How Most Graphic Designers Are Being Replaced – Unless You Cross The New Creative Divide

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Angry Designer - Episode "How Most Graphic Designers Are Being Replaced – Unless You Cross The New Creative Divide"

Release Date: April 22, 2025

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Introduction

In the April 22, 2025 episode of "The Angry Designer", hosts Massimo (B) and Sean (A) delve deep into the evolving landscape of graphic design, particularly focusing on the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the profession. The discussion centers around the concept of the "creative divide" and how designers must adapt to remain relevant and valued in an AI-dominated environment.

The Evolution of the Creative Divide

Massimo opens the conversation by highlighting the significant advancements in AI image generation, referencing OpenAI's new tools that have "merged into chat and it's scary good" ([02:18]). He draws attention to how AI can now effortlessly replicate complex design styles, such as Studio Ghibli's, sparking debates about originality and legal implications ([02:39]).

Sean concurs, noting the rapid improvement of these tools, stating, "every iteration of AI... just gets better and better" ([07:30]). Both hosts express astonishment at the monumental leap AI has made, emphasizing that AI's ability to execute design tasks is surpassing human capabilities exponentially.

The Rise of AI in Graphic Design

Massimo discusses the transformative impact of AI on graphic design, comparing AI-driven design tools to having a persistent intern capable of generating endless variations of designs instantaneously ([07:48]). He underscores the threat AI poses by leveling the playing field, making high-quality design output accessible to everyone, thereby eroding the traditional edge held by trained designers ([07:07]).

Sean echoes this sentiment, expressing concern over the diminishing value of hard-earned design skills: "The more you use it, the more you realize it's not perfect. You're going to challenge it if you're smart enough to think that way" ([30:37]).

The New Creative Divide: Output vs. Thinking

The core of the episode revolves around redefining the "creative divide." Traditionally, this divide separated creative designers from the rest based on their ability to produce unique and aesthetically pleasing designs. However, with AI bridging this gap, the divide now shifts to creative output versus creative thinking ([13:04]).

Massimo elaborates:

"On one side, you've got creatives or people pretending to be creative, all focused on making things look pretty... On the other side, you've got creatives who are thinkers, who are strategists, solving problems." ([14:08])

This new divide emphasizes that while AI can handle the execution and output, human designers must pivot towards strategic thinking, understanding business objectives, and solving complex problems that go beyond mere aesthetics.

Practical Steps to Cross the Divide

Massimo provides a five-point strategy for designers to navigate this new landscape:

1. Change How You Start Projects

   • From: Asking "What should this look like?"
   • To: Identifying "What is the problem we’re trying to solve?" ([24:36])
   • Quote:

     "Instead of asking, what should this look like? We should be starting with, what is the problem that we're trying to solve." ([24:35])

2. Learn to Present Like a Strategist

   • Focus on conveying the why behind designs before showcasing the what.
   • Quote:

     "Walk your clients through the why before showing them the what." ([27:21])

3. Upgrade Your Inputs

   • Deepen understanding of brand strategy, marketing, and psychology.
   • Treat design briefs as puzzles to uncover underlying problems.
   • Quote:

     "Find out what are the problems here that are in the brief." ([29:05])

4. Treat AI as Your Intern, Not Your Replacement

   • Utilize AI for idea generation, brainstorming, and experimenting.
   • Maintain critical thinking to refine and curate AI-generated outputs.
   • Quote:

     "Don't lose sight of the fact that you need to have critical thinking in order to make this happen." ([30:37])

5. Shift Your Identity from Designer to Creative Problem Solver

   • Transition from being an executor to a strategist and brand psychologist.
   • Embrace the role of a creative director who orchestrates larger visions.
   • Quote:

     "Shift your identity from just a designer who executes to a designer who solves problems." ([30:54])

Shifting the Designer's Identity

The hosts stress the importance of evolving beyond traditional graphic design roles. Massimo uses the analogy of a car and a GPS to illustrate the necessity of having a destination (purpose) for creativity:

"Creativity is like the car itself... if we don't have a destination of where we're going, it's just spinning tires." ([17:04])

Sean adds that designers must become strategists who guide the creative process rather than mere executors of design tasks. This shift is crucial for maintaining relevance and ensuring that designers can offer unique value that AI cannot replicate.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Massimo concludes by reiterating the urgency for designers to adapt:

"This is how you need to shift your mindset for the future." ([37:55])

He emphasizes that while AI tools are powerful, they are merely tools that assist in the creative process. The true value lies in the human ability to think strategically, understand complex problems, and provide creative solutions that align with business objectives.

Sean wraps up by acknowledging the rapid pace of change in the design industry and the necessity for designers to embrace strategic thinking to thrive:

"This is a wake-up call... designers need to shift their identity from makers to thinkers." ([35:35])

Massimo and Sean encourage listeners to engage with their content and adopt the outlined strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of graphic design effectively.

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Notable Quotes:

• Massimo (B) [14:08]:

  "On one side, you've got creatives or people pretending to be creative, all focused on making things look pretty... On the other side, you've got creatives who are thinkers, who are strategists, solving problems."

