Design is for humans.

Ultimately, design is a form of storytelling. It's about communicating how to use a product through its shape, form, and function. It's about eliciting a strong reaction or setting a specific vibe. Design has always been about the person or people you want to resonate with.

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence designed to create content, from text and images to code. It uses machine learning on large datasets to create original content that mimics the materials it has learned from.

People work in the same way.

Most AI is based on how people think and learn through habit and repetition. Most complex AI systems have neural networks that are loosely interconnected, similar to the neurons in our brains. Just like us, AI learns and adapts from acquired knowledge and continually seeks to learn new things. The issue is that most people can’t discern what data is relevant and what data isn't important to them.

The real question is should you be afraid of A.I.

Yes Abso-fucking-lutely, but not for the reasons you might think. Generative AI has gotten really good, really fast, and since we have freely given our data to every platform on the internet—from Google to TikTok to Meta—we have been training these AI models to replace us. Plus in having freely given our data to every platform on the internet—from Google to TikTok to Meta—we have been training these AI models to replace us. With algorithms that prey on our basic instincts for dopamine and escapism, we really only have ourselves to blame for all of this.

I'm not afraid of AI taking my job because I believe a person is more than their work. I believe I can create and build things that an AI won't be able to think of. Creativity isn't just about pretty images; it can be cultural and historical. It needs context to the human condition and human needs. Right now AI can give you some pretty images and decent content, but most people can tell when something is just copied and pasted from an AI.

AI and social media algorithms have already flattened our culture and built walls around the human experience and that should be a big concern for all of us.

There are benefits to AI as a tool and partner.

I've been toying with AI tools for a few years, and while they have sped up my workflow and kept my ADHD-idled brain in check, I always use my own common sense when using them. While AI may make some jobs replaceable, I think using it as a tool to work and get ahead of this trend could be infinitely more useful. I don't think AI will kill creative work if we use it responsibly as a tool, not a magic wand for our work. This will require a massive skill shift in how people think about creative work and the skills they learn going forward.

AI can enhance productivity by handling repetitive tasks, acting as a source of inspiration by generating multiple variations of ideas, and providing valuable feedback to refine work. It can analyze vast amounts of data to identify trends and insights, helping creatives make informed decisions. However, integrating AI requires a shift in mindset and skills, with an understanding of its strengths and limitations. Ethical considerations are a must to ensure AI enhances rather than diminishes human creativity. By leveraging AI responsibly, creatives can augment their work and explore new possibilities.

AI isn't Ultron or Terminator; this technology can still be shaped by us, the people who engage with it, and the companies that are training it. Like all tools, there will be those who misuse it and fundamentally change our world. However, it is crucial to recognize that AI is not inherently malevolent. It can be directed and controlled to benefit society, enhancing productivity, sparking creativity, and providing valuable insights. Our responsibility lies in ensuring that AI is used ethically and responsibly, balancing innovation with the preservation of human values and creativity.

Unfortunately people can be thoughtless or intentional evil, and seemingly insignificant changes can have huge impacts. Corporations are actively looking to replace creatives and workers to reduce overhead, as capitalism will always prioritizes profit over people. As creatives, we need to guide this technology to minimize harm. To do this, we must use it, learn it, and discuss it vigorously. Our new responsibility is to ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly, balancing innovation with preserving human values and creativity. We won't be able to stop every instance of abuse but we can stay on alert and call those abusers out.

Companies don't really care about us; we're just a means to an end. For example, when you submit your resume for a job, it often goes through an AI to determine if you even get to be a candidate, completely removing the human element from the job search process. Personality, which is a good indicator of how someone fits into an organization, is overlooked. Instead, candidates are evaluated based on criteria unknown to them. This can lead to extreme bias in how AI is used, and how we see the world.

How we used AI

We at Almst actively fight against bias on all fronts. We know firsthand how it feels not to see ourselves represented in the world. When we use AI, we strive to include different body types and cultures. Here’s an example of how we use generative AI to assist us in a project.

Everything starts with sketching

I love my iPad Pro for doing all kinds of work, and I always have it on me as my digital notebook and computer. So, when Pantone needed help with their fashion color trend report, I started brainstorming ideas in Procreate about a watercolor fashion sketchbook. Inspired by my love of comics and anime, like Akira Toriyama, and the fashion illustration greats like Alfredo Bouret and Antonio Lopez, I blended their styles with loose sketches. As a side note, I always sketch a selfie as a warm-up.

Since this was a big campaign that was going to get news coverage and press, we had to create an extensive amount of imagery—more than I could create and paint on my own in the 5-day turnaround we had for this project.

To meet what would otherwise be an impossible deadline. I decided to upload a bunch of these sketches into Midjourney and use AI to add the watercolor effects I needed for the right feel. With some prompt engineering, I got a bunch of great images in about an hour or two, all reflecting my drawing style.

We reviewed these images with the client to select the ones we could use for the project. Once they chose the imagery, we put it back into Photoshop to edit colors, add more texture, and eliminate any AI wonkiness that comes from this type of work.

What could have taken a larger team with drawing skills to create over 50 images only took a few days to create and get something that works for this project. Using AI as a tool for my own creativity saved me so many hours.

The ethics of how we use AI

I'm going to break this down into a few do's and don'ts

Do

1. It's a tool; don't be a tool.
   AI is great to augment your workflow. Use them to generate ideas, brainstorm, and explore new styles or concepts that you might not have considered on your own, or to reinforce your ideas. We typically use AI as a spring board never a copy and paste.

2. Maintain ethical standards.
   Don't be that asshole who steals other people’s work and tries to say its a different version because AI reimagined it for you. Create things based off your own imagination. The universe gave us a functional brain use it to create great stuff.
   
   

3. Learn, Adapt, Repeat.
   Designers do so much more than people think, most designers I know are multidiscplinary from creating illustrations and logos to product design. Continue to learn any and all tools you use to maximize your abilities. Never get comfortable; The next wave right around the corner.

Don't

1. Copy and paste is for suckers.
   If you’re copying and pasting directly from any AI without reading and putting your touch on it, you will sound like a drone. AI currently is very verbose in how it gives out responses. Be human, be unique, get weird, and try not to lean on every output AI gives you as truth.
   
   

2. Don't ignore biases.
   Like people AI inherits biases from what data it is trained on. Be mindful of this and strive for as much inclusivity and diversity as possible. Make sure you're not reinforcing stereotypes. Here’s good rule of thumb: Make sure what you create is rooted in the world outside your window.
   
   

3. Don't be Drake.
   Using AI to mimic someone voice to win a rap battle isn't only unethical its also very lame. Same can be said of OpenAI who try to use Scarlett Johansson voice without permission.

Most importantly… do your fucking job.

You are a designer, creator, writer. AI is just a tool that companies want you to think will replace you—and it will if you let it. I believe that to do our jobs well we should use any and all tools available to increase our knowledge and experience to tell better stories and provide our clients with deeper insights into design and creativity. While AI is an incredible tool, please remember who these tools and these companies serve: You.