partnerships work, and we find that a bit of Cape hospitality, plus a good checklist, goes a long way. For queries or a collab proposal, email atelier@creationafrica.co.za.