• Massimo (B) [24:35]:

  "Instead of asking, what should this look like? We should be starting with, what is the problem that we're trying to solve."

• Sean (A) [07:30]:

  "Every iteration of AI... just gets better and better."

• Massimo (B) [30:37]:

  "Don't lose sight of the fact that you need to have critical thinking in order to make this happen."

• Massimo (B) [37:55]:

  "This is how you need to shift your mindset for the future."

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Key Takeaways:

1. AI’s Advancements: AI has rapidly advanced to the point where it can replicate complex design styles and produce high-quality outputs effortlessly, posing a threat to traditional graphic design roles.

2. New Creative Divide: The focus has shifted from creative output to creative thinking. Designers must transition from being mere executors to becoming strategic thinkers and problem solvers.

3. Strategic Adaptation: Implementing strategies such as redefining project initiation, enhancing presentation skills, upgrading knowledge inputs, utilizing AI as an assistant, and shifting professional identity are crucial for designers to stay relevant.

4. Embracing Change: The design industry is undergoing a significant transformation. Designers who adapt by focusing on strategic thinking and problem-solving will thrive, while those who rely solely on traditional execution may find themselves obsolete.

5. Human Edge: Despite AI’s capabilities, the human ability to understand context, strategize, and solve complex problems remains irreplaceable. Designers must leverage these strengths to offer unique value beyond AI-generated outputs.

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By embracing these insights and adapting to the changing landscape, graphic designers can navigate the challenges posed by AI and continue to build rewarding and sustainable careers in the creative industry.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

You're listening to the Angry Designer podcast, where we help frustrated graphic designers crush the industry.

[A]

Bull.

[B]

And share what it takes to charge what you're worth and build badass, rewarding careers. All right, well, listen, let's. Let's have a good cheers here. Smells great.

[A]

Yes. So this.

[B]

This is fake bourbon.

[A]

Fake bourbon.

[B]

This is. This is.

[A]

I'm happy for you.

[B]

Well, you know, I really miss the bourbon right now.

[A]

I know you do.

[B]

This whole trade war, it's affecting my bourbon, you know, consumption. Guys, I. Yeah, somebody's gonna have to talk to, you know, the American president, be like, let those Canadians get their damn bourbon. Actually, I think it's. I think Canada blocked that. Anyway, regardless, this is. This is good whiskey, and it's in oak casks. Right?

[A]

Okay. That's nice.

[B]

Lehman product.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And it actually tastes very similar to a bourbon. Okay. You still notice that it's got so many notes. It's really good. And as you can tell, because I've had a rough couple weeks, I've already. You've already tapped into this one in your absence, so thank you.

[A]

Okay, well, this is new for me, so this is good. Cheers.

[B]

Give this a shot. Let me know what you think. I know. It's great. Oh, what do you think?

[A]

That's pretty good.

[B]

Not bad, right?

[A]

That's not bad.

[B]

It's. I've realized I am definitely more of a fan of bourbon than whiskey, but this whiskey has got some really, really great. This is John. It's called Spring Mill Distillery, a John Sleeman and Sons company. So it is. It's Sleeman's whiskey, and it's traditional straight Y whiskey, but again, it's in oak casks, and it's just something about it. It's great in American white oak casks.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

So. And the barrels do come from Kentucky, so I kind of still feel like we're sneaking some kind of. So.

[A]

Well, I do feel bad for you. It has not affected me at all because I'm a scotch drinker, so.

[B]

Yeah, it's been a sad little while.

[A]

Yeah, I can imagine. But that's really good. That is. That is. If that's not real bourbon, then. Boy.

[B]

Right? I think it's pretty darn close.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And for now, this. This will be. This is a good find, I think, for a little. When I need my cravings.

[A]

Yes, yes.

[B]

So speaking of, like, imitation stuff and fake stuff, I don't know if you've been watching what happened this week, but Open AI about a week ago, launched new. Well, their New image generator. Right. They, they had an image generated Dalley, which now they've just merged into chat and it's scary good.

[A]

Is it?

[B]

It is so good. So this is where everybody went crazy with this whole Studio Ghibli. You know, you see the memes everywhere. Everybody's been. Studio Ghibli. Right. And you know, guilty. I did as well. I took a picture of my family and I Studio Ghibli and every one of my kids was in Studio Ghibli. It incredible. To the point where I believe Studio Gimli's actually put up a lawsuit against it. Oh, sadly, I probably think it's going to lose just because again, it's like, you know what I mean? It's in the style of, or create this in the style of, you know, it's. Even though they probably did. Well, no, not. They probably, they definitely use Studio Ghibli content to get and to train these models. Right, right. You know, the, the, the output or, or the execution. The prompt is, is no different than us going to, you know, at an art class. Hey guys, like, you know, your assignment today is to create, you know, a scene just like Van Gogh's Starry Nights, but make it personal to you. So.

[A]

And I don't know how many times I've ripped off Andy Warhol doing, doing band posters and stuff like that.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

I mean, it's a great idea, but.

