Designing with AI
Unravelling the Creative Unknown
When Life Gives You Lemons
Client Personal project
The entire industry is buzzing with talk of AI, its disruptive influence, and the ethical considerations that come with it. Adobe Max 2023 was brimming with sessions on how to integrate AI into creative workflows. I set out to test AI tools for myself and discover new ways to create engaging visual stories.
My goal was to understand AI's potential and learn how to use it responsibly.
The Process
In the world of creative exploration, sometimes the unexpected can lead to incredible outcomes. I used the freedom of a personal project, which is not possible with client work, to change direction. I was working on the popular expression «When life gives you lemons." What started as a bright and sunny concept evolved into a suspense thriller, adding a twist to a well-worn cliché.
It all began with the exploration of Midjourney, an AI tool promising to generate visuals based on written prompts. However, this initial experiment revealed that it takes a lot of time to generate interesting results. Mastering prompts is a learning curve. With many intellectual property issues that still need to be clarified, creating visuals for commercial content on this platform needs to be done with caution.
My next step took place in my very own kitchen, where I conducted a photoshoot. With a minimal setup, I photograph a lemon on a butcher block using my trusty old iPhone. The intent was to test how a simple photo could be transformed into a striking visual with the help of AI.
With a small selection of photos in hand, I began testing layouts quickly. Photoshop Generative Fill became my favourite tool, allowing me to effortlessly remove objects and expand photos for better framing control. This tool can also create texture and simple elements to polish the image.
The Outcome
The culmination of this creative journey resulted in a book cover that tells a unique and captivating story. It's an exploration of a murder mystery set in everyday life, with a distinct retro TV aesthetic. A juicy lemon spilling on a butcher block on the cover immerses the viewer in a murder scene.
The choice of the "Benguiat Pro ITC" font, reminiscent of Stephen King’s ’80s book covers, adds a vintage and suspenseful touch to the title. On the foreground, splashes of lemon's juice blur part of the letters to better integrate the type into the scene. The old TV frame subtly encases the butcher block, and the splashes extending beyond the frame bring depth to the composition.
The Impact
This personal project unlocked new creative avenues and illuminated the potential of AI in design. In a world where AI is rapidly changing the landscape, it's important to understand its power and use it wisely. The discovery of generative tools in Photoshop, speeding up photo manipulation, was truly transformative. AI tools are on track to revolutionize the field, making post-production work more efficient and breathing new life into banal images.
In conclusion, this personal project showcases the power of curiosity, open-mindedness, and the potential of new tools to turn even the most clichéd concepts into something fresh, intriguing, and unique.