Design process — stages, deliverables, and sign-off

A predictable process avoids costly surprises

Every custom merch project is different aesthetically but identical operationally. So your team can plan, at Corp-Merch Mexico we run a five-phase process with clear deliverables, internal deadlines, and signed sign-off criteria at every milestone. The promise is simple: what gets signed in phase two gets produced in phase four without unexpected rework.

Phase one is discovery, where we start with a 90-minute to two-hour working session — in person in Polanco or remote — to understand the brand, audience, usage context, and operational constraints. From that session we produce a brief structured in five blocks (brand identity, piece or family, function and use, budget and volume, deadlines with milestones), a preliminary timeline, and a stakeholder list on the client side with approval leads. It is the only phase where nobody is signing anything yet; it is structured exploration.

Phase two is creative exploration, where the designer assigned to your project (curated network in CDMX, Guadalajara, or Monterrey) delivers two to three sketch routes, usually as AI or PDF vector files, plus a physical piece when it comes to volumetric work. We hold a review session with you where you leave specific comments on each proposal, and the designer iterates until reaching the signed final version. This phase runs one to three weeks depending on complexity.

Phase three is technical validation, which we call the Engineering Proof. On textile we validate embroidery tolerances, fabric grain, and substrate behavior under wash; on rigid pieces we review thickness, fits, and color behavior; on packaging we evaluate ergonomics and stacking. This phase adds three to five business days to the timeline, but it is the difference between a project that arrives on time and one that slips three weeks from production rework. If your brand decides to skip it, that gets signed in the contract and the piece loses the fine-tuning warranty.

Phase four is sign-off and hand-off to production. Here we sign the final design version, freeze the source files (editable AI, PDF/X-4 for print, native files for 3D prototype when applicable), define the production palette with color tolerances, typefaces, and, when relevant, the authorized suppliers for reprints. Once signed, the file goes to operations with the work orders per supplier and delivery windows.

Phase five is the brand archive and production manual, which we deliver with you at project close. This manual is what allows your brand to reprint the piece in one, two, or five years without losing fidelity to the original design. It includes source files, palette, typefaces, color tolerances, quality criteria, authorized supplier list, and, when applicable, technical notes for special cases (reflective substrates, printing on denim, embroidery on piqué).

There is a sixth element that runs across every phase and deserves a mention: communication. We keep a single Slack or WhatsApp Business channel with your core team, where we post progress at the close of every workday and send a weekly synthesis on Fridays with project status against the signed timeline. This discipline is what prevents the typical “I did not know they were waiting on my approval” that hurts so many merch projects.