[B]

I mean, this is a whole other conversation altogether. Of course. And I know that there's a whole ethics part of this and, and I think we've touched on this before. But yeah, needless to say, Studio Ghibli took notice. They, they, they, they did whatever and, and there's a lawsuit going on. But the bigger picture here is this really fucking good. Like, it's scary good.

[A]

What?

[B]

It's capable. It's got image rendering, text rendering. I've seen designers and people online, you know, put up examples and be like, here, here's a picture right on the left hand side of a composition. And it would be like a seaside setting with a big can of Coke on it. And on the right side, they took a picture of a mayonnaise bottle from their kitchen and they're like, okay, take this mayonnaise bottle and create a, a scene exactly like that. Replacing the Coke with the mayonnaise bottle and it was like bang on. Within seconds it would recreate this image and we're talking, it would redo text. You know, you could prompt it. Like, it has gotten to the point now where it's not just, you know, replacing images, but it understands the context that you're asking. It's, it's getting really, really scary. And, you know, you know, not that I've ever been scared of a designer's purpose.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

But I think a lot of people really have something to worry about.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because, I mean, you know, there's always been a creative divide.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

The big creative divide. Right. And the divide is, is like, you know, when we were young, we would think different.

[A]

Right?

[B]

We were creative kids.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

We would, we were, we would, you know, create monsters that, you know, look out of garbage and, and, you know.

[A]

Balls and bricks or sticks and guns.

[B]

You know, and, and people would always be like, wow, you know, like you're, you know, the way you think is so creative. So creative. Right.

[A]

And.

[B]

And that led to creative careers for us.

[C]

Right, okay.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And what that did is that separated us from everybody else because we were creatives. Right. And, and it meant something.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Because we were able to perform these tasks. And then after a while, it's like, you know, what made us different and separated us, divided us from everybody else was the know, we were hands on creative and we could create things that were deemed to be creative.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

That was our separation. That was what separated us from everybody else. Right. The challenge is that superpower that we had is pretty much gone.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And that's the scary thing. You know, the more I think about this, that what used to separate us from everybody else.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The fucking playing field is completely level.

[A]

Yeah. It was hours of time spent about log time. And, and now you could just go in there with a clever sentence.

[B]

Yes. Right.

[A]

And. And away you go. You're doing.

[B]

You could prompt it. Right. You know, AI is like creating is, is because, you know, people switched, you know, how they described what we did to, you know, our output. Now AI is now creative. Templates are creative. Our cousin Vinnie is now creative.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Like ripping it up on Canva. Yeah, up on Canva. Oh, Vinnie.

[A]

Oh, way to go, Vinnie.

[B]

But, but like, I mean, that's, that's a big thing because then where does that leave, you know, the creative designers?

[A]

Right.

[B]

Okay. And I think that's the challenge. And that's kind of what. What I was hoping to kind of talk about today at a high level because again, we've, we've always, we, we've danced around this and, you know, kind of, you know, put out there what the future designer is. And we're going to talk about what the future designer is. Right. But the Reality is the creative divide as we know it has changed and there is a new creative divide that's on the horizon that we have to adopt to or we're just going to burn up and die. Yeah, absolutely.

[A]

Yes. It's nipping at our heels too, right, dude?

[B]

Absolutely. It is.

[A]

Every, every iteration of, of AI or some kind of image generator just gets better and better and better. Yeah. Which is, which is like, oh, shit.

[B]

This is, this one has. Honestly, I'm shocked.

[A]

Really?

[B]

I didn't think, I thought after last year I was like, okay, yeah, yeah. At the pace going, nothing's going to shock me.

[A]

Right?

[B]

This is a whole. It's just like the leap, the jump is just so monumental that it's just, it's like, it's, it's, it's. To the future. I can see the future. And you know, our hands on design is, is going to be less and less and less.

[C]

Right.

[B]

But I mean, again, it's not necessarily, it's definitely not our fault.

[A]

No.

[B]

Right. Because we've all been kind of sold a myth. You know, as graphic designers, right, we go to school, right? And, and everybody used to always tell us that, you know, creativity is enough and you can do this. Right? And it was k. You know, graphic design school pushed design, okay? It pushed design style, originality. It made us work on our brush strokes and made us work on our ink output, right? Like everything was based on design. We focused on fucking design principles, studied the greats, which was amazing. Amazing. Sadly, almost all those principles have now entered into AI.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Which is crazy, right? But for years, you know, whether it was school and after school and amongst our peers, right? And everything that you even see now on social media, we were always led to believe that creative design was enough. And if you could create something that looked great, that was enough.

[A]

You were always one step ahead of everybody, Right? Yes.

[B]

You know, and granted this was a real thing back in the 60s and 70s because, you know, it was a very small pool of people could actually physically hands on, do design. But then as technology evolved and as we went from, you know, like ink to like, you know, photos and photos to then the Mac and then Mac to like more desktop publishing, everything, you could see that on a sudden the PO of potential designers got broader.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And broader and broader.

[A]

Expanded. Yeah, Exponentially.

