What Graphic Designers Are Getting Wrong about Authenticity, AI & Design

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Angry Designer

Episode Title: What Graphic Designers Are Getting Wrong about Authenticity, AI & Design
Date: March 10, 2026
Hosts: Massimo & Sean

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Angry Designer digs deep into the obsession with "authenticity" in design, skewering the myths and nostalgias designers cling to—especially as AI tools revolutionize the creative process. Massimo and Sean challenge conventional wisdom, arguing that what most call "authentic" is often marketing BS. Instead, they propose that true authenticity in 2026 isn’t about handcrafting every pixel or avoiding AI, but about building honest relationships and keeping promises—soft skills AI can’t imitate. The discussion is candid, irreverent, and loaded with industry insights on how designers can stay relevant (and real) as technology and expectations shift.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Debunking the "Authenticity" Myth

• Handmade as Marketing BS

  • The episode kicks off inspired by a bottle of "handmade" scotch, calling out how brands use words like "handmade" purely for image, not reality.
  • Quote:

    "To me, when I see handmade scotch, okay, I call BS. What do you think? Is it like, do you think somebody's there squishing the barley with their hand?" — Massimo (02:33)

• Designers Clinging to the Old Ways

  • Many designers defend traditional methods as being more "authentic," but the hosts argue this is more about fear than love for craft.
  • The notion that AI or new tools strip design of its soul is compared to past tech transitions, like film to digital photography, where similar doomsday predictions failed to come true.
  • Quote:

    "All of a sudden realized it wasn't the craft that gave its soul, it was the person using it." — Massimo (04:49)

2. The AI "Threat"—Real or Hype?

• AI-Assisted Design: Not the Enemy

  • Proper use of AI doesn't kill authenticity; it's a tool, like Pinterest or Google. The creativity and judgment come from the designer, not the software.
  • Quote:

    "The people who are using it properly aren't just handing over what AI spits out. They're using it like inspiration, then doing their own thing from it." — Massimo (07:08)

• Fear of Losing Identity

  • The real designer fear is losing their unique value—not the process itself, but “who they are.”
  • Quote:

    "If AI removes that part of a designer, right? Who are they anymore? ... They lose their identity." — Massimo (07:45)

• Competitiveness and Efficiency

  • Clinging to old-fashioned methods purely for nostalgia's sake will only slow designers down, erode their competitiveness, and accelerate burnout.

3. Authenticity: Redefined in 2026

• Authenticity as Soft Skill

  • True authenticity now comes from soft skills: judgment, communication, honesty, consistency, and client relationships—not from how "handmade" something is.
  • Quote:

    "Authenticity in 2026 and onward is actually more of a soft skill than it is a hard skill... Clarity, honesty, the reliability people can count on every time." — Massimo (16:03)

• The Client Experience

  • Most clients never see how a design is made; what they pay for is trust, communication, and a sense that they're in good hands.
  • Quote:

    "Clients feel the soft skills. Ultimately, they never see the hard skills." — Massimo (17:31)

• What Really Differentiates Designers from AI

  • AI can replicate outputs, but not the designer’s POV, taste, or ability to relate to clients.
  • Quote:

    “AI can match any sort of output. It can't actually match your behavior with a customer." — Massimo (18:35)

4. Cut the BS: Real Talk for Designers

• Call Out: Fake Purists & Overselling

  • Clinging stubbornly to “handmade” or “no AI used!” is often just stubbornness—not integrity or quality.
  • Designers who have “no point of view” and try to appeal to everyone become forgettable.
  • Quote:

    "If you claim you're for everybody, you're actually for nobody. You just blend into all the AI slop." — Massimo (13:03)

• Authenticity in Deliverables & Process

  • Be honest about what you deliver. Don’t oversell process or results; don’t fake “custom” work that’s just AI with a quick tweak.
  • Set realistic boundaries and keep your word.
  • Quote:

    “Be authentic. It's okay to tell your customer you don’t work weekends... If you say you’re going to email them, email them.” — Massimo (25:00)

• Real Relationship = Lasting Value

  • Admitting when a client’s idea is good, giving credit, and admitting your own missteps all build trust and authenticity.
  • Personal presence, honesty, and branding are what differentiate real designers from the sea of generic, AI-generated output.

