Technological Change in Graphic Design: Adapting to AI

To 'AI' or not to 'AI'. Let's explore the use of AI for Graphic Designers.

To 'AI' or not to 'AI' is one of the most current questions on many designers’ minds. AI is proving itself as a formidable ‘wake up’ call for many designers, including myself. We are stepping into an era that can be seen as scary, challenging, and some may even see it as a career and occupation destroying monster, but this AI era can also create new opportunities and new growth.

From pencils and production tools to AI, graphic design has always evolved, but creative direction, experience and judgement still sit with the designer.

Originally, I started out in the trade of graphic reproduction (showing my age). As my own career progressed through the various trades – photographer, camera operator, typesetter, prepress technician, bromide layout specialist, film stripper and retoucher, and platemaker, these occupations gradually combined and are now digitised and encompassed within the roles of graphic designers, finished artists, prepress operators and photographers. As you can imagine, I’ve seen a lot of technological change in my career.

Let’s look at photography as an example. When cheap disposable (film) cameras became very popular in the 1990s, photographers were outraged. Running a wedding photography studio, I felt that fierce resistance to technology. My photographers reported back, furious that wedding couples at various wedding receptions had left cheap disposable cameras on every table for candid shots. No longer was it necessary for a professional photographer to stay at the reception to the very end.

I commiserated with the photographers for the reduction of hours at these prestigious events, but I also saw the benefit of these instant cameras. The wedding guests could relax and enjoy their time and still capture silly candid shots of each other, shots that would not have happened with a professional photographer. I also felt a shift in the public’s attitude toward photographers in this time. Disposable instant cameras didn’t destroy the industry or the livelihoods of photographers. Instead, expectations were raised and, when a professional photographer was hired, so was the expectations of the photographer’s fee.

Little did we all know, digital photography was running full steam ahead and the technology was on top of us before we knew it. And again, I witnessed resistance, outrage, prophesies of occupational doom and extinction. Yet, here we are, professional photography is still strong and a formidable occupation, despite phone cameras, social media and all the new evolving technologies. Professional photographers didn’t go extinct. They adapted and adopted.

The same applies to graphic designers. We are working in a quick evolving industry. By adopting and adapting to new technology and in particular, AI, doesn’t mean selling our creative soul to a machine. What it means, is being confident in our own individual creative genius and using the new tools and new technology available to us to communicate our unique creativity efficiently and effectively.

For me, AI is just like new software, a new computer, a new screen, or other tools of the trade, they are all production tools. I use AI in automation, production procedures, and in administration where appropriate, but when it comes to design, I’m the creative director, concept visualiser, explorer, developer, and layout designer. I am the graphic designer. AI has its benefits, and although there is a lot of scary talk out there, we need to think about our photographer counterparts of today and follow their path.

AI is beneficial to my clients for the purpose of speeding up the processes behind the scenes, those hidden time-eating procedures that most people outside of the industry don’t recognise or even know exist. This then frees my time to be more creative and provide more value to my clients, whether that's solving technical production issues, preparing files for print, or improving workflow efficiency. Utilising all the tools available to me can only benefit my clients.

We are forever evolving human beings, and the tools evolve with us, and vice versa. To AI or not to AI is a personal choice. How we react and utilise AI will determine our place as graphic designers in this new evolving world. I rejoice my individual creativity and know that no AI can produce what I imagine. AI can help me to communicate my idea, but the idea and concept itself is uniquely me.

While technology continues to evolve, accuracy, consistency and production quality remain essential. Files still need to be checked, tested and prepared correctly before publication or print.