The Designer’s Vulnerability
Design work has a unique exposure problem: you create high-value visual work and then hand it to someone before you’re paid, before contracts are finalized, sometimes before the client has even committed.
Common scenarios where designers get burned:
The ghosting client
You share three logo concepts. The client says “we need to think about it.” They go silent. Months later, your design (slightly tweaked) appears on their website.
The pitch theft
You pitch a full brand identity to a prospective client. They don’t hire you. They hire a cheaper designer who produces something suspiciously similar to your pitch deck.
The credit dispute
You collaborate on a design project. The other designer posts the work on their portfolio and takes full credit. You have no proof of your contribution.
The marketplace copy
You post a design to a marketplace. Someone downloads it, removes your watermark, and sells it elsewhere. You discover the copy but can’t prove you created it first.
The 10-Second Protection Habit
Protecting your designs takes less time than exporting them:
- Finish your design — as usual
- Export the deliverable — PSD, AI, PDF, PNG, whatever the final format
- Drag into TimeProof — hash computed locally in your browser
- Click timestamp — blockchain proof in seconds
- Save certificate — download alongside your design file
Total added time: ~10 seconds per file.
What Makes Strong Design Evidence
Single timestamp (good)
You timestamp the final logo. If someone later claims they created it, you can prove your version existed on a specific date.
Multi-stage timeline (better)
You timestamp the concept sketch, the refined draft, and the final. This three-point timeline demonstrates genuine creative evolution — something that’s extremely difficult to fabricate.
Full project trail (best)
You timestamp:
- Initial research/moodboard
- Concept sketches (3-5 options)
- Selected concept refinement
- Client revision
- Final approved version
This 5-point trail tells a complete story: “This design was developed over [time period] through a genuine creative process starting from research and ending at a polished deliverable.”
Design-Specific Strategies
Figma users
Export your Figma pages as PDF at key milestones. Timestamp each export. The PDF captures the exact state of your design at that moment.
Photoshop/Illustrator users
Save your layered working file AND your flat export. Timestamp both. The layered file contains your creative history (layers, effects, adjustments). The flat export is the deliverable.
Sketch/XD users
Export screens at key milestones. For interaction design, export prototype flows as PDF or video. Timestamp the exports at each milestone.
3D/Motion designers
Render key frames at milestones. For animations, export reference frames and the final render. Timestamp the working file (if practical) and the exports.
The Cost of Design Theft vs. Protection
| Scenario | Cost of theft | Cost of prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Logo stolen | $2,000-$15,000 (lost project value) | 1-5 scheduled credits |
| Brand identity stolen | $10,000-$50,000 | 5-20 scheduled credits |
| UX design copied | $5,000-$25,000 | 3-10 scheduled credits |
| Portfolio piece reclaimed | $0-$5,000 + reputation | 1 scheduled credit |
The math isn’t even close. A year of design portfolio protection often fits inside a few credit packs or included plan credits.
Real-World Impact
When you send a cease-and-desist with blockchain-verified timestamps showing:
- Your concept sketch existed 3 weeks before the infringement
- Your refined version existed 2 weeks before
- Your final design existed 1 week before
…the conversation changes immediately. The infringer knows they can’t argue timeline. The evidence is on a public blockchain. Any attorney, judge, or mediator can verify it in minutes.
Most design theft disputes are resolved with a single email when the evidence is strong enough. Blockchain timestamps make the evidence undeniable.