[B]

Right. So again, all of a sudden we're sold this idea that, that our creativity and our creative execution abilities, which is what they trained us on in school, was our golden ticket to our future.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And the sad part is the World changed and boy, did it change. It just feels like, you know, again, it took 20 years for me to see the world, our world, go from print to digital.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But it took what felt like a blink.

[A]

Yes to this whole AI stuff.

[B]

I don't think this AI stuff was really like, even people were talking about during COVID days. Yeah, right. Like, it has literally been the past three to four years. Like, it's just crazy how fast this went. Right?

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

So now it's like, I can be creative too. Or at least people think, because people have always have come to assume that creativity is just output. It. Okay, so nobody's even giving us like, props on the way we think in our creative. When's the last time somebody said, Sean, you're. I love the way you think it's so creative. Right. They don't. They look at what you're doing now.

[A]

Yeah. Yes.

[B]

And they're like. And they're using that as like, yeah, you are creative. Right.

[A]

Judge it on. Yeah.

[B]

So. And I mean that's. So, you know, the reality is, well, now AI can do this and it can output. It can output it faster. Right.

[A]

And.

[B]

And the execution part isn't just exclusive now to, you know, classically trained designers or designers in the time and effort and the grit. Right. And. And again, the problem is AI doesn't sleep. AI doesn't, you know, you can give it as much feedback as you could be the worst customer in the world to it. It doesn't care. It'll happily give you more examples and the more you prompt, the more you get back. Right. This is where it's like, determination can really create some crazy things using AI. Right.

[A]

True. And.

[B]

And again, it can just do concept after concept after concept. So there's, there's a lot here that, you know, I guess that seems creative.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

But the thing is, AI isn't actually creative. It only mimics creative.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

It can't think like creatives. This whole idea that we were talking about, or what I mentioned about at a young age, you know, being career, you know, being creative and being thought of as a creative and saying, we think it can't do that.

[A]

No.

[B]

Because ultimately it. It's a mathematical formula. Right. It can only output based on the data that it has in. But granted that it's got all the fucking data in the world.

[A]

It's got a lot of data. Yeah, exactly.

[B]

But it still needs prompts.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It still needs the thought process. It still needs to be worked and it needs to be worked hard.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

It does, Right? So it doesn't understand the why behind the needs that you're actually giving it. Right? It's just, you know, higher level thinking, human nuances, you know, it doesn't understand that. It just is extremely incredible at creating the output. So, like shortcuts, right? All the important stuff, right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So this is, this is where it's like, you know, on one hand, designers think that, you know, like, our jobs are on the line and. Yeah, you know what? Like, I mean, I'm kind of over the fact that, you know, generative AI can, can expand an image in minutes, what would take me days to do. Previously, I'm okay with this. I hated fucking doing that.

[A]

Right?

[B]

But I mean, again, I'm over about that. Right? But there is a whole new creative divide that I think we have to talk about. Because at one point, you know, us creatives, you know, what separated us from everybody else, it's now obsolete. Yes, right, because everybody's able to do and create the output product that, you know, people always assumed, right? So basically the new creative divide, okay, this whole new idea of the new creative divide that exists right now, okay, and this is kind of where our futures hinge on, right?

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Because basically you've, you're going to have two types of creatives now because, let's face it, if, if everybody is, is calling you a creative based on your, your, your, your execution or your output, right?

[C]

Okay?

[B]

Everybody's equal to, you know, capable of the exact same equal execution, okay? So everybody's creative in that case, but there's going to be two different kinds of creatives, okay? On one side, you've got creatives or, or people pretending to be creative, okay, that all they're focused on is making things look pretty and, and, you know, now shit doesn't actually look raw and poorly done and everything, right? Because AI, it's incapable of making anything look shit.

[A]

Exactly.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

But this is what these people focus on because this is all they know, right?

[C]

Okay?

[B]

And on the other side, you've got creatives who are thinkers, who are strategists. They're the ones who are solving problems, right? This is going to be the new creative divide. And this is what's going to basically take designers into the future or leave other ones in the dust.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

So again, what we're talking about here is it's creative output versus creative thinking, okay? So this is the new creative divide, okay? So output, of course, is execution. It's visuals, it's, you know, colors, it's, it's combinations it's style. This is what creative output is. And unfortunately, anybody who can type a prompt, you know, even a half ass prompt can get these kind of results.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

The other creative is creative thinking. This is where you start thinking about the purpose of what it is that you're doing. You're thinking about the audience and what's in it for them. You're thinking deeper than just at surface level.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And you're trying to find the right messaging, the right timing, the right, the right problems to solve within this, this whole larger purpose, the discover. So this is actually going to be, you know, this is what is going to be taking us into the future if designers actually give a shit.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Okay, go ahead.

[A]

No, I was just going to say it's the why versus the how.

[B]

100%. It's the why versus the how.

[A]

Yes. So the how could be a chat GPT thing.

[B]

Right, Chad? Whereas anybody. Yeah.

[A]

What we're doing is why are we going to go this way?

[B]

Exactly. Right. We're trying to find chat. Won't do that.

[A]

Not yet. Won't.