5. The Power—and Necessity—of POV

• Brand, Judgment, and Being Real
  • Authenticity isn’t found in the techniques or the "look", but in consistently bringing one’s own point of view, taste, and integrity to all work.
  • AI can mimic styles but not the judgment that makes work original and meaningful.
  • Quote:

    "Your taste, your judgment, your point of view, your decisions, your freaking promises that you deliver and keep delivering time and time and time again. That's what authenticity is now." — Massimo (30:09)

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Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Marketing Gimmicks

  "There is so much BS around authenticity. Handmade? Okay. What are they doing—are they squishing the barley with their hands?" — Massimo (02:33)

• On AI as a Design Tool

  "People who are actually using it properly aren't even taking what it is and handing it over to the client—they're taking ideas. They're using it like inspiration from Google or Pinterest. It springboards." — Massimo (07:08)

• On the Real Value of the Designer

  "Clients feel the soft skills, and ultimately they never see the hard skills." — Massimo (17:31)

• On the BS of Claiming to Be a Purist

  "Clinging to older methods doesn't make you a better designer. It ages you. And it'll age you fast." — Massimo (14:28)

• On What Can’t Be Automated

  "If it can be copied or automated, it will. So clinging to Adobe and doing in Illustrator or Photoshop and saying that's more authentic...? Not really.” — Massimo (16:03)

• On Commoditization and Relevance

  "Your brand just becomes forgettable because you will blend into everybody else on Fiverr." — Massimo (29:38)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00 - Opening rant about authenticity and bullshit marketing
• 02:30 - Massimo’s hand-crafted scotch bottle analogy
• 04:15 - When "authenticity" became a buzzword—context before and after AI
• 07:08 - Explaining AI-assisted design as authentic
• 10:54 - Comparing designer processes (Alan Peters reference)
• 12:15 - Clinging to old methods: "the painful road to hell"
• 13:03 - Calling out designers with no POV
• 15:38 - Redefining authenticity for the AI era (soft skills)
• 17:31 - Clients feel soft skills, not hard skills
• 22:26 - Authenticity in deliverables and communication
• 25:00 - Setting boundaries and authentic relationships
• 27:37 - Authentic use of AI and what clients really care about
• 29:12 - The risk of becoming a commodity
• 30:09 - Final summary: new authenticity is about judgment, POV, and keeping promises

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Tone & Style

• Direct, irreverent, unapologetic: No-nonsense, anti-buzzword, and anti-snobbery attitude.
• Candid, practical advice: Real talk about the industry and being a working designer.
• Motivational and empowering: Encourages designers to embrace change, focus on what matters, and build careers with integrity, not nostalgia.

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Actionable Takeaways

• Stop fetishizing “process” and “handmade” just to feel authentic—clients care about impact, not origin stories.
• Authenticity today means having a point of view, clear communication, and the courage to be yourself.
• Use AI as a tool, not a crutch. Judgment, taste, and relationships are the real differentiators.
• Don’t oversell what you do or mislead about your process—credibility is built through honesty.
• If you avoid developing and showing your authentic self/brand, you’ll be commoditized and forgotten.

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This engaging episode is a must-listen for any designer feeling the pressure of AI, the weight of “authenticity,” or the grind of proving their creative worth. The Angry Designer pulls no punches—delivering tough love and practical wisdom that will help you charge what you’re worth and design a lasting, meaningful career.

Transcript

[A]

Do you ever stop and realize how much graphic design runs on bs? I mean, handmade labels that aren't handmade and crafted stories that nobody verifies, and hand signed artwork that rolls off a press. I mean, we all pretend we know what's authentic, but do we really? Because that is the designer nightmare. Not that AI replaces us because we can figure all that shit out, but that it strips out that one thing that we think we own. And suddenly designers start clinging to this romantic vision by hand. Not because they love the craft, but because they're terrified of losing their design souls. In this episode of the Angry Designer podcast, powered by Wick Studio, we're unraveling why designers fight to protect the old way of doing things, and why the things that we believe make them real might actually be the biggest lie in this whole industry. But here's the thing. If you're not careful, you won't lose your soul to AI you'll lose it all by yourself by holding on to the wrong things and ignoring that one thing that AI can never touch. Let's go.

