The Current State of Generative AI for Design
Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving field, and generative AI has been one of the most exciting and innovative areas for the digital arena in recent years. With the rise of machine learning and deep learning techniques, generative AI has become increasingly sophisticated, offering new possibilities for creativity and how to speed up the design process.
In this blog post, we will explore the current state of generative AI with a specific focus on design, highlighting some of the most promising tools and platforms available.
Generative AI Tools
Runway
Runway is a powerful platform that enables designers to explore the possibilities of generative AI. It provides a user-friendly interface that allows designers to experiment with a range of techniques and models, including GANs (Generative adversarial networks), VAEs (Variational auto-encoders), and style transfer.
Runway provides a wide range of generative AI solutions, spanning from video editing to image manipulation, offering a vast array of possibilities. It is particularly useful for designers who may not have a background in machine learning, as its interface reduces much of the complexity, allowing designers to focus on exploring the creative potential of these techniques. Runway offers both free and paid plans.
DALL-E
DALL-E is a new generative model from OpenAI that has captured the imagination of the design community. This model is capable of generating high-quality images from textual descriptions, opening up new possibilities for creative expression. DALL-E has already been used to create a range of impressive images, including a chair made to look like an avocado and a ’90s computer in vapor-wave art style.
While DALL-E is still in the experimental phase, it is an exciting development that points towards a future where generative AI is used to create entirely new forms of art.
Midjourney
Midjourney is a generative AI bot for Discord that is designed to help designers create unique and visually striking images. It uses machine learning algorithms to generate complex patterns and designs that can be used in a variety of contexts, from branding to advertising. Midjourney is particularly useful for designers who are looking to create custom and detailed images for their projects.
Midjourney’s images are programmed to lean towards symmetry, complementary colors, and good lighting to enhance the outcome, a dream for designers!
Stable Diffusion
Stable Diffusion is an open-source model from Stability AI, making it free and accessible for all! This model is capable of generating high-quality images from text with a level of control and flexibility that was previously impossible.
Stable Diffusion is particularly useful for designers and developers who are looking to generate AI images in their applications.
Adobe Firefly
Last but not least the tool Adobe Firefly. Adobe Firefly is still in beta mode with only two of the features currently available. It seems that Adobe has taken an approach similar to Runway where they have multiple AI tools for different tasks. What is exciting to the design world, is the new types of tasks you will be able to complete with Firefly.
Taking pen and paper drawings to vectors with just a click of a button can help a designer’s workflow. Firefly will also offer template creation, text-to-image, photography editing, and more as the beta continues to roll out.
How Designers Can Use Generative AI
Design Inspiration
Generative AI can also be used to generate design inspiration and ideas. Designers can use the aforementioned tools to explore the possibilities of generative design and experiment with different techniques and models. By using generative AI, designers can break out of traditional design patterns and create new, innovative designs that push the boundaries of what is possible.
Dall-E generation on the left and Runway generation on the right.
We asked DALL- E and Runway to generate an image from the phrase “A superhero whose identity is named ‘Perpetual’”. For a first generation without any specific training, the results are not too bad (DALL-E at left and Runway at right)! Inspiration could be found from these two generations and made into a fully realized design. Designers now have a never-ending supply of inspiration to pull from with text-to-image generations.
Presentations
Generative AI can be used to create visually engaging presentations that capture the attention of the audience. For example, designers can use tools like DALL-E or Stable Diffusion to generate high-quality images and videos that illustrate complex ideas or concepts to include in presentations. Additionally, services like Tome and Beautiful.ai have come up with AI-powered presentations.
These tools utilize short prompts to make presentations with AI-generated text and visuals, as well as specific branding concepts. By using generative AI, designers can create unique visual presentations from their ideas that are sure to stand out and make an impact.
Marketing Materials
Generative AI can also be applied to create unique marketing materials that capture the attention of customers. For example, designers can use generative AI to create custom illustrations, animations, flyers, or videos that showcase their products or services. You can see this in Adobe’s upcoming template beta feature above. By using generative AI, designers can create marketing materials that stand out from the crowd and engage audiences.
Websites
Generative AI can be used to create cool and striking websites that deviate from traditional design patterns. By using generative AI, designers can create custom illustrations, animations, and other design elements that will set their website apart from the competition.
One example of generative AI being used for website design is Spline, a platform for creating 3D animations. Spline’s website features a generative background that changes based on user interaction, creating a visually engaging experience that highlights the platform’s capabilities.
With generative AI, designers can create websites that are not only aesthetically stunning but also interactive, engaging, and memorable.
The current state of generative AI is incredibly exciting for designers. Generative AI has a lot to offer the world of design. With the increasing sophistication of machine learning and deep learning techniques, designers have more tools than ever before to explore their creativity and speed up the design process.
From tools like Runway and Midjourney to models like DALL-E and Stable Diffusion, generative AI is opening up new possibilities for what is possible in design. By using generative AI, designers can create unique and visually striking presentations, design inspiration, marketing materials, and websites that stand out from the crowd. As these technologies continue to evolve, we can expect to see even more impressive and innovative uses of generative AI in the future.
Perpetual is leading the way by embracing and adopting these new thrilling new developments in the use of artificial intelligence. Check out our new ChatGPT plugin offering here and experience the power of AI for yourself!