There is a lot to understand about what AI design is and how it’s being used presently if we’re going to have a good idea of what’s to come. Moreover, because the technology is still so new and growing, numerous kinks need to be addressed and updated, not just when it comes to delivering good results but also regarding ethics and legality.

As a brand or business, it may be challenging to imagine how a tool like AI design could pose any issues like that. However, AI design can affect artists significantly. 

With everything in life, there are pros and cons to using AI design and its tools. Today, we’ll cover what it is, how it affects businesses and creatives, and what you can likely expect from it in the future.

Let’s dive in.

What Is AI Design Or Generative Creation?

Generative creation or AI design employs machine learning software and a workflow to generate content, graphics, or copy. The program takes your input as a prompt, words describing your concept or idea, and then uses it to generate an outcome by putting it into an algorithm. The algorithm creates an asset using what it’s learned to pull pieces from external sources and join them together.

While using a designer may sound similar (you tell them what you need, and with their skills, they create something for you in one to two days), it’s very different. The technology is “creating” on its own and does it in just a few minutes, maybe less. Now, the creation that takes place is also different as well. Instead of a human hearing or reading your request and then taking the time to draw or design something from scratch, the AI is taking pieces of existing art, jumbling them up to fit the parameters you set, and displaying a somewhat mathematical result.

There often isn’t the opportunity to provide feedback and refine the design either, though some programs are adding this feature.

These tools are frequently used to create illustrated looks for a person via an app’s AI filter, draw characters or picture concepts, or see images in different styles.

One of the most popular tools is MidJourney, which uses Discord to take prompts and turn them into pictures.

What Does AI Design Look Like?

It looks similar to art, but many software options out there currently still need some help. With a basic AI tool, you can type in princess with a dragon and get something close to what you imagine. However, the technology is still growing, and some issues may be with proportions, distortion, or placement.

Should AI Design Be Used In Corporate Or Commercial Spaces?

This is a tricky road to navigate. While using an AI tool could certainly hasten your timeline and get you satisfactory results, the question of where those results are truly coming from and their quality still hangs heavy overhead.

Here is a scenario to consider. 

Suppose you’re working with a company like Flocksy and request a design using our intuitive brief. In the best-case scenario, we’ll get your designs back to you within 24 hours, and you’ll be thrilled with the results- no revisions needed. When you work with Flocksy, this does happen quite a bit. 

But what if you do have revisions? That’s also very normal. The artist will take your feedback, update the design, and give you the final result you want. That process takes a bit longer than the design with no revisions.

Now, say you or the artist used an AI tool to create a quick concept reference for your design.  The project would start with an example that is ready to be expounded on. Whether the AI concept is way off or close to the mark, it could inform the artist and cut back on revisions in the long run.

However, it’s important to note that the AI design can’t be used as-is or as the base layer of your design if you want something truly original. Remember, these tools pull from existing designs, meaning part of this creation already exists on the internet. You don’t want your outcome to look like a tweaked version of someone else’s work.

Are There Drawbacks To AI Design?

There are a number of drawbacks and ethical considerations to make when it comes to AI design.

At the start is the communication barrier. Because the technology is new, it’s very possible that the AI might not understand you on the first try. You’ll have to re-generate several times to get what you want.

If you eventually get what you’re looking for, it might not be so bad to repeat the process for a few minutes, but if the AI never truly understands what you want, you’ll have to go back to work with an artist anyway.

Another crucial consideration is ethics. Yes, all creative work is influenced by something. However, that’s different from taking something from another source and claiming you made it.

To better understand this, allow us to provide an example. Say you want to design a character- for a book, a comic, a website, etc. You do some searching on the internet and find one you love. It’s perfect. They just need red hair and to be holding an umbrella. So, you copy that image, whether printing it out, downloading, or snipping it.

Then, you trace over that image, change the coloring either digitally or by hand, and add an umbrella. Once you’re finished, you take that design and put it on your merchandising and promotional materials. Well, we’ve got a problem, right? 

You didn’t create that design. You traced it and updated a few things. 

At present, that is essentially what AI tools are doing. They’re taking art that someone made, digitally manipulating it, potentially combining it with art from the same or a different artist, and calling it new. It’s not.