[B]

Well, hola, amigo. Hola, amigo.

[A]

Let us cheers to something new.

[B]

Salute.

[A]

So, so, little backstory here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I had a topic that we were going to cover today, right? And then I was like, oh, it was noon. And, and it was time for.

[B]

This was noon.

[A]

It was noon. It was time. And I was like, oh, crap, I, I, I have to go get us

[B]

something to drink, right?

[A]

Go to the lcbo. And, and I come across this bottle, which inspired me to change our entire topic today. So my afternoon was in ad, ADHD focus mode. And, and I, you know, got everything, got these thoughts out, put this all together, you know, and it was all because of this little bottle. Okay? So you wonder why, right? I mean, you look at it and it's like, well, there's, you know, it won a gold medal in this. And like, it's, it's this great 10 year old scotch, right? And then I saw this awesome thing that said it was handmade, okay? This was made by hand, okay? For genuine character. So I was like, interesting. So to me, when I see handmade scotch, okay, I call, I call. There is so much. What do you think? Is it like, do you think somebody's there squishing the barley with their hand? Do you think they're genuinely stirring this with a wooden freaking, you know, old

[B]

school, like they used to do?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So I see handmade and I know what they're doing. This is a marketing ploy, right? And they're trying to be like, oh, look, you know, we, in this crazy age, we're still doing things the old fashioned way as though it's better. Okay? And, and that's why I'm like, wow, dude, I, I had to jump on this because if there's one topic that keeps coming up, every freaking time we, we have an episode on AI or I read something about this or that, everybody's like, oh, it's, it's not authentic. It's, it's, you know, my work is gonna lose its soul. And again, this is like, I mean, there's so much BS around authenticity. And I'm not. Okay.

[B]

You know, I know. I hear what you're saying. Like, you think something like this, handmade, whatever that means this. You're right. It's, it is a marketing thing.

[A]

And.

[B]

Yes. And that is kind of.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And again, like, made by hand for genuine character. So designers are making their logos by hand for their customer, as though they owe it to. You know, there is so much BS around authenticity. First off, okay. The term authenticity became such a buzzword before even AI.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. And this. Be authentic. Be authentic. I don't even think people understood what the hell being authent meant.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay. Throw AI into the mix. Okay. And then all of a sudden, you know, everybody is like, oh, no, I'm refusing to use it because it's, it's, it's, it's fake. It's not real. Yeah, my, my designs aren't going to have the same soul.

[B]

My principles.

[A]

Right. You know, I, I remember when photography, you know, went from film.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

To digital.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And that was the whole big argument, you know, that photography was going to lose its soul.

[B]

Right. Digital doesn't have any, doesn't have a

[A]

soul, doesn't have any doubt than this and that. Right. And again, that was an ARG for years. And yeah, I kind of fell wayside when people started seeing the efficiency. Right. And then all of a sudden realized that it wasn't, it wasn't the craft that, that made, that gave its soul, it was the person using it. Right. And going into it. And, and so, I mean, that kind of fell wayside.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, printing presses, you know, going hand to digital. This is all bullshit about, you know, like how this affects authenticity. Right. But unfortunately, we're living in this time right now where nobody even is sure what authenticity is for designers. And that's why I thought this would be great to talk about because more than anything, I feel it's, there's so much BS around authenticity that nobody actually has an idea what the fuck it

[B]

is, what it is. Yeah. Well, we do everything by hand.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

At least. Unless you're working with your feet, I don't know how it works.

[A]

Let's hope that the guys who made this scotch weren't using their feet.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Handmade. Okay.

[B]

Scottish guy's feet.

[A]

But I mean. And again, and, And I understand, you know, where designers might feel AI will kill authenticity, you know, like, number one, they are not doing it. Right. You know, maybe. Maybe they're. They're more of a fear of, you know, their skills going to become irrelevant after a while. Right. And they're going to lose that ownership. Right. Because again. Right. What's one thing to say, I did the logo for my customer. I did it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Another thing to say, hey, I did the logo for my customer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Do you feel authentic handing it over at this point?

