Game Art Vendor Onboarding Checklist for Producers

Vendor onboarding is where a signed scope becomes a working production relationship. A short, deliberate setup reduces avoidable questions, protects confidential material, and gives both teams a shared definition of done.

Confirm Commercial and Security Basics

• Signed scope, NDA, and ownership terms
• Named contacts for production, art direction, and commercial questions
• Approved communication and file-transfer channels
• Access limited to the material required for the assigned scope
• Portfolio and project-disclosure restrictions

Package the Art Direction

Provide the latest art bible, approved references, representative assets, scale guides, material language, and a short list of visual mistakes to avoid. Identify which reference has authority when examples conflict.

Package the Technical Direction

• Engine and project version
• Naming and folder conventions
• Geometry, LOD, collision, and pivot rules
• Texture sizes, channel packing, and compression expectations
• Validation steps and required delivery formats

Agree on Tracking and Reviews

Define where status is recorded, how files are versioned, who consolidates feedback, and the expected review turnaround. One consolidated art-direction response is more actionable than several conflicting comment threads.

Set an Escalation Path

Write down what happens when a dependency is missing, feedback is delayed, scope changes, or a delivery fails validation. Early escalation should be treated as production control, not as failure.

Close the First Milestone Deliberately

At the end of the first milestone, record what changed, update the brief or technical guide, and confirm whether the next batch should proceed. This turns the initial work into a repeatable production pattern.