The Rise of AI and Graphic Design

The evolution of technology has consistently reshaped industries over time. We’ve seen the automobile industry switch from hand crafted cars in the 70’s to the robotic revolution. The bustling high streets that used to be a part of every town are now derelict due to the emergence of Amazon and other online retailers with computer fulfilment workplaces. However, my industry being the design industry felt semi-safe from the threat of AI taking our jobs. 

How wrong was I…

My professional journey commenced at the youthful age of 15 within the Print Repro industry, a term from the bygone era. Our primary responsibility involved crafting CYMK films for brochures, advertisements, or any printing job, ultimately forming the basis for printing plates. This intricate task demanded a high level of craftsmanship, involving the delicate art of cutting mask and layers upon layers of tinted film with razor-sharp scalpels to produce finely printed work. It was a highly lucrative profession, with six-figure salaries in the 1980s not uncommon. 

I distinctly recall conversations in the studio where seasoned colleagues dismissed the idea of computers replacing our roles. However, being a young computer enthusiast at the time, I foresaw the potential capabilities of the reality happening. Fast forward a few years, and the bustling studio, once filled with skilled individuals at workstations, was replaced by a handful of computer operators and a film output station.

So, the question arises: why did I fail to foresee the impact of AI on the graphic design industry, especially when I had witnessed its effects first hand before?

What caught me off-guard the most was the seemingly sudden emergence of AI, even though I know it wasn’t an overnight development. My first awareness of AI software in the design industry triggering concerns, dates back a year or two. We encountered automated banner design software that allowed users to upload their logos, brand colours, fonts, and specify banner sizes. In a matter of minutes, the software generated a series of adverts to the required specs. While crude at the time, one could sense that a refined version was in the works.

Our team was accustomed to designing and resizing around 500 banner advertisements monthly. A laborious, yet lucrative task. This was the initial instance where we felt the tangible impact of AI on our company.

One could argue that this type of software may currently fall under the category of advanced software rather than genuine artificial intelligence. However, a noteworthy paradigm shift is occurring in the field of graphic design. We’re getting to a point where AI in graphic design can mimic human emotions in a way that’s crucial for designing. This marks a clear arrival, showing that AI is here to stay in the field.

Graphic design and AI

Presently, artificial intelligence has attained the capability to replicate a spectrum of human emotions crucial for tasks ranging from designing art in the sense of paintings to the layout of brochures and even the generation of functional HTML code for websites. While not claiming expertise in artificial intelligence, it is evident that our collective surrender of data over the past three decades has substantially contributed to the current state of AI development. The integration of machine learning, particularly in the realm of design, continually refines and enhances outcomes, marking a pivotal moment at the crossroads of determining the trajectory of our engagement with this technology.

The pivotal question arises: do we resist this evolution or collaborate with it?

Artificial intelligence is increasingly making strides in industries grappling with existential challenges, and a prominent illustration of this is its impact on gaming development. Studios openly acknowledge using AI for tasks such as voicing non-player characters (NPCs) and creating background art, stating efficiency improvements and cost reductions on the development of games. This efficiency, however, comes at the cost of displacing individuals who previously undertook these roles. In the evolution of industries, winners and losers invariably emerge, it’s just way evolution happens to work.

Within our company, we have chosen the path of embracing artificial intelligence. Recognising it as an inevitable force, we leverage its capabilities to benefit both our clients and us, streamlining our workflow for expedited project delivery. Several illustrative examples include:

Voiceover AI

It’s not uncommon for us to receive a brief to create a video and have the video completed with multilingual voiceovers added, and all of this to be completed in a week. We use a company called Murf.ai which offers real human voices in many languages and styles, which then are digitised to recreate any script. Although not a flawless replacement for human studio recordings, this AI solution effectively works for our production timelines and budgetary constraints. While the use of bespoke voiceover artists would be ideal, in an ideal world, given the volume of videos we need to produce within specified time and budget limitations, they cannot rival the efficiency and cost-effectiveness offered by the AI option.

Colour Palette Recommendations

There are tools in the Adobe suite which analyses trends and colour combinations which would work together to form a complimentary colour palette when developing a brand for example whether you determine this to be AI is debatable, but it has become an invaluable tool in researching colour options when creating new brands that you may not have necessarily considered previously.

Image Creation

Personally, I’ve witnessed remarkable progress in this tool, surpassing other AI software at an impressive pace and demonstrating consistent enhancements month after month. Not long ago, if someone had generated an AI-created person just six months back, my initial scrutiny would have focused on the hands or eyes to discern its artificial nature. The tell-tale signs often included oddities like five fingers without thumbs or eyes that appeared, let’s say, shifty in their appearance. However, with the advent of Firefly, seamlessly integrated into the Adobe suite, these quirks involving digits and eyes are now a thing of the past.

A recent project involved refining the brand for IX Partners, which we had originally developed. We heavily centred  the brand around the use of the colour yellow. Thus presents ongoing challenges in sourcing fitting imagery to align with its identity. Leveraging AI software has empowered us to craft intricate image compositions that would otherwise incur significant expenses, potentially reaching thousands or even tens of thousands, through a custom photoshoot. This newfound capability allows us unprecedented creative freedom, providing our clients with tailor-made solutions at a fraction of the traditional cost.

To be honest, we are yet to scratch the surface of the other uses we will have for the AI image creator. To date, we’ve used it to help define brands and campaign imagery. It’s also been a valuable tool for creating scamps or mock-ups for larger campaigns that we work on. Presenting a visualisation of a proposed campaign allows the client to gain a greater understanding of our planned design in advance.

AI-Designed Adverts

As mentioned earlier, while other AI software is met with enthusiasm, banner creation software such as Bannerwise and Creatopy is still in the process of refinement and not considered a friend in the office. Despite being able to input rules for the AI to follow, these programs tend to take creative liberties, resulting in designs that resemble something a junior or intern would produce. The automated banner creation software lacks a nuanced understanding of rigorous brand guidelines, and users often spend considerable time getting to know the customer service team.

In addition to the mentioned software, there are still other programs we are yet to try, such as Fontjoy, a program for pairing complimentary fonts, and Coolors, another take on AI colour combination approaches. Along with other programs like Canva, which serves as an Adobe Light for beginners, these tools aim to make the graphic design industry more productive, reducing the need for extensive human intervention. Whether this is a positive development depends on where you stand. 

After watching the latest South Park movie, “The Panderverse,” which humorously explores AI taking everyone’s jobs, one might conclude that if you can operate a power tool, plumb a bath, or wire a circuit board, your job is safe—for now.

As for the rest of us…