Before and after of AI generated Lady in Red

As a seasoned graphic designer, I was initially skeptical about Artificial Intelligence (AI), wondering if it might eventually eliminate my job. However, as the technology evolved, I came to realize that AI isn’t here to replace us—it’s here to enhance what we do.

Curious about how AI could fit into my creative process, I decided to experiment by creating a graphic based on a client’s vision: a woman in a red gown holding a smoking red drink, framed in gold and displayed on an easel.

I turned to Adobe Firefly, using prompts to generate initial options. While AI-generated images often come with imperfections—like missing fingers or strange-looking eyes—one result stood out. However, it wasn’t perfect. The woman’s fingers were incomplete, which I manually corrected, and her dress wasn’t suitable, so I adjusted that as well. I also added details like a necklace and smoke to the drink for a more polished look.

The process was quite meticulous. Achieving the right look required multiple rounds of retouching and adjustments. After finalizing the Lady in red, I sourced a royalty-free image of a gold frame and a stock image for the background to complete the composition.

While AI played a significant role, this project couldn’t have been entirely generated by AI alone. Piecing together the elements and refining the image took considerable time and skill, but in the end, my client was thrilled with the outcome. Ultimately, collaboration between human creativity and AI leads to extraordinary outcomes.

This experience taught me that AI is a powerful tool in design, but the human touch is still essential for delivering a truly customized and meaningful result. Embracing this technology allows us to elevate our creativity while retaining our unique artistic vision. Ultimately, collaboration between human creativity and AI leads to extraordinary outcomes.