You can’t escape the current conversation regarding the use of AI in modern design. There is a definite influx of AI-produced posters wherever you look, whether it be scrolling on social media or spotting posters for an event at your local pub. As a Shopify marketing agency, this trend is something we can’t ignore. From AI-powered image generation to layout recommendations, technology is changing the way creative work is produced, with AI tools becoming more sophisticated by the day. So, does this mean that designers are becoming obsolete? No. We believe that human design is more important than ever. AI is a powerful tool that can enhance creativity, improve efficiency and ultimately support designers throughout the creative process rather than replace them. But, that’s not to say AI doesn’t have its shortcomings. So, to what extent is AI a help, rather than a hindrance?

The Rise of AI

In recent years, AI has drastically moved from being a novelty to becoming an everyday business tool. Whether it be asking ChatGPT for advice or for a quick grammatical fix, to the more advanced design assistance, AI feels like it’s everywhere. E-Commerce brands can now generate product descriptions, create promotional images and even build whole website layouts at the click of a few buttons. For businesses operating in highly competitive markets, the appeal is strikingly obvious. Using AI as an extension of your team can significantly reduce costs, speed up processes and help to deliver assets at scale. Plus, for startup companies, AI provides a way to quickly create branding concepts and marketing materials without investing in resources or extra staff members.

But despite its impressive speed, we can't ignore the errors, inconsistencies, and lack of human creativity and judgement that often accompany AI-generated designs. We've all spotted AI-generated images where something just isn't quite right.

We sat down with Senior Web Designer Katie Justo to gather her thoughts, and she explained : "While AI can be a useful design tool that helps save time and money, it can also potentially have the opposite effect. Using AI to improve or tweak existing photography can be extremely helpful; however, fully relying on AI for a brand's imagery could end up costing just as much as a photoshoot. While it is possible to create realistic, compelling, photography-quality images, refining them to a point where they are truly usable can be a time-consuming process. The amount of time required to perfect each image could ultimately cost more than a well-organised photoshoot."

Our Web Designer Kasia Smith gave us a few examples of how even though AI image generation has come a long way, it doesn't always master the human anatomy - can you identify what's not quite right in the images below?

The Human Advantage

Without a doubt, human designers bring to the table something that is far more difficult to replicate: critical thinking, emotion and a deep understanding of human behaviour. Design isn’t simply just arranging images, colours and typography. The key to being a skilled designer is to explore a brand’s values, audience preferences, competitor attitudes and the brand’s long term goals.

Human designers work with a wider team to understand briefs, identify opportunities of further enhancements and developments, as well as solving any problems creatively. This whole process requires strategic thinking skills. AI systems can’t achieve this level of understanding, hence the repetitive designs that have started to flood platforms. Therefore, despite the speed and cost effectiveness, the storytelling, which is vital when it comes to building a sustainable brand image, is lacking.

How to Use AI

We believe that using AI in the early stages of creative development can act as a powerful tool, assisting with brainstorming and exploring concepts. When a designer is planning their work, AI can be used to help spark new ideas, whether it be to expand thoughts or if inspiration is running low. This is where the speed of AI comes in handy as it can provide a fast way to visualise rough concepts. Instead of spending hours creating multiple mockups, designers can use AI to explore different ideas quickly before committing to one. For busy eCommerce teams working under tight deadlines, this can be extremely beneficial. As a result, when used in this way, AI can help designers to work faster than before. We spoke to our Senior Web Designer Katie Justo, who stated that, “I currently find AI most useful for photo editing and creating photorealistic imagery. It’s incredible how far technology has come in just the last few years. When used well, it can be a powerful tool for boosting productivity, gathering and refining ideas, and producing high-quality visual content. That said, it’s still very much a tool.”

The Legal Challenges

A question that can be quickly overlooked in the fast-moving AI landscape, but is extremely important, is that when a design is generated by AI, who owns it? Where do copyright laws come into play? How can brands be 100% sure that they aren’t unintentionally using content that infringes on someone else’s work? These legal and ethical considerations are still evolving, as AI is still developing and being implemented by companies in different forms, therefore there is still a level of uncertainty for businesses and designers alike.

Plus, on an ethical side - design is about individuality and creativity. So, if we are using AI to create a design, at what point do we lose the whole essence of what design is meant to be? If a design is produced that is similar to millions of other examples, we have completely lost authenticity.

The Future of AI & Design

The prevalence of AI in the modern landscape cannot be ignored. We believe that rather than it being a choice of AI or human designers, the most effective approach should be to combine the strengths of both. If we combine AI’s speed and productivity with a designer’s storytelling, creativity and understanding skills, a workflow can be created that is both efficient and impactful. Afterall, it's human expertise that transforms ideas into designs that genuinely connect with people and drive results.

Whether you’re a startup company or an established brand, understanding the importance of the roles of both AI platforms and human designers is essential. The businesses that thrive will be the ones that use AI to empower and assist designers, rather than those who replace their designers.