AI: the graphic designer of the future?

The developments in AI are progressing rapidly. These programs can generate impressive images with just a little guidance (at first glance) nowadays. So why would you still need a human graphic designer? Could you generate professional visual material for your organization without them?

The importance of a graphic designer

If you know us a bit, you probably already sense that the answer to this question is clear: of course, you still need a ‘real’ graphic designer! The question even resembles why you would hire a designer in the first place, which we extensively discussed in this article. In today’s busy online world, it is more important than ever for your brand or company to have strong visual appeal. Graphic designers specialize in defining and creating such an identity. With that in mind, it’s not unreasonable to still wonder, “But can a trained AI do that just as well as a human?”

How AI works

To answer that question, we first need to look at what AI is and what it does. The ‘Artificial Intelligence’ or AI we’re talking about isn’t actually all that intelligent. It’s a program that has access to massive amounts of data: texts, images, videos, explanations, almost everything that’s on the internet. From these datasets, it generates new texts or images, with the ‘intelligence’ to match what you as a user input with what it ‘knows’ about a particular topic. The result is more or less accurate. You can think of it as an enhanced search engine, a sort of Google that scours the internet and presents something new based on what it can gather.

The importance of originality

With this in mind, you may already see where the problem lies. AI will never be able to create something entirely ‘new.’ Everything it does is based on things that already exist, things that are already old. And if you know anything about marketing, you understand that what’s old will never generate as much attention and enthusiasm as something new. AI is not capable of creating something truly original. A remarkable leap forward, something that comes ‘out of nowhere.’ A unique brand name like Odido or Google, a logo or visual language that has never been seen before. For that, you need – here it is – a human graphic designer.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence

Does this mean that AI is not a useful tool? Certainly not. Due to the progress this technology has made, it has served in numerous industries in recent years. This relationship will only continue to grow in the future. When it comes to marketing and graphic design, what can you think of?

• Automation of routine tasks: One of the biggest advantages of AI is its ability to automate routine tasks. Generating layouts, adjusting images to different formats, and automatically applying filters and effects… This saves designers a lot of time, which they can better invest in the creative and strategic aspects of their work.
• Personalization and data analysis: AI can analyze customer data and then suggest the most optimal designs, leading to more effective marketing campaigns.
• Faster design: With the help of AI, graphic designers can quickly iterate, subjecting a design to multiple rounds of adjustments to see and test what is most effective. This speeds up the creative process and allows for more agile responses to changing market conditions.
• Boosting creativity: AI can also serve as a creative assistant. It can provide inspiration, suggest color palettes and design elements, and help generate new ideas.

Already a part of Vuurwerk

o, while AI is still relatively in its infancy, as described above, we at Vuurwerk are already using it in a supporting role. Generating an initial draft of an image, quickly exploring multiple design directions… However, it is consistently necessary to get involved to achieve a final result that is truly of high quality and original. How the situation will be in ten years is, of course, speculative.

Nevertheless, we expect that AI will increasingly play a significant role in the design process. Do you also want to leverage the collaboration between AI and human expertise for your marketing or graphic design? Send us a message!