Design Isn’t AI - It’s Human

AI, Graphic Design & Why the Human Bit Still Matters

AI is everywhere in design right now and honestly, I get it. As a graphic designer, I use AI features myself. When hyper-realistic imagery is expected, budgets are tight and turnaround times are shorter than ever, AI can be a genuinely useful tool. The reality is, if designers didn’t adapt and use these features where appropriate, many of us would simply be out of work.

But fully AI-generated posters? That’s where it starts to fall apart for me.

More and more, I’m seeing artwork that looks polished but empty. Different shows, different clients… the same lighting, the same faces, the same colour palettes. AI pulls from what already exists, so the result is often safe, averaged and strangely soulless.

Design isn’t just about making something “look good”. It’s about understanding what you’re trying to say and who you’re talking to. AI can generate an image, but it doesn’t understand story, tone or intention. It doesn’t sit in rehearsals, ask questions, or tweak a design because something just doesn’t feel right. That’s the bit human designers bring.

A real designer looks at the bigger picture - how a poster works across social media, print, programmes and signage. How it reflects the personality of a show, a venue or a brand. How to make something stand out rather than blend in with everything else scrolling past.

For example, you might generate an AI poster that looks great on its own - but then you need a programme, flyers, social graphics or front-of-house signage and suddenly you want everything to feel ‘on brand’. That’s often the point where a graphic designer is brought in anyway.

The difference is, a designer will have thought about that from the very start. We consider how a design adapts across formats, how flexible it is, and how it can evolve without falling apart. AI can create a single image, but it doesn’t plan for what comes next.

That flexibility and foresight is what makes design work in the real world.

AI is a tool, not the designer. Used well, it can support creativity rather than replace it. But the strongest work still comes from human-led ideas, experience and judgement.

Because the designs that really connect? They’re still made by people.

And a genuine thank you to everyone who continues to value and use graphic designers and other creatives - as well as to the clients I’m lucky enough to keep working with. Your support, trust and belief in human creativity helps keep this industry alive and shining, even in a slightly duller spotlight.

If you’re looking for design that feels considered, distinctive and genuinely you, I’d love to help. Your show deserves more than a template.

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