A HOT POTATO IN THE CREATIVE FIELD

Is AI a force for good or a force of evil?

We are living in a time that’s constantly debating this and other related questions:

Will it take over our jobs, or will it free up time for what matters most?

Will it make human creativity worthless, or will it unlock new levels of creative – even human – potential?

Will it leave us miserable, or will it make us happy?

The future (of AI) is uncertain. So let’s start with one thing we do know for sure: in the blink of an eye, AI radically changed the way we work in the creative industry.

As creatives working hands on with different AI tools over the past two years, we’ve seen just how powerful they can be. For now, not as replacements for our creativity but as a catalyst that enhances, optimizes, and supports us in our creative processes. Today, tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT and Runway are part of our daily work life. Just like coffee and keynote.

A hands-on framework for how to use AI in a creative process

We’ve developed a framework that describes how and at which stages we use AI, divided into three areas: Ideation, Visualization, and Presentation. It’s a very hands-on structure, that effectively summarizes AI’s strengths in the (our) creative process and shows how we each use it to elevate our work. Hope you can use it, too!

Ideation

When we talk about ideation, we’re referring to the very first phase of the creative process, where image generation can replace traditional search tools like Google and Pinterest for finding inspiration. For example, if we need to develop a character (let’s say a cute little tennis ball), we would normally search and go through countless references to find something that captures the right essence. This search is almost always very time-consuming and frustrating, especially when the character is unique or non-existent in reality.

With AI, however, this process has become much more intuitive. Instead of searching for images, we can generate entirely new visual elements based on specific prompts that reflect our vague vision. It’s like having a brainstorming partner that never runs out of ideas and can quickly provide us with new perspectives. AI opens up possibilities we might not have considered, offering us a much broader creative playground. A bonus is that if we find something we like, we can continue working with it directly.

Visualization

One challenge we often face is translating clear concepts into visual representations. While the ideas may be crystal clear in our minds (that actually happens, sometimes), it can be difficult to make them tangible and presentable. Let’s just be honest, our drawing skills aren’t always top-notch and visualizing a concept in other ways is even more complex and time-consuming.?

Here, AI steps in as an invaluable ally, allowing us to take our foundational ideas and create fully realized visuals quickly and efficiently. This way we can visualize concepts without being hindered by technicalities, allowing us to focus on refining our core ideas.

Presentation

When presenting our ideas, clarity is essential. In the past, inaccurate visuals or references could confuse clients, making it hard for them to grasp the essence of our concepts. This sometimes led to misunderstandings (ahhh no… Adam Sandler isn’t in the campaign: we just liked the look (for some reason)) and missed opportunities. AI changes this dynamic. Now, we can create visuals that align with the vision we are presenting – for instance, a vox pop in Copenhagen as below. This not only helps us communicate more convincingly but also makes it easier for clients to understand our ideas as we present. You could say it removes noise, allowing everyone to focus on the creative potential.?

Conclusion

This framework captures the primary benefits of using AI in the creative process. At least in our experience. And it tells a story of how AI elevates creativity at every stage – from ideation to visualization and presentation of ideas and concepts – making each step smoother, faster, more inspiring. It’s not just useful, it’s transformative. So, if you haven’t yet embraced AI in your creative processes, may we recommend giving it a try. You, in turn, may be surprised at just how much it can elevate your work. Not to mention it’s fun.

But what about the bigger questions around AI – the societal pros and cons, or the concept of “Innovation Anxiety,” as our colleague Tiago Pinho previously wrote about. Time will tell, we suppose. For now, what we can say is that it’s a hot potato – and a powerful tool in the creative process. Not to mention in the creative production, but that’s a whole other article.

Sally Trier , Creative &Co.

Jacob Benjovitz , Creative &Co.

Mark Ellegaard , Comms planner &Co.