A long-read format helps you narrate your idea, showcase the outcome, and explain how it can be manufactured. This guide suggests a narrative sequence: you can combine and reorder the blocks to suit your project. The requirements for the work itself and the composition of the production files are detailed in the description of the chosen medium.
Step 1. Choose a title and cover design
The goal of the title and cover is to provide an immediate introduction to the project and spark the desire to learn more.The title conveys the core idea of the work, while the image showcases the final outcome. Together, they help the viewer understand what you have created and what makes the project compelling.The cover must remain clear and expressive, even when displayed in a small thumbnail.
Step 2. Tell us about your idea
Start your long-form text with a concept: what you conceived, where the idea originated, and how it is realized within the chosen medium. Usually, a short paragraph suffices for this. A personal story, an observation, or an interest in a specific theme will help the reader understand what lies behind the image or form.
If the work is a continuation of a main academic project, you may briefly explain the connection and provide a link to it.
Step 3. Show the entire project
A general overview helps illustrate what your final product looks like: a tote bag with an image, a pair of socks, a record sleeve, or a three-dimensional object. Photographs, visualizations, or mockups that clearly showcase the form, proportions, and design details are suitable. You can conveniently present a set or a series together first, and then move on to the individual components. If you present multiple variations, indicate which one has been selected for production.
Step 4. Let’s look at the most interesting things
Additional images reveal what is lost in the general view: the print’s graphic design, book spreads, sculpture texture, toy mechanism, or component assembly. An image of the object in hand, on a person, or in an interior helps convey its scale and demonstrate its use. A short video or animation can illustrate the image transition on a lenticular card or the assembly of the object from individual parts. Sketches and process photos can also make the narrative more engaging if they highlight a crucial decision—for instance, why the form was altered or which drawing variation proved more successful. The number of images depends on the project—every frame must contribute to the story.
Step 5. Fix the parameters
To allow the long-form piece to convey the intended outcome, compile the characteristics into a concise list or overlay them onto an image.
Depending on the medium, these details may include:
- The format and dimensions of the piece;
- The size and placement of the image;
- Selected colors, materials, and finishes;
- The composition of the set or series;
- Design features, mounting hardware, and assembly details.
Below are illustrative examples. The specific values and components of these characteristics will depend on your project.
«Ceramics. Free Form» — VaseDimensions after firing: height — 180 mm, maximum diameter — 120 mm, neck diameter — 60 mm.Material — white porcelain.The body is monolithic, without separate components.The exterior and interior surfaces are coated with a transparent glossy glaze.Decoration — blue underglaze painting on the outer surface.
«Fashion. Free Format—Loose-fit Shirt»Developed size—M.Back length—74 cm, chest width when laid flat—62 cm, sleeve length—60 cm.Material—twill, 100% cotton, density 220 g/m².Color—dark blue.Fold-down collar, two patch chest pockets, fastened with six 12 mm plastic buttons.
«Children’s Book» — Pushkin’s TalesReader Age: 4–6 years.
Final Book Format: 225 × 300 mm.
Inner Block Count: 48 pages, including title page and colophon.Hardcover, full-color printing.The front and back endpapers feature original illustrations.Please specify the parameters of your project; you do not need to rewrite the entire technical specification.
Step 6. Explain how the work can be produced
If the technology is already specified in the medium description, simply indicate the chosen option. For open-ended formats, it is helpful to briefly outline the main stages of production and problem-solving that influence the final result.
For example, for ceramics, the specific weight, molding technique, glaze, and firing parameters are important. For an assembled object, detail fabrication methods and their assembly techniques are key. If a physical model or mold is used for replication, specify its location.
This information should be placed directly within the long-form write-up. Include details about the contractor, cost, run size, and timeline only if required by the assignment.
Indicate what has been completed versus what is still planned or requires clarification. Tags such as «visualization, ” „prototype, ” or „finished product“ will help viewers correctly interpret the images. For interim submissions, show the current status and next steps; this same long-form write-up can be updated upon the completion of a two-module project.
Step 7. For free-format participants
For those working in free-form design, it is crucial to explain how the object is constructed, how to assemble it, and how to recreate it. Briefly describe the main components, the methods used to join them, and the assembly sequence. A diagram or annotated image will help the manufacturer understand the structure.
For fabric, materials, hardware, and finished components, list the names, part numbers, and purchasing locations—be it suppliers, stores, or links to specific items. It is also helpful to specify the quantity or consumption needed per piece. For apparel and textile goods, provide an estimated cost to sew a single unit.
This list does not necessarily need to be included in the main article; it can be formatted as a separate table within the production files. It will help in sourcing the necessary materials and components, estimating costs, and reproducing the work while maintaining your original concept.
Step 8. Compile production files
The longread presents the project, and a separate file package allows it to be handed over to production. You can easily verify its contents in the «Submission Requirements» section provided by your mentor.The package must include the version of the work that you present in the longread: the complete mockup, source files, breakdowns, technical drawings, patterns, audio files, or 3D models—depending on the assignment. Clear file names will help you find what you need quickly.The student uploads the package to their folder in Temp. Before final submission, the curator verifies the presence of the files and moves the project folder to the private Personal section. Production source files are not attached to the public longread.It is helpful to specify the contents of the package and the folder name to which it is submitted at the end of the longread.
Step 9. Weave everything into a cohesive narrative
Alternate between overview shots and close-ups, placing annotations next to the corresponding images. Short paragraphs, readable captions, and a muted background will help showcase the work. A single image can simultaneously convey form, scale, and object use.For collaborative projects, briefly explain how tasks were distributed among participants.Work submitted for the «Factory» is published in a separate longread tagged with the chosen medium. Before publishing, it is helpful to view the project through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time: is the idea clear, is the result easily visible, and is there enough information to discuss its production?