[B]

Now again, don't be fooled. If you were to try to use chat as a problem solving tool, it could help you get to that.

[A]

This is true. This is true. Yeah. But you still have to know the prompts to put in.

[B]

Exactly. Because that's the thing. Right. People keep forgetting that chat on its own isn't going to do anything.

[A]

It can't do anything.

[B]

It's not. And those people who are using it to focus on creative execution, they're the ones who think they have the edge because now they're all creative and they can do that. But the reality is they don't have the mindset, the questions, the understanding and the long term vision to figure out the why.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So these are the designers that are winning right now, okay. The ones who are strategic thinkers, who are creative thinkers. This is where that whole design thinking methodology actually comes into play. Right? Because it does. This is the designers who think aren't just about creative design. Right. These are the people that are actually in demand because these are the people who are able to think deeper and further, just like you said, onto the real problems. This. Okay, an analogy, analogy that sits close to my heart, okay, is like, you know, creativity is like the car.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And we all know how much I love cars. And strategy is the gps.

[A]

Oh, that helps you get to where you're going.

[B]

Exactly. That gives you a point to where you want to go. So don't get me wrong. It's great to Jump into a car and drive and just drive around in circles, do whatever.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Creativity, sure. I can make this work and that work and this. But if I don't have a destination of where I'm going.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All I'm doing is just spinning tires.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm just spinning tires. It's a joy.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

And you know, that could be fun.

[A]

Yeah, that's great.

[B]

But it doesn't get me anywhere.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

I don't, I'm not any further to any destination. I'm just kind of driving in circles. So that's, that's, that's, that's a good analogy for this. Right. Creativity is the actual car itself and it's fun and, and everybody looks forward to it. But if we don't have a destination of where we're going, if we don't have a purpose.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Literally, we, it's just, it's mindless. It's just for fun.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And you know, this isn't something that I guess you can say, like there's real life examples to this.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So a good example to this is. Remember when Pepsi spent a million dollars on a new logo?

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And you know, it's okay to spend a million dollars. Bank did it. And that's a good one. But Paula. Sure, yeah. But this was the joke where they spent a million dollars. They created a brand book that was ridiculous, right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

All the art and this arc is now found in history and in the museums and in the Coliseum and you know, we got Fabonacci, you know, formula. It was basically like what felt like a thousand pages of bullshit to back up their million dollar price tag for a new ugly logo.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And what happened? It fucking bombed.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

No one liked it. Everybody made fun of it. It was like the laughing joke.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Forever. And nobody got it. Nobody understood it because they focused on the creativity. And even though they said it was very strategic in why they built it, sure. They had no purpose for the, they had no idea the why. They were just defending on the, what they created.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So that's why that was a giant, you know, failure. But then, and if we, if, if we compare that to something legendary like Nike's. Just do it.

[A]

Just do it.

[B]

Okay. So beautiful. Just do it. This focuses on people, okay. This focuses on people's will on, on their ambitions, okay. It has a long term purpose. And you know, when you hear. Just do it, everybody. I don't care if you love Nike or hate Nike. I'm an Adidas guy personally, so I don't care but still, it's a legendary campaign.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And it was, you know, and still to this day, when you hear that.

[A]

Yeah, right, yeah. Because what you think of it's deeper.

[B]

Right. And that was there they figured out their why or Apple's, you know, think different.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So again, had nothing to do with their computer.

[A]

No.

[B]

They're not selling their product. They weren't selling even their brand. They were telling people out there to do things outside the norm. Think differently.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

The original creative divide.

[A]

Yes. Yeah. Right, right, yeah.

[B]

And what did that do? That, that then corre paralleled with their brand and you know, how they thought differently about the way they made things and this now. But they never actually came right out.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And said, you know, our computers are different.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

They just promoted that idea.

[A]

Right, right. And this, you can say that with, with Nike too, is absolutely. Just do it. It's, it's a, it's a motion, it's a movement kind of thing. Both pertain to what their brands are. Yes, absolutely.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Apple was very different at the time. But what came up, that is a great strategy to run with.

[B]

Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Think that this is the new creative divide. Right. Where, you know, we have to now separate ourselves from, you know, the design execution or the creative execution or output and start focusing on, you know, the thinking that's behind everything. Right. We need to start like it is our wake up call.

[A]

It is, yeah.

[B]

Because this is the way designers are going to thrive in the future because, you know, no more are we going to be able to rely on, you know, hardcore design skills. Because the reality is a lot of the output stuff that you see out there, Right. It's now being done for you.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So again, you know, gone are those long production hours of photoshopping this and making that. Now it's like companies are just. And it's not that they can. Companies are doing it and you're seeing it and you're not. We're not just saying small shops, but giant, giant, multi billion dollar companies are already using AI to create campaigns and using AI. They're not replacing agencies on a whole.

[C]

No.