[B]

Right. That is a good point. I see the conundrum with that.

[A]

I. I do, and I understand that one. Right.

[B]

I mean, we've seen dozens and dozens of examples of. Of AI logos. Logos, like.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

You know what I mean?

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

It's kind of not. I don't. I haven't seen. Seen anything yet that's. AI produced.

[A]

AI Good.

[B]

That's good.

[A]

I've actually seen a lot.

[B]

You have?

[A]

I have. But again, I'm. I'm a little deeper. I'm a little deeper than this, than probably everybody else, and I'm. I'm seeing what can be done, really. But again, and I can assure you it's not your first prompt, and it looks like a million bucks.

[B]

There we go.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Also.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I can also assure you that, you know, the people who are actually using it properly aren't even taking what it is and, and handing it over to the client. They're taking ideas. They're using it like fiverr or, or like inspiration from Google or from Pinterest. They're doing their own thing from it, you know, and it springboards. So it's, it's different levels of. But this is why I always talk about AI Assisted. Is AI Assisted design authentic? Right. And. Yeah, well, I mean, I, I kind of.

[B]

I think it is. I totally think that is. Yes.

[A]

Right. But this is. People have an idea, you know, and, and again, I think the worry here is then it's like if.

[B]

If.

[A]

If AI removes that part of a designer, right? They. Who are they anymore? Right. And that's the thing. Right. They lose their identity. Erases their identity. But that's Kind of where the whole BS kind of lies in all this. In my opinion.

[B]

I would agree with you 100%. Like, like you said with that, that awesome logo that are these logos that you're seeing, it's not the first prompt that goes into it. Right. This. There is some brain power that's going into creating.

[A]

Yes, one of these. Exactly.

[B]

So it's. So it's not AI per se.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

But it is.

[A]

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[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right. Because again, all of a sudden it's like it's gonna take me six months to get to that point.

[B]

Right? Yeah.

[A]

Okay, maybe six weeks. And that.

[B]

Okay, that was just an exact.

[A]

No, exactly, exactly.

[B]

I'm sure everybody's process is different, but it does it. Doing a logo is not an easy process. Right, we, we can agree with that.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

There's, there's times where ideas come to you really quickly. There's times where it's a painful birthday. You know what I mean?

[A]

So true. Yes, absolutely. Right. Well, and even like you Know, we're talking to Alan. Right. Like he still comes up with like a hundred different mock ups and Christians. Right. Like his process is very long and liberal. You know what you're getting when you hire Alan Peters. That's right. Not all of us are able to sell that level of process.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay. Oftentimes our customers just want something that they can use sooner than later. They're not as invested as some of Alan's customers are. And you know, in all fairness, the work isn't as good as what Alan gets. Right. But it's not AI's fault. That's us, our customers, our own processes, our own client, our own client base.

[B]

Right.

[A]

He's at a different level in that sense. Okay. But you know, unbeknownst to anything, there's might come a time where if AI would even work for Allen as a brainstorming tool. Totally. I don't think he's, he's, he's, you know, above trying it out, using it for ideation. I don't, I don't suspect he would actually, you know, like type in a tool and just grab a logo and use it. But you known again, it's just another tool in your tool bags. Right. In your tool belt. Right. And I think that's the thing. If, if designers really want to cling to old methods to get to results, I think that there's going to be nothing but a long, painful road to hell. It's not going to go anywhere. It's not going up. You know what I mean? Like clinging to old. This is the people who clung to Rubyland.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. The people who still refuse to use digital cameras in the and went down to film. Right. Like this is, this is that painful road where I think. And again, it's not that you're inauthentic by using these tools.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

Right. And I think, I think that's where the mess up is here. Right. And that's why I thought this was great, because it's like, it's bs. Okay? There's not some dude sloshing our Marley here to make this.

[B]

Yeah. It's made by Steve.

[A]

Yeah, Steve. Well, he signed it. Look.

[B]

Yeah, there he is.

[A]

There is authentic signature here that is, you know, on every box.

[B]

He's the guy that made that. How long would it take him to do this? Every bottle of scotch.

