The certification process
Every OHM certification goes through the same rigorous process — because the seal is only worth anything if the process behind it is unimpeachable.
Submission
You complete the submission form with your work file, your creative category, a written description of your process, and your process documentation — the evidence of how the work was made. This is not a bureaucratic formality. The documentation is the foundation of your certification's credibility.
What counts as documentation
Procreate timelapses · Photoshop history · Ableton session files · Word revision history · Git commits · WIP photos · Raw files with EXIF · Handwritten notes · Darkroom contact sheets
What you also declare
Your AI disclosure — whether any AI tools were used, and if so, in what capacity. Honest disclosure is required. Our policy covers every grey zone in detail.
Forensics
Before a human auditor ever sees your submission, our system runs a technical analysis of your files — checking metadata, file creation timestamps, edit histories, EXIF data, and file signatures for consistency with your declared process. This isn't an AI detector. It's a consistency check.
What we check
File creation and modification timestamps · Camera EXIF data · Edit history consistency · File format signatures · Metadata field completeness
What we don't do
We do not use AI content detectors. They are unreliable and getting less reliable every month. Forensics flags inconsistencies — the human auditor makes the judgment.
Human review
This is what makes OHM different from every other certification or registry. A human auditor — someone who actually works in your creative field — reviews your submission. A writer reviews writing. An illustrator reviews illustration. A musician reviews music. They read your process description, examine your documentation, and make a judgment: does this work meet the human-made standard?
Our auditors are
Working professionals in their creative field · Trained in the OHM certification policy · Paid fairly for their expert time · Bound by a non-disclosure agreement
The auditor looks for
Evidence of genuine human creative decision-making · Consistency between the work and the process · Authenticity of the documentation · Honest AI disclosure
Legal foundation
Before your certification is issued, you sign the Maker's Oath — a legally binding declaration of human authorship. This is not a terms and conditions checkbox. It creates genuine legal liability for false certification, which is what makes it credible. The Oath is the mechanism by which the OHM seal derives its legal weight and its trustworthiness.
The Oath covers
Declaration of primary human authorship · Confirmation of AI disclosure · Consent to spot audits · Acknowledgment of legal consequences for false certification
Consequences of false oath
Immediate decertification of all works · Permanent ban from OHM · Public notice of violation · Civil legal action
Permanent record
On certification approval, a cryptographic record of your work is written permanently to the Polygon blockchain. A SHA-256 hash of your certified file — a unique 64-character fingerprint — is timestamped and stored in an immutable public ledger. This record cannot be altered, deleted, or forged. It will outlast OHM, outlast any platform, and outlast any algorithm.
What goes on chain
SHA-256 hash of the certified file · Hashed creator identity · Timestamp · Certification tier · OHM registry URI
What stays off chain
Your name, personal details, and the file itself. Privacy-preserving by design. Only the fingerprint is public — not the file it belongs to.
The seal
Your certification is live. You receive your OHM seal — a digital badge you can place on your portfolio, your social profiles, your invoices, your prints. Anyone who sees it can verify it instantly at onlyhumanmade.org/verify. And because it's on the blockchain, it will still be verifiable in twenty years.
What you receive
OHM seal (digital + print) · Registry entry URL · Blockchain transaction hash · Embeddable verification widget · Public creator profile listing
Ongoing obligations
You may be selected for a random spot audit at any time. Cooperating with spot audits is required to maintain certification. The process is the same as the original review.
The registry entry
Every certified work generates a public registry entry that anyone can verify. The hash is the fingerprint — unique to that exact file. Change a single pixel and the hash changes completely. That's what makes it unforgeable.
Registry entry · OHM-00441
We certify
A writer reviews writing. An illustrator reviews illustration. Domain expertise is non-negotiable.
Writing
Fiction, nonfiction, essays, journalism, poetry, screenwriting, copywriting.
Illustration
Editorial, book cover, character design, sequential art, surface design.
Music
Composition, songwriting, production, sound design, mixing and mastering.
Photography
Film, digital, documentary, commercial, fine art, architectural.
Design
Graphic design, brand identity, typography, motion, UI/UX.
Craft
Ceramics, woodworking, textiles, bookbinding, glasswork, printmaking.
Film & Video
Short film, documentary, animation, experimental, commercial.
Code
Open source libraries, creative tools, generative art, human-authored software.
500 founding creator spots — 50% off certification for life. Closing when they're gone.