Lastly, many are thinking of these generated designs as stock photos. That doesn’t quite line up because the artist of the images on the web hasn’t necessarily consented to or is being paid to provide stock assets. When a photographer or artist submits their creatives to a stock website, they’ve consented to let their work be used as such and are being compensated for it.

A picture pulled from an artist’s website where they sell their prints isn’t stock, and with AI tools, we can’t presently tell where it’s pulling its resources from.

Will AI Design Affect Creative Jobs?

Many clients may come to artists with more AI concepts as a rough start, which could be helpful. We could also see people using these AI tools to create the design entirely and using it out in the world. Hopefully, people still know that they can get better, more ethical results by working with a human.

Correctly combining colors, logos, and brand guidelines so that they are consistent across your brand is still a human job. The AI tool doesn’t possess the same knowledge of your brand, likes, or dislikes that an artist who’s been working with you for a while will have. They also aren’t as accurate as a result. While design and art are subjective, marketers’ creative needs are unique and specific, and AI design alone can’t hold up to those standards in most cases.

What Are The Legal Implications & Risks Of AI Design?

If you’ve used these AI apps or tools, particularly one where you input an image, you’ve likely accepted the terms and conditions associated with that app. What that fine print often says is that you’ll be relinquishing the rights to the assets to the parent company in perpetuity. 

That’s a significant concern.

Licensing and commercial use are significant issues with AI design used as-is. There is a risk that using this content as your own may or may not be legally protected. After all, it’s very possible that someone could enter a similar prompt and get a similar result. The AI isn’t concerned with making something entirely unique each time it spits out an image or, at least presently, where it’s getting its sources. We’ll likely see a lot of these lawsuits begin to be successful.

What is Flocksy Doing?

We understand that tools like AI “art bots” can provide a rough idea of what you need, and using them to create a first draft may even speed things up a bit. However, we also know that a human has to step in to do the actual designing or drawing.

At Flocksy, we hire real people to sit down and design or draw your assets. You won’t find an AI bot delivering material harvested from the internet that may or may not be correct. Our skilled design experts do the work, craft unique content that matches your idea, and isn’t copied from someone else.

We won’t use AI, and we assure you that the assets you get from our creatives will have an exceptionally high quality and accuracy rate.

You can see examples of our top-notch designs and illustrations in our portfolio here.

A Conclusion About AI Design

When used properly, this technology could be complementary and not competitive to designers. Employing them to mock up designs that you’ll later create from scratch can eliminate some back and forth over revisions, and saving time is great. 

What will be essential to keep a lookout for in the future is the continuing growth of these tools and the sourcing they do for their results. If there’s a way that the bots can pull from only approved artwork that the original artist can consent to, similar to a stock photo service, then these tools could be handy. 

It’s unlikely that these types of services would exist without a fee, but paying to use an AI generator is already starting to happen, even for entirely personal use. It’s also unlikely that a human won’t be necessary anymore, and for all your design needs, you have Flocksy at your back.

Content marketing is quickly proving to be one of the most effective ways to market your services and grow your business. In fact, studies show that customers are a whopping 131% more likely to purchase from a brand after reading their content.

But why should you hire a copywriter? What stops you from writing and publishing your own content? Nothing. However, there are some very good reasons why you should consider hiring a professional to provide you with unlimited copywriting rather than doing it on your own.

Quality Content

Not surprisingly, poorly written blog posts, peppered with typos and grammar mistakes is not going to do your business any favors. The key to effective content marketing is publishing informative, engaging blog posts, not the opposite.

So, although most people can string two sentences together, not all of us can create the engaging, professional content needed to set our businesses apart from the competition. Copywriters can. So don’t short yourself. Instead, hire a copywriter and see for yourself what unlimited copywriting can do for your business.

Time Management

Maybe you could find the time to write and publish exceptional content on your blog. But just because you’re able to do something doesn’t mean it’s the best use of your time. Want more time to pour into other aspects of your business? Consider hiring a professional to provide you with unlimited copywriting and free up your time.