[A]

I would be impressed if he did hand sign or if they just hired a bunch of, you know, monkeys to hand sign. Okay. But even this signature is, there's nothing authentic about this signature. It's it's an offset printed signature on the box. That's right.

[B]

It's a marketing thing.

[A]

So there is so much BS around authenticity. Ok. You know, and. And that's what we see. And that's what I'm calling on in this episode. Right? Like, you know, you got this whole authentic theatrics that everybody's like, every. And this is what I don't. And this is the whole BS around. You know, I'm not going to, you know, use these new tools. They're. They're inauthentic. I'm gonna be. They brag that their shit's still handmade or, you know, they don't use AI. So. So, I mean, I call BS on that. Okay. I call BS on. On. On these designers who've got abso point of view on anything. They're just generic designers that just kind of fit into this generic world. Okay. They're calling themselves authentic, but they don't actually have a point of view on anything. They just want to produce good work. If you don't have a point of view on anything, then, you know, and you claim you're for everybody, you're actually for nobody. Right. And you will just blend into all the AI slop that's kind of. That's coming up. Yeah. You know, these designers who, who claim to stand by the stance that they'll lose the soul of the project. They're not going be connected with it. It's not from them. Right. I copious on that. That's not authenticity either. That's. That's just being stubborn.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Because again, that doesn't make you any better of a designer to cling to older methods. And it definitely doesn't make you a purist.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It ages you. Yeah. And it'll age you fast. Okay.

[B]

That's awesome. Yeah, it's, you know, we. What do you do anyway? Like, you. You look through books and you. You research. You're on Pinterest or stuff like that. Why wouldn't you ask Chat to help

[A]

you with that kind of stuff in that stuff? Absolutely. Right. Again, I don't think the authenticity comes down to the tools you use. And I don't think it has to do anything with the craft that you're doing. I really don't. And I think that's what's lost on people. I think, you know, authenticity. I think it's changing altogether. Okay. And in my. My, my opinion. Okay. And I know that there's a ton of people who will share this opinion. Okay. Authenticity is so you know, the promise you make to your customers, to your fans, to how you deliver something and you keep that shit over and over and over. Right. You could almost tie that with personal brands. Right. Like, you know, to some people. But I mean, ultimately, I think authenticity in 2026 and onward is actually more of a soft skill than it is a hard skill. I know Sean.

[B]

Soft skills are bad.

[A]

Sean sold me on skills, and then I became a believer. Live in an episode. Episode. It was the craziest thing.

[B]

Yes, yes. So you're absolutely right. That is the differentiator between your. This. This soulless robot.

[A]

Well, it is. And.

[B]

And your. Your ability to relate to other things, other people, clients and whatnot.

[A]

So, you know, maybe authenticity was a hard skill at some point. You know, maybe. Maybe, you know, when. When all you could do it is, is you paint by a brush and you would create things by hand, maybe craft, you know, and authenticity was hand in hand. Okay. But as soon as mass production came, okay, well, that went out the window, so you had to find other ways of doing it. So now hard skills, you know, your design tools, your execution, everything else, dude, if it can be copied or automated, it will. So that's out the window. So clinging to Adobe and doing in Illustrator or Photoshop and saying that's. That's more authentic than doing it in. In AI, you know, it's a sliding scale, so not really O. So I don't believe that is. I think being authentic. 2026 and moving on. Okay. Is actually the soft skills. And that's the judgment you're going to use, the communication you're going to give on stuff. Okay. Clarity, honesty, you know, the reliability that people can count on every time. Okay. This is the. That AI can't replicate.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I don't think people understand this. It's true. You're of course going to get people.

[B]

Of course you can.

[A]

Yeah, I can do anything thing, but it can't.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

These are your soft skills that you have to bring to the table over and over. And this is what authenticity is. Okay. Because honestly, clients feel the soft skills, okay. And ultimately they don't never see the hard skills.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And that's what people forget, okay. They don't actually see if it's you doing the work or if you're paying some lackey, you know, across the world, you know, you know, pennies on the dollar and, you know, exploiting them. The sad reality is that's how a lot of businesses are run.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Client doesn't see that.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

Client sees the Person in the middle who has that exchange, who promises, who makes them feel like a million bucks, who makes them believe that, you know, they are the center of this person's universe.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And they're going to deliver a good product.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Whether it's them or somebody else doing it. Client doesn't know.

