Zaheer Dodhia, CEO of Logo designis an entrepreneur who has launched multiple startups including ZillionDesigns, PCStore, CashforUsedLaptop
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The world of logo design is constantly growing, fluctuating, pioneering – and sometimes apparently developing a mind of its own. Yes, artificial intelligence has been a factor in graphic design for several years now, but it boils down to a big question: Is AI the game-changer designers have been looking for?
The main player in AI’s utility in design could be pinned down to the issue of personalization. Each print-on-demand site offers AI-powered design generation that allows the user to enter criteria and see them on different products. But logo design requires a higher level of personalization simply because a company logo is the one piece of design that carries the bulk of the recognition and brand building. Logo design sites like mine that rely heavily on AI also need a more detailed algorithm to consistently provide valuable design.
When it comes to logo design, personalization can be the hat trick companies are looking for:
• Matches the brand personality.
• To message.
• Memorable.
• Totally unique.
But is AI-powered personalization the tool that will change the way logo designers work forever?
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AI-driven personalization in brand design
As a serial entrepreneur with a number of ventures under my belt, I appreciate any tool that streamlines the process of developing a new brand. While I highly value the designers I’ve worked with throughout my career, I also value anything that can keep my launch budget and timeline as small as possible.
Of course, this is not to say that human designers and AI design are mutually exclusive. Graphic designers who make good use of AI-powered personalization may be able to offer their logo design clients a wider range of options in a shorter amount of time. And in my experience, including AI as a tool rather than a complete solution is to the benefit of entrepreneurs and graphic designers alike, but that’s a whole other article.
According to the recent newspaper “Design in the age of artificial intelligencepublished by Harvard Business School, “AI is not undermining the basics principles of design thinking’, but it ‘changes the excercise of design.” From the creative brief to the final product delivery, AI personalization can streamline a logo designer’s job.
Check the boxes
With logo design in mind, AI-powered personalization can be as simple as a “check-the-boxes” scenario. The creative brief gives the designer the insight they need into the brand, which can then be fed into the AI ​​software to generate suggestions and solutions.
The key aspect of this “check-the-boxes” approach to design that could dramatically change the game for logo designers? The fact that it makes design so much more accessible everyone-not just experienced graphic designers. If it’s just a matter of making sure your brand name is spelled correctly and choosing an image you like, then of course anyone can do it.
Of course, having worked with logo design myself and working with professional designers, I always recommend taking advantage of others’ experience whenever you get the chance. That’s just good business sense. At the same time, I don’t think anyone has the right to guard the design tools. If AI helps an entrepreneur develop her logo without breaking her startup budget, it’s all worth it, even if it changes things slightly for the logo designers who might otherwise have worked on that particular project.
But AI has other uses for professional logo designers.
Build a catalog
One of the most time consuming aspects of logo design is iteration. Designers often produce a few potential concepts for their clients, giving them a number of choices. But once a design is chosen for further development, the iteration process begins: adjusting this element, then that, changing the colors, adjusting the fonts, circle versus square versus diamond, and so on.
AI personalization is a boon to the iteration process, allowing designers to enter their key parameters and then create a full catalog of iterations, often within minutes or even seconds, just like a logo creation tool would.
I see this as a major game-changer, especially for independent logo designers, simply because it not only streamlines the process, but also reduces the time iteration would otherwise take. This is better for the designer and better for the client – definitely a valuable tool for designers to use.
Looking ahead with AI
In the past I have had some doubts about the use of AI in graphic design and other disciplines. Do we run the risk of missing what makes the design truly creative: the human dimension?
But then I start analyzing the potential for benefits with AI tools, and I’m constantly reminded that it’s a matter of moving forward.
One of the most important features of good AI-powered design software, in my experience, is the ability to differentiate and define more abstract concepts. You can tell AI software that you need a square logo with a squirrel for a mascot, with the company name in it. But it’s equally important to be able to define the logo’s tone, style and message (i.e. “funny”, “youthful” or “edgy”). This is still largely the prerogative of the human designer; However, as machine learning continues to adapt, I expect AI’s general tone-deafness to gradually disappear, making AI design tools even more valuable to their users.
Is AI-powered personalization perfect? By no means. But does it have the potential to be a major game-changer for logo designers, both experienced and new? Absolute.
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Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.