At DayOne, we believe in staying at the forefront of innovation, especially when it comes to leveraging technology to enhance our creative capabilities. Recently, we had the privilege of engaging in a thought-provoking LinkedIn Live session with Formative, delving deep into the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the world of design. The conversation unearthed valuable insights and shed light on the evolving landscape of creative processes.
Embracing AI: A Catalyst for Innovation
During the session, our Creative Director, Anthony, shared our journey of integrating AI into our agency’s operations. He highlighted how AI is not just a tool for automating processes but a catalyst for innovation, enabling us to push the boundaries of creativity. Anthony described the introduction of AI into the business as “another skill to our skillset as a Design Studio”.
Anthony eloquently expressed, “We’re using AI at DayOne in a number of different ways, most relevant to this will be how we’re then trying to add value to our clients”. This statement underscores AI’s pivotal role in reshaping our approach and enhancing the value we offer to our clients, marking a significant leap forward in our quest for innovation.
The Adobe Problem: Human Intelligence alongside AI
Anthony discussed the impact of MidJourney and Adobe’s AI integration, and particularly the need for human intelligence whilst using the software. Anthony touched on the fact the software is not without its flaws. For example with the descriptive prompt, sometimes it gets it right the first time but more often than not it requires you to keep going back to it.
Furthermore, once using the descriptive prompt to generate your images, there is still a lot of artistry that’s required in the touch up phase. Anthony goes on to clarify “what we are actually presenting to the client as a finished image might look spectacular, but there’s an awful lot of hours that have gone into that (artwork) in the background which have been wildly wrong and required an awful lot of time from our part to get right and I mean that’s part of learning any new software”.
There is an argument to be made that whilst these tools are still new, they are best left to industry experts to create the best work. Anthony reiterated “I think the best work at this stage, as the tech is now, is probably still done by an agency, a creative freelancer or someone that understands that world and can think outside the box. I think for a client to adopt this by themselves would be quite a frustrating process so I think as I would say yeah leave it to us”.
While the tech still has a long way to go, it will progress much quicker than we will be able to comprehend and AI will be an important piece of our tech going forward, driving us towards a future where creativity and technology converge seamlessly.
Navigating Client Expectations: Educating and Empowering
Educating clients about the potential of AI while managing expectations emerged as a crucial theme of our discussion. DayOne is fortunate that our clients are asking us if we can use AI, experiment with it and are on board with using AI to enhance their content.
DayOne advises clients that this isn’t necessarily going to save you money or time but we might be able to come up with something that’s truly unique that doesn’t require a photoshoot or to generate content which would be impossible to recreate. We like to manage expectations of what’s achievable, whilst still providing our clients with a level of innovation and creativity that sets their brand apart. Our approach emphasises transparency and realism; while AI presents exciting possibilities, we acknowledge its limitations and the need for refinement. Nonetheless, our commitment to pushing boundaries means we’re dedicated to delivering solutions that surpass expectations, offering clients unparalleled value and distinction in the competitive landscape.
Anthony finalises this point by stating “I think what comes next is potentially going to be really exciting but I think setting a kind of clear expectation that it’s not a perfect technology yet and that it still requires a lot of work”.
Striking a Balance: Human Creativity and AI Efficiency
One of the key takeaways from our conversation was the importance of striking a balance between human creativity and AI efficiency.
Anthony reiterated, “The creative process shouldn’t change because AI is involved. I think you need to come up with the idea first and allow AI to do the heavy lifting for you rather than seeing what AI can come up with and then formulating your idea”.
The best way to create meaningful content that’s going to engage with audiences is to do it the old fashioned way. Try to understand what it is you’re really trying to talk about first and then use the AI visual generators to help you produce that.
Anthony emphasised the need for creativity to drive content creation, with AI serving as a tool for execution rather than dictating creative direction.
Looking Ahead: Embracing the Future of Design
As we navigate the evolving landscape of design, one thing is clear: AI is here to stay, but the true potential lies in collaboration with human creativity. As Anthony aptly summarised, “AI’s potential excites but scepticism remains. It shouldn’t replace creativity but enhance it.”
AI isn’t going anywhere and you would be doing yourself an injustice to consider it not relevant to any business. When asked ‘what would be your key takeaways for marketing leaders?’ Anthony advises experts to make sure that you’re thinking quite hard about using this new tech and getting on board with it early on rather than rejecting it. You want it to enhance what you’re able to offer, not to replace.
Join the Conversation
We invite you to join us on our journey of exploration and innovation. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions and thought-provoking insights as we continue to push the boundaries of creativity and design.
Remember, the future of design is not about AI replacing human creativity; it’s about AI and human creativity working hand in hand to unlock new possibilities and shape a more innovative future.
To listen to our discussion with Formative, click here.
Let’s embrace the future of design together!
