In the past, graphic design  took so much time and effort to create a simple image. In order to create letterheads, magazine staff had to have big desks because it was all manually assembled on printing presses. Photos were developed by hand with the use of darkrooms with chemicals.

However, this all changed in 1984 when Macintosh from Apple arrived. There was suddenly layout software like the Aldus Pagemaker.  The technology allowed designers to actually make revisions with a click. Graphic design changed from being a study table to a computer screen which is known as the desktop publishing revolution. Designing transitioned from being a time-consuming hands-on project to becoming an accessible program in the digital world.

Right now, we are on another turn of a revolution with artificial intelligence and machines letting graphic design transition once more. The future of all this basically comes down to websites making themselves. Software that evaluates your text, and type of business and creates pages with no need for you to put effort. These tools will be put to the web initially and may, later on, affect print design. Then, software makers will transfer these techniques onto layout tools and applications.

There is a lot of talk about how AI will drive graphic design but right now, the reality is far behind its grand goal. Several of the products available in the market are disappointing. This is a disappointment but also brings us back to thinking about how machines are merely an aid for us.

AI Graphic Design Examples

The Grid

The Grid

The Grid lets you know that your website design will be handled by the AI named Molly. She promises to never miss deadlines, charge more, and cover all your demands which are issues of people with graphic designers. They have promoted the AI website designing themselves since 2014 in their crowdfunding campaign.

When they did this campaign, they asked for $96 from their founding members, and took years before producing the final item. If you watch their video right now, the next suggestion for it is a video on “the Grid Sucks, which is a long complaint about an early beta user. While Molly may be a breakthrough for AI, her role at the moment is limited to creating color palettes and cropping photos. Many Reddit users complain about how the produced website is difficult to use and impossible to customize.

Currently, the only way to reach the brand is via a contact form with automated e-mail replies. This leads you to a demo video “The Five Minute Website on the Grid”. Just walk through the demo like normal content management systems like WordPress and Squarespace.

Wix

Wix

Wix is also a popular website maker that presents an AI solution: Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence). Their claim is that it can create the website itself with the content you provide offering a multitude of design options. You can simply click the option you like and the program will reformat it to your content. It is quick and easy but it’s more of an enhanced version of Wix rather than an actual tool that auto-generates websites.

Firedrop

Firedrop is another tool that incorporates AI and ML. Their AI is Sacha which is a chatbot that assists you with the site-building process. They ask you a series of questions and then follow up with suggestions and recommendations. It was launched in March 2015 as a drag-and-drop website builder and transitioned into an AI design tool by the end of the year. CEO Marc Crouch claims that AI is meant to duplicate the experience of collaborating with a professional web designer.

Evaluation

The following are web design tools and although they do offer assistance via artificial intelligence, they still generally require hands-on use. You’re the one inputting the data, seeing the options, and choosing the template. This is still very helpful especially if you’re starting out as a designer or just a small business owner. In fact, this can be proven as Firedrop really targets small businesses as their market.

With all the templates and the interfaces, the burden for these businesses to go online has massively lessened. Upcoming AI-based tools are just here to make it even easier and make sure that the websites being made don’t just end up looking the exact same. At the same time, the algorithms and routines used just still end up making it feel that everything was based on a template.

Graphic Designer’s Perspective

It can be noted that some graphic designers have stressed about getting replaced ever since the existence of digital means. Meanwhile, John Maeda, the head of computational design and inclusion at Automattic, is the opposite. He believes he’s always prepared to be one step above the machines. It’s more of an exciting challenge to him that he faces like a warrior.

Once professional graphic designers give some of the responsibility to technology or maybe even get eliminated from the creative process completely, some of them might actually prefer the change. This presents them an opportunity to step away from the gadgets and work with their hands once more. In the same way, if these AI algorithms end up working out, it would save a lot of time for designers. It would also provide them with more chances to reflect on their creativity.

DotYeti offers a free AI-generating feature for all its users. Aside from that, we have unlimited graphic design services for a flat monthly fee.  Sign up today for as low as $449 a month!