Objectivity

Regardless of whether or not you are a decent writer, as a business owner, you have another problem. You see, great content marketing isn’t telling your audience what you need them to know; it is giving them content they want to read.

Because while you might know that your products and services are standing between your audience and a better life, they don’t. And chances are they are tired of being preached at.

What your audience wants, and what your business needs, is a reason to trust you above the competition. For this to happen your content needs to be educational and engaging, not just a thinly veiled advertisement in the form of a blog post.

A copywriter can help you with content that will engage with the right audience, build their trust, and increase your sales.

Branding

A good copywriter will get to know your brand. They will understand your motivation, your business goals, and your approach, and then channel all of that information into copy that will wow your audience.

You want to hire a copywriter that can offer unlimited copywriting and that is willing to get to know your brand as well as you do. The key difference between you and your copywriter will be that they can put your brand and purpose into words better than you can.

Hire a copywriter. There is no reason to be a one-man (or one-woman) show. Not when there are so many ways for your business to access unlimited copywriting.

Video content is the current hot topic in the digital marketing world. You may be wondering how you can access this opportunity. Your videos may not be as aesthetically pleasing or as professional as your competitors’ videos, and you need to stay ahead of the game. You’re not sure what step to take next, but you know that step involves elevating your videos’ quality.

Video editing may be the solution for your marketing needs. Here are reasons why you need unlimited video editing in your toolkit:

Looks More Cohesive

If your footage and audio are not aligned properly without video editing, your marketing campaign will not look as though you’ve invested effort into it. This can give the wrong impression to potentially warm leads and even current customers. Additionally, video editing will allow you to cut out any unnecessary content to ensure that it is concise and captures the viewers’ attention.

Builds Your Brand Reputation

Quality video editing should speak volumes of your business. It shows that you care about how your customers perceive your business and builds credibility. A poorly edited or unedited video will give off the impression that you are just seeking to sell a product or service quickly with no regard for the customer experience. Edited videos are clearly added value to the customers, making them more likely to interact and share.

Supports Better Marketing Outcomes

If you are trying to find quality leads and are specifically targeting viewers who have watched a significant portion of your video, you will find greater success in video editing. Edited videos are not only highly engaging for consumers, but they eliminate any unnecessary distractions in the footage or audio quality that may otherwise cause a user to abandon the video (and sales funnel) early. Higher quality videos may even convince a user to take action immediately without the need for lead nurturing.

Video editing has the capability of transforming your target audience’s experiences from the moment they first learn about your business to the moment when they make the executive decision to support you financially. By investing in higher quality videos through editing, you can ensure a greater return on investment for your marketing campaigns.

However, it is important to take advantage of unlimited video editing; you do not want to be restricted in the power capability of your campaigns. Unlimited video editing will allow you to put your best foot forward.

We all know that good managers and business leaders look for collaboration experience in new hires. Even in highly competitive sales environments, teamwork can help companies meet their performance goals. I have compiled several ways that teamwork can uplift both the company and its employees:

Fills in Skillset Gaps

You need to have employees that are adept at teamwork on your side as they will play to each other’s strengths in project management for the benefit of the company. Say that you’re the creative of the group, and one of your other teammates is more statistics oriented. If your teammate was to tackle a project towards creating an ad for the company, they would likely come to you for your expertise in writing copy while they run analytics on best possible keywords to attract your customers. With that power team, it’s no wonder you’ll be able to complete your appealing ad on time!

Allows for New Ideas

Modern workplaces are increasingly recognizing the benefits of diversity and inclusion on their projects. By fostering diversity and inclusion in your teamwork, you are naturally inviting new perspectives into the conversation and inspiring innovations. Teamwork also allows higher quality ideas as they are often vetted in group discussions.

Solves Problems Faster

When everyone works together, it is no wonder that the team is productive and completes tasks more efficiently. Even if the team is at a crossroads, a quick brainstorming session together can assist in the process of finding a viable solution.

Encourages Communication

We all know that this skill is an important facet of teamwork. However, did you know that teamwork also involves communication for conflict resolution? If you don’t agree on a concept that a coworker has put forth as a solution or believe strongly that a project should be completed a certain way, you will require compromise to continue to exceed your supervisor’s expectations for the project. Teamwork lays the foundation for strong communication as team members must resolve their arguments internally rather than notifying a supervisor.

