Sendi Jia, a designer who operates her own studio in Beijing and London, primarily utilizes AI tools like DALL-E for generating faux images for background panels and websites, particularly when her clients lack access to authentic visuals. This method has proven beneficial for clients with constrained budgets; however, it also highlights the extent to which AI can substitute elements of creativity. Recently, upon soliciting her services for a project logo, a university contacted Jia but later opted to use AI for its creation.
Chinese graphic designers are quickly feeling the impact of AI image generation on their professional routines. This technology fosters imitation and significantly alters client perceptions regarding the value and time commitment required for design work. Freelancers and designers in sectors prioritizing eye-catching graphic design, such as advertising, find themselves particularly vulnerable.
Prior to the rise of AI image generators, graphic designers at leading tech firms and in-house creatives for substantial corporate clients were often directed by superiors to borrow design elements from competitors and social media, according to an employee at a prominent Chinese online shopping platform, who requested anonymity to avoid repercussions from management.
While human designers must grasp and deconstruct a distinctive style to emulate it, AI image generators produce random variations of such styles. Although the outcomes can result in obvious imitations filled with flaws, other designers can refine these into finalized products.
The shopping platform employee commented, “I believe it’d be easier to replace me if I didn’t adopt AI.” As tools like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney gained traction, colleagues proficient in English were chosen to familiarize themselves with AI image generators, enhancing the team’s ability to craft effective prompts and identify suitable AI applications. Ultimately, these tools proved efficient for replicating styles that previously required extensive study.
“It compels both designers and clients to reconsider the value of design work,” Jia remarked. “Is design merely about creating visuals, or does it encompass consultation, creativity, strategy, guidance, and aesthetics?”
“You might get a good result, but there will inevitably be dozens or even hundreds of poor ones … Personally, I view [AI image generators] more as a toy than a tool.”
Within advertising agencies, graphic designers develop comprehensive campaign strategies aimed at establishing iconic visual identities across multiple formats. Consequently, AI image generators fall short in producing anything genuinely distinctive, according to Erbing, a graphic designer from Beijing who has collaborated with various ad agencies and prefers to be identified by his nickname.
“Every project presents unique challenges, and designers are there to tackle those challenges, not merely to churn out identical visuals,” he explained. “Sometimes, the thought process involved in a project can take longer than the creation of the visuals themselves.”
The effectiveness of AI diminishes when confronted with more sophisticated tasks. While image generators can create numerous images, they cannot supplant the necessity for designers to comprehend a campaign’s visual identity and communicate the intended message effectively. Translating these concepts into a productive AI context presents its own set of challenges. Among graphic designers in China, a common joke equates the use of AI generators to gacha games, in which players invest money to receive randomized prizes.
“You might get a good result, but there will inevitably be dozens or even hundreds of poor ones,” Erbing remarks. “I personally regard [AI image generators] more as a toy than an actual tool.”
Designers across the industry note that the hype surrounding AI has adversely affected how clients perceive the value of creative work. Clients now expect designers to produce high-quality work in shorter timeframes and at reduced costs, leading to an average decline in the quality of output. With shrinking budgets and tighter deadlines, the overall caliber of designers’ work is compromised.
“There is now a significant misperception about designers’ workloads,” Erbing expressed. “Some clients believe that with improved efficiency due to AI, they can significantly reduce their budgets.”
This viewpoint contradicts the reality that designers devote much of their time to problem-solving and creative thinking, rather than solely producing images, according to Erbing.
Like many of his colleagues, Erbing hopes AI image generators will evolve to become more beneficial for graphic design. He highlights that while perceptions of AI’s capabilities often surpass its actual utility, the ongoing hype is distorting clients’ understanding of designers’ contributions to the creative process.