[B]

The client doesn't know. It's that interaction and it's that, that, that partnership almost that you've, you've established with these people that will translate to that, which is, you know.

[A]

Right. And, and, and that's the funny thing. That's why account managers have so much power over clients and designers hate that because often the account manager is the one who's the point person. They are, they're talking, they've got the relationship, they've got the charisma. And the trust comes to the account manager.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. And that's why account managers are often. Or they're hard asses, Reps. Right. Everybody does. You know, but again, AI, the thing that people need to remember, AI can match any sort of output. Okay. It can't actually match your behavior with a customer. Okay. This is why it's like the authenticity has nothing to do with what you're creating, but more so what you're delivering, the relationship, the soft skills. I sound so weird to say, but.

[B]

No, I think that's awesome. I'm happy that that is coming back in vogue or, or is coming into vogue or whatever is.

[A]

I don't think people.

[B]

That's gonna be. I don't think that's. I, I think you're absolutely right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That is your authenticity. Right?

[A]

That's the authenticity.

[B]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

And that's something that won't go away unless you, you throw in the towel.

[B]

And if CHAT can do soft skills better than what we can do, then I'd like to see that we're truly well and.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, but you know, honestly, I, the more I was thinking about this today because I was looking at this and I was just like, ultimately I didn't care if Steve was actually the guy signed this or not. You know, I knew was a market employee, which is why I wanted to bring this today. But, and I mean, again, but I wanted to call BS on this because there's different ways, there's different ways that now we have to, you know, be authentic to people. And that's why this, this is, this game has changed.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I think authenticity is more important than ever with our customers. But I don't think authenticity, again, is the craft. I think It's. It's the relationship, and it's what you do and it's what you deliver. It's almost the whole bigger picture.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like, again, you have to be authentic with your brand. Okay? Your brand has a. Has to have a pov. What you stand for, what you don't stand for. Right. POV is point of view. Okay? You don't want to water down. You know your point of view, because if you do, AI can mimic that style.

[B]

Destroy.

[A]

True. Okay. So could AI mimic our. No. BS Style? I don't know. I don't think it can. Because every time, you know, I play with it and I'm like, dude, I fought with AI today. Oh. Because I was trying to get, you know, trying to get it to brainstorm, and Mac was with me, and we were, like, trying to get ideas out for, like, campaigns and headlines, and it was just so much bs, and I'm just like, dude, come on. But the nuggets that we were able to get, and then we would use it, and then Mac and I would banter back and forth, and she had an idea I would. We came up with. Good.

[B]

Yes. It's. We're like Klondike guys from the 19 or from 1849, you know, sifting through mud and. And getting the pieces of gold in.

[A]

No, you're right. But here's the thing, okay. If we, as in her and I or Z Factor as an agency, didn't have a brand and a point of view.

[B]

Right.

[A]

We would have taken the first AI Slop answer it gave us, which sounds good, but says all.

[B]

I will debate that. Because you have soft skills. You know better. You know better than this.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Well, exactly. Right.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That's judgment. And that's.

[B]

That's.

[A]

Exactly. There's a whole bunch of things. Right.

[B]

If you could give a. And it's just like, this is fine. That we'll take the first thing. Exactly.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Then you have no soft skills, and you're just, you know, that's going to come back to bite you in the ass with your client. Your client will see right through that.

[A]

Well, and that's it. Right. We knew what we were looking for to deliver what Zed Factor delivers.

[B]

That's exactly.

[A]

Which is why those nuggets. I was like, hey, this list is just a bunch of AI slob.

[B]

Right?

[A]

But this is good work. If. If we change it to this and we added this, now it sounds like Zen Factor.

[B]

How is that inauthentic?