Elevates Team Members

Teamwork is a natural morale-booster. Each team member is made to feel valued and heard for their input to the project. The employees’ morale will also translate into how they view their company as well as whether they exhibit company loyalty.

It’s plain and simple really; you need an unlimited web development team, unlimited copywriting team, and unlimited graphic design team to make your website look better than fantastic and a place that people want to visit and browse around.

As good as your website looks right now, an unlimited web development team, unlimited copywriting team, and unlimited graphic design team can make it look one of a kind and particular to YOUR business, not anyone else’s.

Five reasons why you need unlimited web development, copywriting, and graphic design teams:

1. You can have an on hand a team of only the very best designers, web developers, and copywriters at your disposal. They will do everything possible to make your site or blog look amazing! All three of these bring you not only people skilled in their jobs but a team of them. Having an unlimited design team, and also an unlimited web development team and unlimited copywriting team means that when you are building a website or blog, they are there to make it amazing. And that is because you have gathered together a group of skilled professionals.

2. It cuts down on the cost that you have for all the design work that you have in a business when it comes to graphic design, copywriting, and a web developer. You get an unlimited graphic design, copywriting, and web development team that you can pay one set price to have for all you need in those departments.

3. They do this for lots of other businesses, and you are only one of many, so they know what they’re doing when it comes to graphic design, copywriting, and web development. So, you have a team that knows exactly what needs to be done, even if you are unsure. I believe that the best teams are teams that know what they’re doing, and they do it well.

4. The greatest part is that they’re unlimited, which means they can take care of all your needs and make it easy for you to pay one set price and not have to pay every time you want a logo designed or a blog post written. Or maybe you just want a change. Having a team available means that you have an easy and quick way of getting graphic design, copywriting, and web development work done when you need it.

5. Whether or not you’re a big business or a small one, they can offer you a lot of resources that you might not have otherwise. Because you’re not checking your budget every time you need a logo or a flyer. You can do it and not have to worry about your budget or anything else!

Happy Friday! I know that lately we have been talking about a number of different subjects and I was thinking that maybe today, as we head into the weekend, we should talk about why your business needs graphic design. I thought this might be a good subject to talk about because I have talked about graphic design at great length, and have never really talked about WHY your business needs it.

Let’s get started!

Graphic design, website development, and good copywriting are just a few of the known things that your business needs to look professional, and be successful. There are so many reasons to have a good outlet to get your graphic design work done when you own a business. If you are unsure whether your business needs graphic design or not, read below three reasons why your business NEEDS graphic design, and it’s not an option.

One: First off, if you want your business to look like the company you know it is, professional, efficient, and productive, then you need graphic design and you need good graphic design work done. Whether you need a logo design or a banner. Remember, your website is going to be the first thing people see when they go to your site.

Two: When you use graphic design for your businesses, you succeed in making your website look like you want it to look. You can have a website that looks like no other one, because you simply had it designed your way, and in the style that fits you and your company. The graphics that design your site are a statement of you and your brand, and make it unique to you, and only you.

Three: I will leave you with this last one. When you use graphic design, no matter what it is for (a logo design, a banner ad, or a flyer) it will look like yours and no one else’s. Because the design was especially tailored for you and your business, created it to fit your style of site, and your brand.

You want everything about your business to be unique to YOU. And that is what a good design company does. They create designs that are one-of-a-kind. I firmly believe that every business should have graphic design help to make their business unique to them.

When it comes to finding the perfect design for your business, whether you want a logo designed, a book cover mock-up, or maybe just a graphic, you can’t just go with any design company. You want to pick one that is right for you and your business, and where better to get a recommendation than from a list of some of the current top design companies?

We have below a list of the top five best graphic design company. So if you are looking for a good design company to bring you a design that stands out, is creative, original, and one-of-a-kind, this post is for you!

