Graphic Design & AI for Creators

Using Generative AI to create images for content is an adventure in patience

Anthro Pop's AI Art-venture: A Cyborg Michelangelo or Bland Bad Art?

AI art generators are the new it girl of the tech world. You can't throw a shoe without someone having an opinion of artificial intelligence applications. Naturally, your resident pop culture anthropologist couldn't resist a little digital dabbling, ya know, for research. This isn't about creating some snappy visuals for Anthro Pop, though I'm shamelessly transparent that any good results from a test case certainly benefits AP.

I reflect on the millions of amateurs, professionals, and small businesses that are looking for great visual manna. How close are we to declaring AI as a divine tool? Will generative tools empower humanity's creativity or replace it? The dialogue is certainly tickling some nerves of artists and entrepreneurs alike: Can a silicon e-brain truly grasp the nuances of human creativity?

The Algorithmic Muse

AI tools are undeniably fascinating. A few keystrokes, a sprinkle of digital pixie dust, and voilà --an image materializes from the ether. It's enough to make even the most ardent technophobe swoon. For those of us whose artistic talents peak at doodling in the margins of our field notes, it's downright revolutionary.

AI Art for Creators: Is it Worth It?

Anthro Pop used Gemini, AskGPT, Wix, Gronk, OpenAI, and Canva to create logos and graphics for its budding brand. From the first prompt on each platform, polite design requests were made and down the rabbit hole of faux artistic expression I went. I'm not a designer, but here we are and making do. I put myself in the shoes of an amateur--this was easy--to test the boundaries of my own scant skills. I utilized mainstream AI image generators to determine if my own design concepts and ideas could be created and polished up courtesy of AI.

The outcomes were hilarious, strange, and sometimes good. After spending a large number of hours in dialogue with generative tools, I discovered that AI's usefulness and accuracy depends entirely on the specificity of my requests. There were many instances when the AI couldn't keep up with a simple thread of requests and shut down. A particularly frustrating (and common challenge) among all platforms occurred when I was approaching a visual design I liked. AI struggled to identify and separate minor edits from a design, such as removing nonsense text. Typically, the entire design would be recreated in an entirely new version and the cycle felt somewhat unproductive at times.

The Elusive Je Ne Sais Quoi

Here's where things get delightfully complex. Capturing that intangible essence, that frisson of emotion that makes an image truly sing – that is where AI stumbles. It's like trying to teach a robot to appreciate the subtle irony of a Jane Austen novel. The algorithms can mimic, they can iterate, but can they truly capture a feeling? AI art generators are not capable of producing a surgically precise vibe that their humans are grasping for. Humans can be funny as they often can't articulate what they themselves don't know they want. That sentence is a bit of a head scratcher, but stay with me.

Designers will tell you that the hardest part of creating for another person or brand is a very anthropological lens of attempting to reveal the hidden. Designers, in their natural habitat, learn that the vocabulary of visual wisdom is not always possessed by the client. An artist or designer will internalize what content is asked of her and then ask questions to understand more fully the desired outcome. Designers must then deploy synergy, intuition, and at times omit some of what the client is asking for in order to listen and hear the silence of what's not said. Humans, with our messy, marvelous minds, possess an innate understanding of context, subtext, and the emotional symphony that a single image can evoke.

Coiled close to the client's heart and mind is an image that will be fully recognized with a creative partnership process. A great designer doesn't only do what the clients asks for, the designer gives the client what the client couldn't ask for, but wanted. AI, by this very human irrationality, will be very hard pressed to recreate the sparkle, the unreasonable essence that makes art not just good, but great.

Can We Retire the Berets, Yet?

For churning out quick graphics and other visual snacks? Absolutely, we should get really comfortable experimenting with AI generative tools that support our human tasking needs. Looking for a striking image for your Instagram feed, a form template for the office, or a quirky illustration for your latest blog post? AI is your gal. But for masterpieces that move, that provoke, that whisper secrets to the soul? Not so fast. AI is a bit like a precocious monkey on a typewriter. It can generate content, yes, but it needs a heavily guiding hand, a curator to manage the chaos. The human prompt for AI is the conductor of this digital orchestra, and the symphony of pixels relies entirely on the composer's skill.

The Entrepreneurial Enigma

The perpetual challenge faced by bootstrapped solopreneurs and entrepreneurs as well as students and other professionals: managing ambition and workload while dealing with budget limitations. Initially, AI generative tools can offer a cost-effective way to kickstart the creative or operational processes. As the business or assignments grow and become more complex, consulting with a human graphic designer or a UX professional---true experts in the visual field—can greatly enhance and drive your brand's visual communication. It's important to remember that a talented artist offers more than just technical skill. They have the experience and education to seek out the unseen and listen for the unspoken. They provide a unique perspective, a storytelling ability, and an insight into the essence of your brand.

AI is a seductive siren, whispering promises of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. But let's not succumb to her charms entirely. She's a marvelous tool, a muse for the modern age. But for now, at least, the human touch remains irreplaceable.

I've had some trippy images generated. Hop over to Insta @AnthroPopTalk to see some captions and resulting images. And do share your own AI art adventures in the comments below!

Shine brightly and ask lots of questions until we meet again.

-AnthoPop