Exploring generative AI in Graphics Design

We caught up with Miki, and asked him if AI is a threat to the artistic community.

“The first images from Midjourney were a parody, but since version 4, I’ve embraced it fully, as the results are acceptable and getting better. That being said, I doubt a designer will get replaced any time soon. AI is an incredible tool. And we should treat it that way. It’s ideal for concept generation and makes disposable graphics assets (social media images, banners, etc.) in a matter of moments, minutes of days.”  says Miki.

During the workshops, Miki engages the audience with live prompting and testing the results. Most of the time the room is filled with laughter as they spot a mishap from AI. Additional fingers or umbrellas that aren't exactly connected to hands. The workshops are planned for 2h sessions but everyone (thus far) have gone overtime even reaching 4h of image generation and giggles.

So will graphic designers be replaced by AI?

"No, not yet, but it's a really good time to learn this tech and get ahead" - Miki replies.

Miki starts the workshops by explaining how AI actually works, explaining in simple terms the ideas behind Midjourney and how it makes images under the hood. A significant highlight is a practical segment where attendees learn to prompt in Midjourney.

We caught up with Miki and asked him if AI is a threat to the artistic community.

“The first images from Midjourney were a parody, but since version 4, I’ve embraced it fully, as the results are acceptable and improving. That being said, I doubt a designer will get replaced any time soon. AI is an incredible tool. And we should treat it that way. It’s ideal for concept generation and makes disposable graphics assets (social media images, banners, etc.) in a matter of moments, minutes, or days.”  says Miki.

During the workshops, Miki engages the audience with live prompting and testing the results. Most of the time, the room is filled with laughter as they spot a mishap from AI. Additional fingers or umbrellas that aren't exactly connected to hands. The workshops are planned for 2h sessions, but everyone (thus far) has gone overtime, even reaching 4h of image generation and giggles.

So will graphic designers be replaced by AI?

"No, not yet, but it's a really good time to learn this tech and get ahead" - Miki replies.

Miki starts the workshops by explaining how AI actually works, explaining in simple terms the ideas behind Midjourney and how it makes images under the hood. A significant highlight is a practical segment where attendees learn to prompt in Midjourney.

Unlocking success with complex simplicity

Simplicity is often the key to success when working with AI. But going too simple can also bring incorrect results. So it's a balancing act with the right prompt at the right spot to guide the process. Using the 'in the style of' prompt in Midjourney, for example, can give impressive results, generating consistently styled images with ease.

As we also learned during our webinar with Global Orange and De Roos Advocates, laws around generated content by AI are just about non-existent.

Both the EU and US are working on legislation. The only thing we can be sure of is that your input needs to be your own. The output, on the other hand … doesn’t have any copyright. That means generating the Pope in Balenciaga outfits isn’t legal because you most probably don't have rights to the Pope's image or that of Balenciaga.

And what of the future?
The workshops show us how AI can speed up the flow of a designer's work. We believe that this tool can create amazing concepts that a designer can then use to drive their vision forward. No longer do you need to spend hours, days, or weeks on what could be a flawed idea. Generate it, see if the concept sticks and build upon that.

During the summer, Miki decided to postpone the lessons as the vacation season drew to its peak. Amsterdam Standard will certainly be restarting these eye-opening events again in the autumn.

“It’s a matter of awareness. I’m not here to convince anyone to abandon their current art medium, but to open their eyes and just show the possibilities of this new tool” Miki concludes.