AI is helping more people become artists 🧑‍🎨

11 February 2024 | Issue #34

In this issue:

AI helping the disabled become artists
The hottest job in corporate America: Chief AI Officer
Imagen 2 launches
Are paid AI tools worth it?
Why do marketers (and designers) get laid off first and hired last?
Rant about Illustrator's type-on-a-path tool

Hey, I'm trying something new this week: a Sunday newsletter. My original newsletter would deploy on Sundays and people liked it, so I'm curious to see if you're more likely to read this on Sunday. I don't know if Super Bowl Sunday is the best time to test this, but let's find out together.

I know there's a lot of chatter about AI stepping into our creative spaces (I contribute a fair amount of that), and it's natural to feel a bit on edge about what this means for our jobs as designers and marketers. But, let's flip the script for a moment and consider the incredible benefits AI is bringing to the table, especially for folks who've been sidelined in the art world due to disabilities.

Imagine a world where barriers don't dictate who gets to create or appreciate art. AI's doing just that—breaking down walls for individuals with disabilities by making art more accessible and inclusive. For example, AI can transform music into vibrations that can be felt, not just heard, opening up new experiences for those with hearing impairments.

For those with limited mobility, tools like Midjourney are a game-changer, allowing them to draw using just voice or text instructions. It's not about replacing the human touch in design; it's about empowering more people to express themselves and engage with art in ways they couldn't before.

“A person who can’t move their arms due to a motor disability can’t paint pictures or sculpt, but they do know what they want to create,” – Manuel Delgado, visual artist and AI expert

So, while it's valid to worry about AI's impact on our careers, it's also worth celebrating how it's revolutionizing accessibility in art and design. AI's not just about efficiency or cutting costs—it's about enriching lives and making creativity boundless.

If you're curious about how AI is opening up new possibilities for people with disabilities and turning the art world into a more inclusive space, check out this article here. It's a good way to look at something scary in a positive light.

NEWS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MARKETING, DESIGN, & AI

🤖 Hottest Job in Corporate America? The Executive in Charge of A.I.

It's fascinating to see how the narrative around artificial intelligence is shifting. It will kill some jobs as many fear, but AI is actually birthing entirely new roles within corporate structures. For instance, places like the Mayo Clinic and various law firms are now scouting for AI chiefs to guide them through the AI revolution. This shift is particularly relevant for graphic designers, as it signals a move towards integrating AI into the creative process, offering new tools and methodologies for design.

Organizations are actively seeking leaders to harness AI's potential, indicating a surge in opportunities for creatives to collaborate with AI in crafting innovative designs.
For graphic designers, this trend underscores the importance of AI literacy, as understanding and leveraging AI becomes crucial in staying competitive and innovative in the field.

Keep reading (gift article link)

✍🏻 New and better ways to create images with Imagen 2

Google just dropped a major update called Imagen 2, and it's shaking up the way we create images with AI. This tool is not just for tech wizards; it's for anyone with a spark of creativity, including graphic designers who are always on the lookout for new ways to bring their visions to life.

Imagen 2, powered by Google DeepMind, promises higher-quality, photorealistic images that are more aligned with human language prompts, making it a dream come true for designers looking to generate detailed and nuanced visuals quickly.
The introduction of Imagen 2 across various Google platforms, including Bard and ImageFX, means graphic designers have more accessible and powerful tools at their fingertips to experiment with AI-generated imagery, pushing the boundaries of traditional design.
My assessment: It still has a way to go until it catches up with Midjourney
Also, Bard is now Gemini. Don't worry if you're not keeping up.

Keep reading

🤑 Are Paid AI Tools Like Copilot and ChatGPT Actually Worth It?

Diving into the world of paid AI tools, it turns out that investing in something like Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT Team/Enterprise could really pay off. For graphic designers, this could mean a significant boost in productivity and creativity, making it an investment worth considering.

An employee with a $75,000 yearly salary could save 17 hours a month by using these AI tools, translating to a direct savings of $612 per month. This is a big deal considering the subscription cost is often around $30 per user per month.
Before diving in, it's crucial to establish AI usage policies, educate your team on how to use these tools effectively, and have a clear plan for rollout and oversight. This ensures that the investment is not only utilized but also maximizes its potential benefits.
If you pay $30/mo and it saves someone (who makes $75k/yr) one hour a month, these genAI tools are paying for themselves.

Keep reading

NEW RESOURCES FOR YOU

Why Do Marketing Leaders Often Get Laid Off First and Hired Last?

I recently read a great rant by Liza Adams on this topic and she raises some great points.

Too often, companies see marketing as an expense. So when things get tight, it's easiest to cut the segment of the company where the money goes out and it isn't obvious to see how that leads to money coming back in.

Even my mother, who spent most of her career at Fortune 100 companies said, "Marketing is just the department that spends all the money."

Yes, marketing spends money. But if companies don't spend that money, it reduces the money coming in. The difference between cuts in marketing and cuts in other departments is that pain won't be felt for a while, based on the average length of deals.

Cutting marketing is a perfect example of short-term thinking. For executive teams focused on the next 90 days, it can be hard to justify the value marketing provides. I once had a CEO ask me, "what if we just stopped marketing altogether? What impact would it have?" That was scary to hear. But he was a numbers guy. We worked to show marketing's direct impact on revenue.

Thanks to digital marketing and marketing technology stacks that can track engagements from first touch through closed won, marketing has the ability to show its value to the company.

On the other hand, I just attended a webinar with Rand Fishkin where he discussed the end of marketing attribution.

Cutting designers causes similar damage. But this time, it's damage to the brand. Investing in design shows that companies are willing to invest in all facets of the product or service. Bad design, or bad UX, makes people question everything else.

It's tough out there for designers right now. Too many are getting cut at a time when companies should be focusing on better experiences for their customers and prospects.

Just like marketers had to become more data driven, designers should be able to show how their work can impact the bottom line of the company.

Find the connections between what you do and what it means to the people who make the big decisions.

Affiliate of the Week

When I built the After Design website last year, It was the first time I used Elementor to customize my WordPress site. I've used a bunch of themes and frameworks since I built my first WordPress site in 2007, and Elementor was the easiest website builder I've used.

Funny Thread of the Week

The other day I was struggling with adjusting some text on the path of a circle in Illustrator. I posted a Thread about it and apparently many others feel the same frustrations.

Check out some of the replies 👇🏻