Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) and Design: Viewing AI as a New, Powerful Tool in the Young Creative Professional's Repertoire
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has firmly entrenched itself in our lives, and its presence is undeniable. Many emerging designers, however, grapple with the notion of whether AI is a form of cheating or if it sidesteps conventional creative practices, thereby circumventing the creative process. The question remains: Should one accept and embrace AI as a valuable asset in the world of design?
In my perspective, perceiving AI as a novel and potent tool in your creative toolkit can be remarkably advantageous. It's essential to remember that AI is not a sentient being; it's an algorithm—a sophisticated digital collaborator capable of enhancing your ideas and concepts.
To truly harness the potential of AI, it necessitates a willingness to learn and experiment. The creative industry will be looking to you and your young peers to embrace AI with the same instinctive understanding and fearless enthusiasm that earlier generations exhibited when adopting desktop computers, the Adobe Suite, and later, leveraging social media as a marketing powerhouse. It's worth recalling that each of these milestones initially stirred apprehension and uncertainty.
For graphic and industrial designers, the quest for "inspiration" often involves scouring Google Images, Pinterest, design portfolios, and other digital sources while assembling mood boards. In doing so, you're essentially seeking pre-existing creations—works that have already been brought into existence. Although the resulting work may be fresh and captivating, its publication means it's no longer truly original; someone else owns and has shared it with the world. In contrast, drawing inspiration from your initial ideas and supplementing them with creative prompts from an AI image generator yields something unprecedented—your thinking elevated to a whole new level. It's a form of inspiration and imagination that transcends traditional boundaries.
Here's the strategy I advocate for incorporating Generative AI into your creative process:
Brainstorm and Conceptualize: Begin by brainstorming and conceptualizing your ideas. This stage is crucial for setting the foundation of your project.
Design Midjourney Prompts: Create prompts that will deliver fresh ideas and images to inspire and engage your creativity. This step can be surprisingly enjoyable, as you explore new avenues of thought with the assistance of AI.
Curate and Refine: Carefully curate and refine the results generated by the AI. This process should lead you to a series of images that serve as an original starting point for your final ideation. Think of it as your mood board on steroids—filled with unique, AI-fueled inspiration.
Create Your Original Work: Armed with your curated inspiration, proceed to create your original work. This final step represents the culmination of your creative journey, enhanced by the power of AI.
(Regarding crediting and acknowledging AI as a source, it's akin to acknowledging software tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Just as these software applications aid in bringing your ideas to life, AI serves as a tool to materialize your creative vision. AI, much like Photoshop, doesn't define your idea; it merely amplifies your creative potential.)