90% OF THE WORLD GRAPHIC DESIGNS WILL BE CREATED BY GENERATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN 2028

The graphic design industry is no fan of technological innovation and yet over the last two decades digitization happened across the industry. With powerful computers, digital cameras and the Adobe suite of creative software, technology made design easier and a lot more productive for professional designers. With the latest round AI-based technological innovation, people wondered whether the days of professional graphic designers were numbered. With generative design software poised to disrupt the industry, many are now asking, “will AI replace graphic designers all together?”
 
AI tools for graphic design existed for years without raising major alarm bells. Now DALL-E 2 and Midjourney are taking things to the next level. These programs allow anyone to create complex visual works by typing words into a text box. If anyone can write a text prompt, can anyone take the place of a graphic designer? This question remains to be answered. It’s too soon to tell exactly how AI will impact a designer’s job but if history can teach us anything, designers will adapt to these new tools rather than face extinction. But the work of design will be heavily automated. And 90% of design output out there will likely be the work of generative machines.
 
50 years ago, graphic design still relied heavily on hand drawing. Then the desktop computer and Adobe digitized the industry. Instead of making graphic designers obsolete, the digital revolution of design helped the industry grow. Designers adopted the digital technologies and the quality and efficiency of design work were better for it. But technologies remained as tools. Designers still need to come up with the ideas and communicate the concepts and make adaptation to final use. AI is far from just another powerful tool however. It can translate our brief (even generate a brief) to a finished design; test it again on chosen target audiences; refine the design, write the copy, create multiple formats for different media and even draw brand guidelines based on past design.


Creativity is a sense of pride: for many and many are eager to work for free to gain experience. Creativity explains humankind’s progress throughout history and people love to create.  We (humans) want to create/design.
For those working in the creative fields, there is often suspicion toward AI, because many cannot imagine or understand how it works. Yet decades ago, the idea of using the digital camera, photoshop and Instagram was also inconceivable. Today, it has become an extension of the creative process. All technology are just tools and I have faith in human creativity that we can find a way to co-exists and collaborate with Ai. Just think about the fact that a majority of coders are not computer science graduates and received no formal education in coding, yet they are good coders. And the market needs these good coders. The barrier of entry to design is high (cost for a program in RSID or Parsons costs $200,000 tuition alone to complete a BA) and yet many don’t practice in the profession. Many who taught themselves design or even have to train now have the opportunity to work with AI to bring their ideas to life faster or even using the AI as a collaborator.

Ai is an equalizer and democratizer. It allows many to participate. Many musicians never go to music schools and they formed the Garageband generation. Many Youtube content creators similarly never have formal production training. So collab.ai can allow hundreds of thousands people with an idea, an eye or a story to participate. Even without the means of getting a formal education. collab.ai levels the playing field.
 
Is that bad news for young designers entering the field? Yes and no. Yes because the competition is much higher (just like how Instagram makes everyone a photographer) and it means only the very best will survive. It means the overall standard in design will be lifted and there will always be the best of the best and the rest who can still do a decent job with the help of technology. Ai allows many trained in disciplines such as anthology, writing, music, dress making, neuroscience or culinary other than design to participate in design. Design will not be a trade but a means for everyone to tell their stories and bring their ideas to the world. The result is a net positive.