The design world has shifted lately. Tools like Canva and Adobe Express have brought design to the masses. With just a few clicks, anyone can create a flyer or a social post. Now, with generative AI, these tools promise to “create” your entire brand for you.
So you might ask yourself: Has AI taken over the creative jobs? Do you even need to hire a designer?
I personally believe that there’s a big difference between design that’s accessible and design that’s professional.
The downsides of accessible design
Don’t get me wrong: accessible design has its place. If you’re making a birthday invitation or a quick personal project on a tight budget, these tools are great. They get the job done.
But when it comes to designing for a professional business, here’s what I see:
- A diluted brand: AI-generated images can feel a bit soulless. If you use the same generic prompts as everyone else, your brand starts to blend into the background. Professional design is about standing out, not fitting in.
- An editing nightmare: AI is great at giving you a finished, flat image. But what if you need to move one element, change a specific brand colour, or resize it for a large poster? With AI, you’re often stuck. You can’t easily tweak or reuse parts for a larger campaign.
- A copyright minefield: This is the big one. The legal side of AI is still a “Wild West.” If a tool generates an image based on someone else’s work, who actually owns it? For a business, that’s a legal risk you just don’t need.
AI and me
I’m not anti-AI. I just don’t let it hold the pen (or control my mouse). Instead, I use it as a high-powered assistant to handle the “grunt work.”
If I need to remove a messy background from a photo or brainstorm twenty quick layout ideas, AI is a game-changer. It speeds up my process so I can spend more time on the strategy.
And when it comes to the final product, I always return to a blank canvas. I design from scratch, built specifically around your brand and your goals. This ensures your work is 100% original, fully editable for any future project, and ultimately legally yours.
Conclusion:
AI can generate a picture, but it can’t understand your vision. It can’t feel the nuance of your brand or the specific needs of your audience.
I use AI to work faster, but I use my experience to work better. Because at the end of the day, your business deserves a designer, not just a prompt.