[B]

But they're using it to augment a lot of their marketing material. Right. So for designers, you know, we need to start changing mindset a little bit. Right. We need to start asking why more than how or. Okay, Right. We need to start understanding how business works and start, you know, understanding business operations and presenting logic as part of, you know, what we're doing, not just visuals and color schemes.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And honestly, if we have to. If you get a brief that has no purpose, we need to push back a little bit. Right. And challenge our customers to think a little bit deeper and a little bit long term. Right. Because again, I firmly believe the role of the designer in the future is to be the human that AI that the machine can't replace.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Because again, it can't do anything without us taking the lead.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And creative people who think that they can do the output, that they're equal with us, can't, can't, can't get these kind of results without knowing the depth that we have.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Right. So you know what, AI, let it write, okay? Let it fucking come up with a copy. Let it generate the layouts, let it do a hundred different logo variations. Because that shit's coming.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

It is in like 10 seconds. And you know what? Good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Let it.

[C]

Yeah, okay.

[B]

Because honestly, that's not design, that's output.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And this is what this whole thing's about, that our whole vision, the new creative divide, can't be focused on just output. It has to be focused on our new mindset. Right? Designer of the future. We need to be strategists, not just pixel pushers.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

We need to be curators of new visions and taste, because God knows, customers often have none. Okay. Imagine what they'll create if they go into AI and type in what their brand is going to look like.

[A]

I don't need an agency. I'm just going to do it myself. Oh, boy.

[B]

You know, we're going to be acting like creative directors, brand psychologists. Like, there is a huge place for designers because is, we just have to go back to thinking differently, thinking creatively, not just doing creatively, you know?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, with this being said, you know, I do think so. This still might be kind of a weird concept for a lot of people to, you know, to understand. And I understand that a lot of people are in a position right now where they're doing design, they're doing production work, and. And they can't see anything further.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So I'm trying. I. I kind of got a small list of simple things on how to actually cross that next creative divide that we're into. Because this is it. Like, I mean, again, the first creative divide is gone.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And AI has sadly leveled that field. The new creative divide is going to be creative output versus creative thinking.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Okay, so how do we cross this new creative divide? Okay, I got five different ways of doing this.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Five points.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So, you know, and these are practical next Steps.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

This is just my thinking. You know, if you guys have other ideas, let me know. But you know, number one, you know, I definitely think designers need to change how they actually start a new project. Customers.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And what I mean by this is, you know, we kind of touched on this before, but instead of asking, what should this look like? Okay, we should be starting with, you know, what is the problem that we're trying to solve?

[A]

Right?

[B]

This has always been something that, you know, designers have done, especially the higher end designers, okay? Designers who are getting paid 6 plus figures and are working with billion $. They're not asking what colors, you know, the customer wants. They're not asking, you know, what, what mascot or if you're an animal, what animal best suits you. No, they're asking, what are the problems that we're trying to solve. Okay, you want to ask who is this for?

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Ask about the audience. Ask about what, what information do they know about the audience that you can challenge thereafter, you know, in a very good, respectful way. Right, okay. Using your brilliant AI tools.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And the big thing is you want to ask them, why does this matter?

[A]

Right?

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So if they're like, hey, we're launching something and I need you to create something to advertise it. Why. Why do people give a. That you're launching this and what. What good is it going to do? Because this is now going to change it from, oh, introducing new feature 4.0, you know, you know, with now 200% more processing power.

[A]

Yeah. The.

[B]

Does that mean, okay, this is the world that we live in when it comes to engineers and technologists. Right? But the reality is so many other people are the same thing. Like, you know, when they talk about, oh, this is, you know, eco friendly product. Well, what does that mean? Yeah, yeah, don't assume everybody understands because eco friendly now is just like.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Right, exactly.

[B]

And you can't tell me that that that's coming from Sheen isn't all just touting eco friendly and made with love, okay? Like, these are overused buzz terms, so use your own brain, find out. Problem is that we're solving who is it we're solving for what? Demographics, and of course, why does this matter?

[C]

Yes, okay.

[B]

Why does it matter? So one thing to keep in mind, number two, another thing, right? You need to now learn how to present like a strategist, okay? Not like just a designer, okay? And again, I love pitching, I love presenting, but when you step into that strategist mode, it's a completely different sphere.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

You're not just showing your design. You're showing your thinking.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Behind the design.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And we've always stressed on this, that's more important than the design itself. Right. You want to walk your clients through the why not before you actually show them the what.

[A]

Yes. Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And people don't understand that before I show a local, I usually have a 10.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Of what we're gonna do here, what.

[B]

We'Re gonna do, why are we gonna do it, what we're doing. By the time we get to the logo, either A, they're just exhausted that they're agreeing to anything, or B, they're like, holy. That is exactly everything that you talked about and led up to. So you're bang on. Right. So walk your client through the why before showing them the what.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Tie your visuals.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

To business outcomes, not to aesthetics.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

You want to make sure that you're letting them know that we're using these people because of this reason.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And make sure it's never a personal feeling or an opinion. Opinions don't matter. This is bigger level thinking. And then, of course, speak in their language.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Drop the design jargon.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And if you don't know what design jargon is, we've got an episode about buzzwords. Go check that out.

[A]

Because.

