Selling art prints:product model first,then the productionintegration

In short

For a fine art photography store, we developed a concept where the images are printed and shipped by a production partner after the order. The reflex would be to plan the integration with the production partner first. We started the other way around: first, the product structure in the store has to cleanly represent what makes an artwork. Motif, format, material and finish have to match unambiguously, or production ends up making something other than what was ordered.

The starting point

A T-shirt has a size and a color. An art print has a motif, several formats, different materials, maybe a frame, and every combination corresponds to a different product at the production partner. Then there's information that belongs to the work: its story, how it was made, work details, additional views. A simple product page with two variants won't cut it.

How we built the product model

The integration with the production partner is therefore a building block of its own that sits on top of a clean structure. It doesn't replace that structure.

What gets checked before the first real order

• Every variant is mapped to a product at the partner. No combination without a counterpart.
• The print-quality image files are ready and assigned to the right motif.
• Test orders in several combinations run all the way through to the partner.
• The client can add new works themselves, following a fixed template.

Your takeaways

• Art isn't an ordinary item. Work, edition and production are three different levels.
• The production integration doesn't replace a product structure. It only works as well as the data it gets.
• Here, variants are more than a dropdown choice. Each one stands for a specific production order.
• Plan for ongoing management. An art store thrives on new works. Adding them shouldn't require a developer.

Want to sell art, prints or made-to-order products? We start by building a product model that store and production both understand.