Research Lab
THE WORK BEHIND RUNTIME BIO
Our work, with the thinking left in.
Research Lab is where we share case studies, design decisions, and the questions behind what we make. It is a record of the work as it develops: what we tried, what we learned, and what still needs testing.
Case study: building a considered artwork collection
We began with a simple question: which recognizable museum artworks could become a coherent collection of everyday objects?
We reviewed fourteen works by ten artists, checked museum source records, and assembled eleven eligible images in a working design board. Three additional works remain on hold while the exact image-use route is reviewed.
What we looked at
- Recognition signals from museums and their shops.
- Source-image eligibility and provenance.
- How a composition might work on a print, notebook, tote, or T-shirt.
- The actual image resolution needed for a chosen print size.
What changed our thinking
A familiar painting is not automatically a ready-to-print product. An image can be eligible for reuse yet too small for the intended print. A museum shop’s best-seller label is an interest signal, not a forecast of our own sales.
Current status
The collection is in development. Artwork selection, product formats, supplier costs, retail pricing, and physical samples are not finalized. No merchandise products have been published from this study.
Sources and production references
- The Met: Open Access
- Art Institute of Chicago: API and image guidance
- The Met Store: retailer interest signals
- Printify: print-file requirements
- Printful: print preparation
How we’ll share future work
Each case study will identify the question, approach, sources, observations, limitations, and next step. We’ll distinguish finished work from prototypes and hypotheses. This page documents our process; it does not establish product effectiveness.
Case study reviewed October 28, 2026.