[B]

So again, number two, learn how to present like a strategist. Number three, okay. Upgrade your inputs. And what I mean by this is you need to start studying brain strategy. Okay. More than just, you know, you know, design principles. Because sadly, design principles now might be irrelevant in the near future.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Especially if you. If you start incorporating crazy tools to help you with this whole process.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Sadly. Sadly. But again, you know, you want to understand brand strategy, you want to understand marketing, you want to understand what positioning and the psychology behind the positioning is. These are all really important tools that kind of help you elevate to strategist thinking. Creative thinking, not just creative doing.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

You want to. You want to read brief briefs. Okay. The briefs that you get from the customers, but think of them as puzzles.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Not just checklists. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yeah. No, Find out what. What are the problems here that are in the. I have never seen a perfect brief.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

In my 25 years of doing.

[A]

Fair enough. Yeah.

[B]

Right. I. I poke holes through all of them.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So this is your job to dissect these, to try to figure out where the weaknesses are, and then challenge them on it so you can find the problems within the brief.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And then honestly get obsessed with the context behind all this. Okay? Not just the composition itself. People are always excited to rush to the creative. Okay, but you need to understand, again, the why, not just the how.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So that's upgrading your inputs. All right? Number four, treat AI as your intern, okay? Not your replacement. Remember this?

[C]

Okay?

[B]

Your intern, not replacement. If you had a talented intern that you can unload all the stuff you didn't want to or bounce ideas off of, right? You'd keep that intern forever.

[A]

Oh, yeah, sure.

[B]

You now got this. You got it now, okay? Use it to generate ideas faster, to brainstorm with, to experiment wider breadths to, To. To problem solve with you. This is the most valuable tool I have ever experienced in, in, in all my years of doing design.

[A]

Without a doubt.

[B]

Yes, without a doubt, right? And again, don't forget. Forget you decide what works AI doesn't. You do, okay? The more you use it, the more you realize it's not perfect.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

You're going to challenge it if you're, if you're smart enough to think that way.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

Don't lose sight of the fact that you need to have critical thinking in order to make this happen, right? So you bring the taste, you bring the, the direction, and you bring the decision to what you keep and what you get rid of. You're molding what AI is giving you. You're not taking it. Right?

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And last but not least, interesting. You need to shift your identity. This is critical, absolutely critical. You need to stop seeing yourself as a designer who executes, and you need to start seeing yourself as a creative problem solver who uses design, which is only one of many tools to come to solving a customer's, you know, problems. So that's how you, Your mindset needs to change in this whole process. So again, you don't need.

[A]

You.

[B]

You don't need to. Or can you become a strategist overnight?

[C]

Okay?

[B]

Really, you. This isn't going to happen just at a snap, right? But you have to, starting today, stop being just a designer of output. And that's, that's the critical, that's the key takeaway here with all this, okay? Because unfortunately, AI is now capable of our output. And whether it's ethical, whether you agree or disagree, the reality is the shit that I just saw and some of the stuff I'm seeing online is scary good. Good. But it's only output focused.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

And again, the brilliant thing about it is it's just a tool. So if I can use this brilliant tool, you know, which is just an enhanced version of Photoshop and Illustrator and it's doing all my shit for me. I can use that. It'll do what I needed to do. It'll help me become. To elevate myself to that next level. This is how you need to think of AI in this case.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

Right.

[B]

Honestly, this. This creative divide has changed. Okay? Regardless, it's changed forever. No longer can we say we're creative and we can do things that normal people can't, because the reality is. No, they can now. They can now, whether it was with Canva a few years back or with templates even years before or now with AI more than ever.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

That edge that we had to be creative and new, these skills, they're gone. So now what we have to do is we have to elevate the way we think, the way we input and the way we execute bigger thinking. Not just the creative outputs, the whole lazy I. The lazy button, lazy designer or the fivers who are just like, what do you want your logo to look like? That's gone.

[A]

Yeah, that is done.

[B]

That's done.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And honestly, being an order taker, that's dead.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Forget it. You need to now elevate the future. Designer is a critical thinker.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And this is something that we promote all the time. You need to think for yourself. You need to, you know, don't take anything at face value. Right. You know, know both the. You can see both sides of the coin and come to your own conclusion on this. Right? You're the conductor, the storyteller, you know, the maestro of the orchestra. And you, you know, are the creative director who's putting that bigger vision together. This is what we are designers of. The futures need to be thinkers, not just makers.

[A]

Yeah, makers. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Because that, I mean, you know, we. We've seen. I really wasn't concerned too much about Canva and all that Fiverr and all this kind of stuff.

[B]

No, not at all.

[A]

But now this is really. You know, I haven't seen the new chat stuff, but you. You put the fear of God into me now at this point, so I could.

[B]

I could share some stuff.

[A]

Okay, I'm gonna have to see this because.

[B]

But, you know, the reality is.

[A]

You're right. There's so much more that it is.

[B]

It's. AI isn't a threat.

[A]

No.

[B]

It's stagnation.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's. It's stopping and being compliant and just kind of doing the. The bare minimum.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

That's the killer of the designer of the future.

