You know how it goes.

When you tell people you studied graphic design in college, they look amused.
When you tell them you actually studied design production, they look confused.

At first, I’d have to say I was a little confused myself. I asked my professors, I asked my peers, I asked professionals, and I read articles; nothing seemed to give me a concrete answer as to what design production is.

But through projects, experiences, and plenty more asking around, I’ve realized that there is no concrete answer. Design production can be as specific as making sure that ink buildup on a press sheet will be no greater than 300%, or it can be as broad as managing multiple projects and budgets. It can be the difference between a good designer and a great one.

My confusion has transformed into excitement for what is to come. I’ve already discovered many facets of design I’m passionate about, such as making books or nerdy things like figuring out how to get the most out of a parent sheet. Learning about production and experiencing it hands-on has shaped my design sensibilities more holistically, and I am eager to find out how this can be applied. I am the one who knows how to talk to creatives, printers, and clients. I have the production sense backed by a solid foundation in graphic design.

So while I’m not sure this will help those curious inquisitors be any less confused, I’ve embraced that design production can’t be pinned down: design production is nothing in particular, and everything at once.