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01 June 2026 | Issue #127

In this issue:

• Step-by-step process for creating an animated social image using (mostly) AI
• Aeto: get paid for the hours you work
• Recent Podcast Appearance
• Design Quote of the Week

Happy Pride Month!

This past week, I was working on a social graphic for my company, Intellect, to celebrate Pride Month. So, I thought you might like to hear the process I went through to take a still image and animate it exactly the way I wanted.

I'll go through the process and explain the combination of AI and traditional tools I used.

Image Creation

I checked FreePik for inspiration. Usually, sites like those have generic images with gaudy type. I didn't see anything I liked, so I went into Google Gemini (paid plan) to start iterating.

I was exploring a completely different concept when I came up with the idea of creating a watercolor painting of a pride flag. While the previous one had gone through 7 rounds, this one actually nailed it the first time.

(This never happens.)

Getting the Dimensions

I had Gemini make a square version, then brought it into Photoshop for more control.

I needed to create space for the type and logo. So I separated the bottom of the image, expanded my canvas, moved the bottom down, and then stamped in the missing space so it looked seamless. I know AI can do this now, but it would have taken me just as long to do it myself.

Adding Text

Our next stop was Illustrator. I tried a few different typefaces before I settled on Above the Sky. I made it Intellect purple, added the Intellect logo, and we were off to the approval stage.

Animation

Animation takes a while, so I wanted to be sure I had approval before moving forward. Once I got the image approved, I wanted to use AI to create that watercolor painting effect.

I originally started in Gemini, but the video was horizontal. When I tried to change it to 9:16, it just cropped the painting and lost a lot of the effect. After a couple more attempts, I ran out of Gemini Omni credits.

I tried Midjourney (paid plan), and while it captured the dimensions, it kept animating the flag to make it look like it was flowing in the wind. I wanted to stay away from patriotic imagery. I used Claude (paid plan) to write better prompts, but Midjourney just could not get it.

I looked for other AI tools that could help, including RunwayML and a couple of free online tools, but none of them worked.

I then signed up for an ElevenLabs account (paid), and after one botched attempt, I was able to get the video I wanted. At this point, I was still using Claude to help with edit prompts, which saved a lot of time.

Using ElevenLabs worked best when I had a blank image to start with, and then the final image. I used Photoshop's generative fill to erase the image while preserving the paper's texture.

Adding Text and Finishing the Animation

Once I had a usable video file, I brought it into Adobe After Effects to add the logo and music and animate the text. A quick export, and we had the file that is going live on our different social accounts today.

TL:DR

I created this animation using

• Gemini (to generate initial image)
• Illustrator (to add type and logo)
• Photoshop (to resize and create a blank version)
• Claude (to help prompt)
• ElevenLabs (to animate image)
• After Effects (to add logo, animated text, and music)

But Jim, that sounds like a lot of work!

If I were just making this for myself, I could have used one of these all-in-one tools and gotten something pretty good. But because I'm working with others, I have to work in stages, and I need more control than a standard AI generator allows.

The idea behind sharing this process is that we usually just see the finished product. But would you have guessed I used six different apps (three AI apps and one AI-assisted app)?

To get results exactly the way you want, you can't settle on whatever AI gives you. You have to rely on your own skills, keep pushing, and use the best-of-breed tools for each step.

Otherwise, your AI-generated content will look generic and just like everyone else's.

---

The people who think AI can do all of this probably think this image is good enough. This was what Gemini gave me as the first attempt. I'm not showing it here because it's that bad, and I don't want a skimmer to think I made it.

PODCASTS

I was recently on Neal Schaffer's podcast, The Digital Marketing Coach. We discussed a range of topics related to visuals, marketing, and more.

I'm not sure why I look so angry in that thumbnail, but Neal was the first person who identified an ownable space for me at the intersection of creative and marketing. I talk about him asking me to speak at a conference during the introduction of my book.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR FREELANCERS

After years of juggling multiple apps to manage client work, I built Aeto: The end of the unbilled hour. This is an app that lets me see all my clients, projects, and tasks, track time on tasks, and invoice clients. Plus reports!

And if you use the Mac app, the timer runs in the top menu bar.

Let me know if you want to learn more or just want to try the free 30-day trial.

DESIGN QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Every great design begins with an even better story.” - Lorinda Mamo

My AI disclaimer: I wrote this week's article.

Midjourney image prompt: a single designer is designing at his computer. He is surrounded by six different computer monitors. He does not have hair or glasses. His beard is shorter. A vibrant, high-contrast illustration using flat vector-style shading with neon and duotone color blocking. The characters are stylized and the lighting is exaggerated in cyan and yellow tones, set against a magenta background. There’s a strong use of shadow and highlight to create depth without using gradients. It uses clean lines and a minimal background to keep focus on the figures and objects. --ar 16:9

See, it ignored the no hair and no glasses part. And it only had two monitors, so I had to use Photoshop to get the effect I wanted.
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Thanks for reading,

–Jim

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