Top Five Best Graphic Design Companies:

Flocksy: Flocksy is a graphic design business that offers unlimited graphic design, website development, and copywriting for one set price a month. They can create anything from a logo to a tee-shirt design, and they work with either big or small businesses. They strive to bring the same advantages to small companies in the design world that big companies have, and not only have they succeeded,  but they are now also giving the big companies what they need too. If you are a business looking for a design team, then Flocksy is definitely the way to go, because they offer so much at an affordable price.

Design Pickle: Design pickle is a great graphic design company if you are looking for high-quality designs for one set price a month. Design pickle is the place for businesses of every size because they offer great designs, with a great team, and a great price!

Penji: Penji is another great design service because they offer unlimited graphic design for one set price a month as well. They have an amazing graphic design business, and an amazing team as well. If you are looking for a graphic design business that not only creates amazing designs but also has a great team that you will love than Penji is the way to go!

99designs: With their crowdsourcing style, 99designs gathers designers from all over the world and gives them access to whatever type of contest you decide to hold. With a simple step-by-step process, you can see hundreds of designs options to choose from.

Hatchwise: Leading in their field, Hatchwise offers a contest form design services. For a set fee, that you decide, you get thousands of designers participating in your contest and get to select a winner design from the submissions. Not sure what you are looking for? Since they can handle a wide range of graphics requests, there’s no need to fear. You can simply choose the “Other” category, and begin a contest, editing the brief as you get s better idea of what you need.

We all know that when it comes to getting a design made, whether a logo or something else, not just any will work. You want original work that has a style of its own, just like any good art.

The five graphic design companies that I talked about above will give just that; a perfect design that is a reflection of you, your company, and your mission.

“How do I know if I’m going with the right graphic design company?”

That is a question that every business person asks themselves at least once in their life. If that is what YOU are asking yourself, then you are going want to read this post.

Here are a few things to look for when you are wondering what graphic  design company you want to go with: 

Turnaround time: It is always wise to look around and read reviews before choosing any graphic design company. It’s true that most places give you a free 7-day trial or 7-day money back guarantee, however, it is still good to look around first. When you are looking at the reviews, look for a good turn around time. Some could have a week turn around or a 3-day turnaround or maybe even a 24-hour turnaround.

Quality:  The quality of the design is very important. That just goes without saying. If the quality is no good then the design is pretty much no good. So make sure to look at what people are saying about the quality in the reviews.

Can they do more?: Yes if you are looking for someone to do a design for you then you’re probably not thinking about them doing anything else. But what if you could get unlimited graphic design and other features for one set price? Wouldn’t that be great? For example, here at Flocksy, we offer unlimited graphic design, web development, and copywriting for one set price a month. So it’s always good to look around for that before deciding on one.

These are three of the things to look for when trying to find a graphic design company. Taking the time to look around and check out all your options before trying one can really pay off in the end. I would strongly advise you to do so because it can never hurt.

Graphic design is one of the most important aspect in a business.

Why? Well, because when you start a business your website, along with your social media accounts, have to look more than just “okay”. They have to look professional, clean, and, most importantly, speak for your company.

And, well some (very few) of us are good with graphic design most of us are not. That’s where the benefits of having a designer working with you comes in.

Designers will become your best friends when it comes to making your website, social media platforms, and blog look AMAZING. A little unsure about how to make your website look professional? Have an idea about what you want your business’ logo to look like but not sure? That’s where designers come in. They’ll take the vague idea you’ve got for your site and turn it into just what you are looking for.

Graphic design takes your business to the next level. One of the tough parts about graphic design is finding the right designers. And we understand that. Trust me, I know as well as anyone how difficult it can be. Nobody likes to research about the best designers for hours, or waste money working with an artist, only to have them not meet your standards. Well, when you sign up with Flocksy you don’t have to worry about that. Now, before you think I’m crazy let me tell you, it’s true. All you have to do is sign up, fill out a design brief, and get your design! Yup, it’s that simple.

And the quality of your design is only the best.

Now this process only works this way if you sign up with a graphic design business that has one set price for all the work you want done. Otherwise you might have to pay every time you want any (even minor) change done to a design.

You want to have the best of everything for your business, and that includes Graphic Design. Not only do you want (and need!) graphics to promote your business, but you want the best graphic design team you can get.