[A]

No, that's totally authentic.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Because it now follows.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Our brand.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Our judgment, our point of view, how we approach. Yes. Right.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Another thing that I think designers need to do to be authentic instead of, you know, inauthentic fake bastards is they actually have to be authentic in their deliverables versus BSing the whole thing. Okay. And what I mean is, oftentimes designers are overselling what they're delivering to customers. Okay. They're. They're over promising all this shit. Right. Just to get the sale. But really, in the end, everybody gets screwed. The customer's pissed off. You know, they might shortchange the. The designer. In the end, the designer thinks they're doing great by making themselves able to deliver this whole process where really, they're barely delivering just like a fraction of it. Right. It's like, you know, oh, I'll help you clarify, you know, your messaging and direction. But, you know, really, it's like, all I'm doing is, you know, going to AI and finding one phrase, one message, and one logo. There you go, sir.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Don't try to oversell that. Right. And I think people, I, you know. Oh, that drives me nuts.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And again, that goes back to being inauthentic. Yeah. Trying to blow up what it is you're delivering versus what you're actually delivering. You know, again, we know, like, we just gave the example, you know, our judgment. Okay. You have to be authentic, like, in your judgment of things. Okay.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because honestly, now, with AI everywhere. Okay. And AI sameness and AI boringness and AI noise everywhere, right. Clients aren't going to be hiring you for your execution abilities, because that's just going to be the bare minimum.

[B]

That is. Yeah. That is the bar.

[A]

They might hire you for your judgment, your soft skills, your opinion. Not opinion, but your way of doing things. Okay. Because that's what's going to. You have to. You have to actually explain why you're doing something. You're not just handing something over anymore and being like. Because, again, that's the authenticity.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

In what you're delivering because you're promising that with your brand, which we first talked about. You're delivering that, you know, with the realistic promises, and now you're actually delivering your judgment. Okay. The way it should be. Not. Not the way you're faking it or the way AI wants you to do it. A huge thing for authenticity. And I think people don't realize this. Okay. Is authenticity ultimately comes down to the relationships you have. And we talked about that. Right. Clients want that relationship.

[B]

You don't.

[A]

Don't Tell your client you're always going to be available for them, only to then, you know, get pissed off if they're calling you Saturday night.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Right. You know, again, if you don't send those. If you don't set those boundaries, you're

[B]

going to get calls all the time. Time. Right.

[A]

So be authentic. It's okay to tell your customer you're not. You don't work weekends because then you have a point of view. You have a stance. You have. You actually have a voice, and customers will respect that. Yeah, okay, totally. So, again, stand up for that. Right. Be consistent. If you say you're going to email them, email them. If you say you're going to deliver something and you can't, don't hide. Email them and be like, I'm running behind. You'll get this tomorrow morning. I'm sorry. And tell them why, or whatever. Right. But again, you know, like, don't be scared to, like, like, work with them. You know, don't be scared to. To be human and praise them if they actually had a decent idea.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Why are designers so scared to tell a customer, hey, that's a great idea. I think we can work with that.

[B]

The. The deck that we just worked on. Dude, you sat with these guys, and they kind of spat out some ideas. No, I know. I know. It was a rush deck, and this was kind of a necessary.

[A]

I know. I.

[B]

It's not normally what we would do, but in that scenario. Right. It worked very well.

[A]

It did. And did they not suggest something? I was like. I think you were like, good idea.

[B]

And I think you broke up with that. And. And it kind of worked until they put the shot.

[A]

But it's true, though, right?

[B]

Threw it up.

[A]

They. They gave the idea, and I was like, you know what? I think I can make that work. Good idea. I like that. We did.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

There's no shame in it.

[B]

That's.

[A]

My ego is not that big.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And that customer all of a sudden realized at that moment that I was being legit. Hey, I'm not always right. I will admit. Admit when I'm wrong. There's absolutely no shame in admitting when you're wrong, because, again, that makes me authentic to who I am. Know what they're getting.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

You know, again, it was years ago when I, you know, was trying to fake, you know, and be Don Draper wearing the suits. Dude, the suit.

[B]

What a joke, right?

[A]

And now clients realize that's not me.

[B]

They see you in a suit, something went wrong.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They'd be like, when's your court date, Mom.

[A]

Dude, I don't care if they are a CEO for a brand new company or a startup. I still show up in the hat. You know, maybe a clean T shirt. But you'll. You can assure. I'm getting. I'm putting on my kicks. That's right. I'm strolling in. You know, maybe I won't be as crazy loud and my normal self like I am here. The first meeting.

