AI Revolution In Design

What is AI technology you ask?

Well, in simple terms it is known as the building of intelligent machines that can carry out tasks that traditionally require human intelligence. Machines with artificial intelligence are able to mimic mental capacities. Find it amusing? Well, it’s true!

AI is becoming more and more prevalent in daily life, from the emergence of self-driving cars to the proliferation of smart assistants like Siri and Alexa. As a result, numerous IT firms from a variety of sectors are making investments in artificial intelligence technologies. The main drawback of describing AI as merely "creating machines that are intelligent" is that it fails to define AI and explain what constitutes an intelligent machine. Although there are many different approaches to the technology of artificial intelligence that we will explore in this article and mainly focus on how AI has flourished in the area of design. 

AI And Design

The term "AI" has gained excessive popularity, and the design industry is not an exception. Designers will soon be working with AI in co-creation rather than in opposition. As a result, they’ll learn more. However, the experts in the design field are thrilled and terrified at the same time that AI magic is coming to take their profession up a notch, but can it also become a threat? Since there is still a lot we don't know about AI, trying to predict how it will function in the design industry is a lot like trying to predict how many angels can dance on a pin, quite literally!

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has become an overused buzzword in a variety of fields, including design. The future effects of artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, VR, AR, and MR (virtual, augmented, and mixed realities), as well as how our occupations may change, are topics of continuing discussion between designers and developers. 

Impact Of AI On Design 

AI has surely impacted many professions but one field of work it has influenced deeply is the design field. Not only has it made designing easier but has simplified various tricky modules for designers. With AI, new connections can also be made between the customer and the product. The continuous discussion between business and the consumer about what artificial intelligence can and should be able to achieve will start with these interactions. A brand will flourish with AI if designers provide the essential collaborative framework for creativity.

Here, let’s look at some enormous potential of AI in design.

1. Stimulates Creativity

The main characteristic that sets humans apart from machines is creativity. Artificial intelligence (AI) supports designers' creativity by handling some routine tasks, freeing up the designer's time and energy for idea generation. For the designer, AI is akin to a virtual assistant. It handles the little details so the designer can concentrate on ideas and creativity. For instance, an AI assistant will aid you in gathering information or locating pertinent references. It can even help you look for the ideal editing programme for you. 

2. Identifies User Preferences 

The undisputed champion in the analysis of user behaviour and preferences is artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) can discover what specific clients will enjoy. The algorithm identifies platforms and designs that users enjoy using and offers designers a roadmap to follow, enabling the creation of a unified, approachable, and efficient design. It does more than only support designers. Artificial intelligence supports the development of creativity in all people. It aids in the creation of designs by offering intriguing advice and techniques for more creativity.

3. Embodies Humanity

Users relate to people more readily than they do with machines. As per Google search statistics, people use the voice search option as if they are speaking to a real person. The majority of people say "Oh, sorry" or "thanks, man" when the search is over. The way that individuals interact with designs and digital products is recognised and interpreted by artificial intelligence. It aids in giving products a human-like personality. Let's assume that Google is a good friend and won't make fun of your spelling errors. Facebook acknowledges your privacy concerns and gives you the option to hide select people from seeing your photos. You can also find this idea in the AI and personality-building-based movies like "Her" and "Ex-Machina."

4. Helps Non-Professionals 

Not everyone has artistic talent. One cannot be made by everyone. AI-driven design tools make it simple and hassle-free for amateurs to create designs. A good example is Logojoy. In addition to making logos, it also offers branding supplies including letterheads, envelopes, and so forth. The AI-driven algorithm creates user-centred solutions based on the data. 

Authors have been astonished by platforms like Medium for its straightforward and user-friendly UI. The variety of themes and templates offer writers a fun platform on which to share their content. The template can be altered by the authors to add their own flair.

5. Creates Multiple Variants

After identifying a pattern, artificial intelligence aids designers in producing numerous variants. A design's colours and patterns are extracted by the algorithm, which then generates hundreds of variations based on the range of extracted colours and patterns. Exciting, right?

For designers, this feature is quite helpful. Consider creating a logo for instance. Designers can recognise abstract patterns and brand colours. The patterns can then be used by artificial intelligence to produce a wide range of distinctive designs while still operating on the same design. When designers are having a bad day or a creative block, AI is definitely a resource. The abundance of aesthetic options offered might make choosing easier for designers and clients. Additionally, it encourages creativity and provides designers with new colour palettes and pattern ideas.

