GenAI part 1: The speed of change
Article written by Dorien Franken about GenAI
A confession: Things move too fast.
Design moves faster than my coffee cools down. The reality of working in design today is that you don't just design, you anticipate. You prepare for a future your clients might not even see yet. And it's a challenge.
GenAi is the shifter, in the matter. Every week or day, something new shakes up the design world: tools, platforms, better AI models. It's pretty overwhelming when everything is constantly changing, to be honest. Especially when you just mastered that one tool.
This past year, I've invested daily in understanding, testing, and learning about new technologies before they ever become part of a client project, which means long before that turns into work that generates profit. Luckily, I'm curious by nature, but it's definitely an investment.
At the same time, clients frequently ask me: 'Hey, can you do this for a moment in GenAi?'. The assumption being that it will take me a minute, which is hardly ever the case if you want something of value. On the upside, GenAi has created numerous opportunities for independent designers, which got me questioning:
Have I become a one-person ad agency without knowing it?
When exploring this, also based on the winnings (and failures) during my experience so far, I've come to three important conclusions:
Limit your knowledge to be able to know more.
Instead of knowing everything about everything, I've decided to focus on mastering a few tools that deliver everything I need. At this point, I only use Firefly, ChatGPT, Reve, Midjourney, and of course, the Adobe Creative Suite to create GenAi-based designs.Be transparent about the (whole) process.
Share the steps you take to create GenAi-based designs with clients (failure included) for transparency- AND value reasons.Learn to say no.
I can't do/know everything. And I'm not a full-scale agency, I'm a specialist. Saying 'no' is perhaps the most powerful answer you can give a client.
👉 How do you stay ahead in an industry that reinvents itself almost daily? Would love to hear.
📸 Image created with Reve inspired by one of my favorite photographers, Saul Leiter. If you want to receive the prompt, let me know.
