AI in design: what does the future hold? Featuring thoughts from Seky Kwon, Grafik and Vernacular

Following our previous discussion with creatives Sekyeong Kwon, Vernacular’s Andrea A. Trabucco-Campos and Martín Azambuja, and Nick de Jardine of Grafik, we return to the topic of AI with our eyes set on the future. As mentioned in part one, many mundane and repetitive tasks are being automated by AI, now taking only seconds. For us, this is great – hopefully clearing up more time for creative exploration or relaxation. But what are the next steps? What kind of tasks do we expect AI to take over next? And how do designers feel about the future impact of AI? When it comes to the short-term, Vernacular are optimistic but realistic. “Today’s AI is a tool, and albeit a powerful one, it is limited, and our roles as designers are far from obsolete,” they say. “AI necessitates a point of origin, a thought, an idea. It necessitates an editor, a curator, someone who can guide it. It necessitates an endpoint, too – a use for the output, a reason for its imagery. At the moment, it needs us more than we need it.” It’s a thought shared by Grafik’s Nick de Jardine. The New Zealand-based designer and developer points out that, as of July 2023, both text-based large language models and image-based stable diffusion are heavily reliant on human authorship. To achieve a successful outcome, a creative eye and adept understanding of the medium – whether that be ideation, design, copy, or art direction – and subject matter are key. “In this context,” de Jardine adds, “AI is best considered another spanner in the creative toolbox – a powerful one, but one that does not eliminate the need for human creativity and expertise. It's not the AI you should worry about, it's the people who know how to use it effectively that will be taking your job.”