AI Design Tools

AI in graphic design opens up a whole new universe of opportunities for working with the visuals. People do perceive AI as a threat due to the rapid expansion and advancement of technology since they think it will eventually replace human labour. In the case of graphic design, AI is more like a design partner, a friend who offers a helping hand. There are AI tools that help the designer do the challenging task more easily. However, AI is not replacing or will replace the designers.

Some of the top AI tools for graphic artists are listed below.

1. Ulzard

A useful AI-based tool for UI designers is called UIzard. An automated process may convert a hand-drawn wireframe into a fluid digital design and front-end code using this tool, which was created by an international team of engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs. All that is required is a smartphone with a camera to take a picture of the paper sketch. It will be changed by UIzard into an extremely accurate prototype in a matter of seconds. Once the design has been converted to digital form, the designer can add their own style guidelines, export the design to Sketch, and then produce the front-end code.

2. Let’s Enhance

Transparency of the visuals used in the design is a key component of graphic design. If the design is not clear enough, it won't accomplish the goal for which it was made. A Ukrainian start-up developed Let'sEnhance, an AI-powered application that allows designers to enhance and enlarge photographs without distorting them.

3. Fronty

Another AI-based design tool called Fronty makes the jobs of front-end designers and developers easier by converting an image into HTML and CSS. Website pages can be created by designers by just submitting an image of the design. Fronty will instantly generate the front-end code (HTML / CSS) once the design has been loaded. Additionally, Fronty's UI editor allows designers to quickly change the website's content and appearance online. 

4. Deepart

For designers who emulate renowned visual painters like Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Leonardo Da Vinci, etc., this AI tool is a godsend. On the website Deepart, designers can create original artistic designs by redrawing one image using elements from another image using an algorithm. The photographs are changed into works of art by Deepart using a machine learning algorithm. The AI is used to track the process of making images appear realistic and adhere to the selected aesthetic. Because of this, this implementation is also ideal for anyone who wants to create a website that looks like it was painted by Vincent van Gogh.

5. Khroma

For graphic designers, colour is the most crucial element and has a significant impact on how well their designs turn out. Khroma is an AI colour application for designers that helps identify and save the colour schemes that they frequently employ. The programme makes use of AI to identify a designer's favourite or most-used colour scheme and automatically create a palette for upcoming creations. Using their brand colours, this application enables designers to separate and store colour palettes for various clients.

6. Removebg

The programme, online stores, and computing environments all use the tool. Designers often use this tool to increase the workflow's digital efficiency. The programme makes it easier to remove the background from any image. Approximately 20 million more entertaining hobbies exist than manually deleting backgrounds.

7. Colormind

Deep learning is used by Colormind, a tool for creating colour schemes. It can pick up colour preferences from images, movies, and works of popular art.

What The Future Of AI And Design Looks Like

Will designers be replaced by artificial intelligence? The short answer is no, of course. Despite being a helpful hand, artificial intelligence cannot and will not take the position of designers. The most inventive mind is the human one. AI-powered devices strive to think like humans, using the human mind as the benchmark. However, AI will handle a lot of routine jobs and clerical duties. I anticipate that their bond will grow stronger in the coming years.

However, many people will argue that if a significant portion of the workforce is replaced by AI-powered automation, these workers will seek refuge in virtual reality, fueling an increase in demand for virtual environments, products, and experiences. The explosion of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality will make it the new frontier of possibility for design, albeit perhaps we can escape this dismal situation. To be fair, I can’t put my finger on it. We can predict it happening, but let’s see. Creating virtual landscapes and even living in them can be a far-fetched reality of the future.

In addition to being specific to this new medium, issues like how we connect with one another in virtual reality and how we create and share shared experiences call for abilities like creativity and social intelligence that are challenging for AI to replicate. As we rush to develop virtual worlds, there may be a new demand for the more conventional design disciplines like architecture, interior design, item design, and fashion.

But, will it replace designers?

AI presents enormous opportunities for design, particularly for those working on the interfaces that new AI systems will use to engage with us. It is far from being a threat to the design profession. It is us who create these AI design tools and we will probably modify these AI tools based on our needs and not as a threat to us. For now, let us all enjoy the promising opportunities for us and future generations that AI has provided.