About
We are building a long-term public knowledge library where sources matter more than a confident tone and corrections are part of quality.
VANSMITHLAB is an independent encyclopedia of design and visual culture. We are building a long-term public knowledge library where sources matter more than a confident tone and corrections are part of quality. Every publication begins with an object, claims, sources and relationships. Verification status, update history and media provenance remain visible.
Every publication travels from question through research, verification, relationship mapping and release. AI collects and compares primary and independent sources. Every material claim receives evidence, confidence and a status. Each object joins a timeline, glossary and network of related subjects. The Russian master releases first, followed by an English editorial adaptation.
Claims fall into three tiers. A load-bearing claim is what the piece rests on — a founding date, an attribution, a cause, a number — and it publishes only with a link or a named primary source. A supporting claim is attributed in the prose itself. Texture needs no record and is still never invented. Every article's sources are open in the sidebar. We no longer display a numeric confidence score: it described the state of an internal ledger rather than the quality of the article, and told the reader nothing.
Corrections are part of quality, not a sign of error. Every object or publication change is versioned. Revision history is visible to the reader. When an inaccuracy is found, we issue a correction notice, update related materials and notify subscribers. The correction process is automated, but substantive editorial decisions are made by an editor.
Every media asset records its origin, usage basis, credit and accessible description. Original editorial and AI illustrations by VANSMITHLAB are disclosed explicitly and are not documentary evidence. Reuse of original material requires prior written permission; rights in third-party material remain with the respective rights holders.
The project's editor is Van Smith (Ivan Melnik), who decides substantive corrections and answers for what is published. Material is assembled by an automated editorial system, but the final editorial decision rests with a person.
Editor's site: byvansmith.com