How AI Can Benefit a Small Creative Brand like mine
As you may be able to tell, the above image was AI generated, sadly, I don't own a orange campervan. But if I did, I'd LOVE to roll around the country, or even the continent in a brightly coloured mobile silk wagon, showcasing at all the festivals and country shows. It's always been a little dream to live this lifestyle one day, although the reality would probably be quite impractical. And this is exactly the kind of thing I think AI is great for, visualising your goals and dreams in fun images which can be generated in a few minutes using specific instruction. However, I think you'll agree there are many negative ways AI is being used which takes away need for human skills and creative jobs. So my relationship with computer generated images and text is still very much on the fence!
Of course, there’s a lot of conversation around AI in the creative industries at the moment, and, as a designer, I have mixed feelings about it. I don’t think AI should replace the creative process and I certainly don’t think it should be used as a substitute for an artist or designer creating original artwork. But I do think there are some really useful ways it can support a small creative business like mine and be used to save time and dream a little bigger!
Running a small brand means wearing a lot of hats. I’m a textile designer, but I’m also doing the marketing, writing product descriptions, researching potential stockists, answering emails, organising events and trying to think about where the business could go next. AI can be a really helpful assistant with some of those less creative tasks.
For example, I can use it to proofread and improve the grammar of my writing, helping me make sure emails, blog posts and product descriptions are clear and professional while still sounding like me. I can also use it to research potential stockists or help me think about which shops, galleries, hotels or businesses might be a good fit for Alice Acreman Silks.
I also find AI useful as a brainstorming tool. Sometimes I have a vague idea floating around in my head but haven’t quite worked out what it could become. I can use AI to bounce ideas around, explore different directions and consider possibilities I might not have thought of myself. Like a mobile silk shop!
One of the most exciting things for me is being able to create visual mock-ups of those bigger ideas. If I’m imagining a pop-up shop, a colourful festival yurt, a new retail concept or an unusual way of displaying my silk fans, AI can help me visualise the idea before spending time and money making it in real life. It’s a bit like having a very fast visual sketchbook for ideas.
But there’s an important line for me.
The artwork itself is something I want to remain human. My designs start with my own ideas, paintings, drawings and observations. I can spend hours, sometimes wees developing a piece of artwork, and that process is a huge part of what makes my products feel personal and distinctive.
For me, AI is most useful when it supports the designer rather than replacing them. Used well, it can take care of some of the background work, help develop an idea and make the running of a small creative business a little easier, so therefore leaving more time for the part I actually love: painting and making things.