[A]

Or just kind of moving along at the same pace that you've gone and thinking, I'm just, I'm good, I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and, and I'll be fine. But no, that's, that's not the way. This, the pace of this design field is, is, has just stepped up. It's like a hockey stick. It just huge.

[B]

It's going so fast, buddy. Honestly, Honestly, I, even, even when I thought production roles, you know, production positions had a lifespan of three to five years. Yeah, no, that's one, two years tops. Because all it takes is one AI app, one person to go out there and be like, give me an AI app that will create these mock up, like just regular production stuff, you know, clip all these images of fruits and put them on a newspaper. Well, guess what? That's already there. It's done. Photoshop was doing it. Now this new AI will do it all for you even faster. It's almost like a race to zero.

[A]

Yeah, basically.

[B]

And you know what, that's fine. But you know, for the past little while, I'd been focusing more on my thinking, on my problem solving. And I think that, you know, that's, you know, when I said I was, you know, I felt burnt out. Yeah, I think I was. My creative output part was a little burnt out. It didn't mean that I wasn't passionate about doing creativity and my own personal projects.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But I was still, still deep in the parts, in brand problems, you know, problem solving for customers, trying to, you know, doing the strategy. Yeah, I still love that.

[A]

Yes, yes. Well, that, that new deck that we brought on with the new client, that was. Right, that was exciting. Again, that was a thrilling kind of, you know, there were, there were issues to be kind of to be found. To be found. And we fixed those and those are.

[B]

The things that we first addressed. Yeah, we got their deck. We were like, you know, this is great. Right. But here are the issues, here's the holes in your story. This is what we're proposing and this is why we're proposing it. They were like, hands up. Amazing. Yeah, go to it. Thank you.

[A]

And we looked at that deck 50 times and it's still awesome. Every time we looked at it, it was just like.

[B]

The funny thing is, in the end, the client probably wouldn't have cared if we did it by hand, which we did, or if there was a future tool that could just AI generate all the other slides.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You know, know, really, in the end, they didn't care because we solved the problem up front.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And so at the end, the Execution was just like. That was just like the given.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that is the world that we're living in.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, it's going to come to a point where it's like the whole world, you know, deserves good quality design. And while, you know, maybe some of the AI we're seeing out there might not be, you know, great with design principles, yet may not adhere to, you know, what. What we've become accustomed to reality is the quality of the output is just. It's getting to the point where it's just. Just. It's scary.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

And it's so close to just like, wow.

[A]

Oh, geez.

[B]

So I. I genuinely think this is something that, you know, designers need to take for serious. And again, you know, this. This practical list is something that, you know, I strongly believe in. And this is the shift. This is the shift that we all have to take for the next steps.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So the new creative divide for you guys to think about.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Is. Is to change how you start projects, to learn how to present, like a strategist, to upgrade the inputs that you're using and the content that you're learning about, to treat AI as your intern, not your replacement, and to shift your identity from just a designer who executes to a designer who solves problems.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

This is how you need to shift your. Your mindset for the future.

[A]

Yep. That's awesome.

[B]

Yeah, that's really good, Gary. As.

[A]

Yeah, it is, but it is the.

[B]

World that we're living in right now.

[A]

Yes. Yes. But that's why we're here, to help everybody along and avoid these. These pitfalls and stuff like that and. And reframe the. The way we think. I like that idea.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

I've always considered myself a graphic designer.

[B]

But, you know, and you still can.

[A]

There's a different. There's. There's other things to that.

[B]

You know what's funny? I think that we will end up dropping the graphic part and going back to just design designer, because a designer is doing something with intent.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

When you add the graphic in front of designer, it's a different world. It almost feels like it's a lot more thin.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It. It only focuses on the aesthetics portion of it. Right. And yes, I get it. We've always said, you know, we solve, you know, problem. Visual problems. That's what graphic designers do.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But now everybody's going to be able to almost try to solve visual problems. We need to go back to the designer part, and we need to go back to solving problems, because that's what people want to pay for. That's what customers want to pay for. That's the real value of what a designer brings to the table is our ability to solve these problems, not just do the pretty part of, you know, and, and the deliver that. That. That's what a graphic artist does, not a graphic designer.

[A]

Yes, exactly.

[B]

Cool.

[A]

Nice. Wow.

[B]

All right, buddy. Well, I hope you guys appreciated this. This was maybe some high level thought, but, you know, please share your thoughts with us. Let us know what you think. You know, again, do you want more philosophical stuff? This is just based on what we've seen and what we see. The. What we've experienced and what we see. The future is going to be like.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

And we'll wear togas if that's what you want.

[A]

Say we're gods, but Socrates and.

[B]

Right. You don't want to see sean in a ToA.

[A]

That's not. I would wish that on anybody.

[B]

Guys, hit us up online. Of course. Hit us up on our Instagram, on our YouTube. And don't forget to sign up for our. Our newsletter, Anger Management for Designer, which has a lot more of this and a lot more of the tips to help you guys keep moving forward into the future and getting what you deserve out of this, this journey, this industry and, and of course, getting paid with your deserve.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

My name is Massimo.

[A]

My name is Sean.

[B]

Stay creative and stay angry.