[B]

The first meeting.

[A]

But it's coming and they know.

[B]

They know it's gonna be there.

[A]

And you know what? It makes life so much better, so much easier.

[B]

Exactly. You don't have to pretend. You don't have to put on airs

[A]

or whatever, because I'm being authentic.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I think ultimately, you know, people need to be authentic with their use of AI And I know that sounds scary, but I don't think clients care anymore if you're using AI to get the job done.

[B]

I know. I. Right.

[A]

They expect you to. They.

[B]

They do, yes. And you know, the funny thing is, is like, we have clients that have used AI in some of their. Of their requests, and. And it's like they just have clipped the first thing that Chad has.

[A]

Has said, and you can tell how

[B]

bad it is, and you can tell, you're just like, this doesn't really work. You know what I mean? Which. So. So this is the kind of thing where it's like you could use AI badly or use it correctly.

[A]

You know, I do think that, you know, authenticity has changed, or at least the idea of it, but I think it still exists in the world of AI I just think now it's more on the soft skills of what a designer has in their relationship with the rest of the world, basically, whether it's amongst other designers or whether it's. It's with clients. Right. But the thing is, if you don't go down this road, okay, if you want to keep pretending that, you know you are Don Draper, okay, Or you are, you know, this super awesome designer and you don't want to do this, right. You know what's going to happen? You're going to be treated like a commodity, right? Because all of a sudden you're keep. You. You're keeping up with AI for everything, okay. Your work is just. Just going to start melding in with all the other AIOPIT out there, and that's fine, right? If you're willing to be paid commodity rates, because then nobody's going to be paying you for top quality work because you're not. You're not creating it anymore.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And you know, not to mention that you're going to be, you know, getting the wrong clients. Okay. Because now they're going to be price conscious people. They're going to want the cheapest job, not the best job. Right. And you're just basically just going to be doing this execution thing over and over and over. Yep. Which, let's face it, that's what it will. Yeah. That, you know, AI is taking over for that you're going to be competing against it. You can't win against something like that. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So literally you're. Your brand just becomes forgettable because you will blend into everybody else on Fiverr. So, you know what? I. I am a hundred percent now, you know, more believing that authenticity absolutely exists in this world with AI100. It's not based on nostalgia. It's not based on handmade, you know, like scotches from our buddy Steve, who signed it on a, you know, offset press. You know, and it's definitely not avoiding A.I. okay. Because I think that is the biggest cop out designers are saying is I don't want to go to AI because my shit's not going to be authentic. Okay? The authenticity in, you know, in this day and age for designers is with you 100%. Your taste, your judgment, your point of view, your decisions, your freaking promises that you deliver and keep delivering time and time and time again. That's what authenticity is now. Because that's the. That AI can't fake, it can't touch. I don't care what anybody says, okay? AI does not take a designer's soul, okay? It absolutely doesn't. So stop with this copper bullshit. But designers will lose that soul when they stop showing customers or if they refuse to show customers who they are. Yeah. Okay. Because right now, authenticity is lost in the craft. Yes. O. Okay. But it is now a soft skill that we have to give and promise and, and keep delivering time and time again.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That's, that's, that's how I see this playing out.

[B]

Yeah. I absolutely agree with you 110%. I think that's. That is the differentiator between what AI is and what we will do.

[A]

100%.

[B]

What we do for clients.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Yes. Wow.

[A]

This is, this is fun.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

All right.

[B]

A very interesting topic. All right. From a visit to the Lick Bowl.

[A]

Visit to the Lick Bowl. And you know the crazy thing, I must spend way too much time in there because I came up with two other episodes that are coming in the next few weeks. So stay tuned, guys. I hope you guys got lots out of this. You know, hit us up. You know, make sure you comment if you made it this far late. We love you. Don't forget about our newsletter, anger management for designers. Just sign up for, you know, on our website and somewhere here in the socials.

[B]

It's great.

[A]

Other than that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

My name is Massimo.

[B]

My name is Sean.

[A]

Stay creative.

[B]

Stay angry.

[A]

Sa.