July 24, 2025 • 9 mins
This episode looks at an article titled "Is AI Killing the Graphic Design Industry?" that explores the impact of artificial intelligence on the graphic design industry, arguing for evolution rather than extinction. It addresses concerns about job displacement by highlighting how AI automates repetitive tasks, allowing designers to focus on more creative and strategic work. The source emphasizes that human creativity, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving abilities remain irreplaceable by AI. Ultimately, it suggests that the future of graphic design involves designers integrating AI tools into their workflows and developing hybrid skill sets to thrive in an evolving landscape. Read the full article here
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the deep dive Today. We're really getting into
a question that's buzzing everywhere, especially in creative fields. Is
AI killing jobs? Yeah, it's a big one, and we're
going to focus specifically on graphic design. You know, there's
a lot of fear there, you can feel it about
AI replacing human designers.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It's definitely a palpable concern. But looking through all the
research and articles we gathered for this deep dive, it
paints a different picture.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
It really seems like the impact isn't so much about extinction,
but more about well evolution, a profound evolution actually.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Exactly, And that's our mission here for you today. We've
gone through a whole stack of sources, articles, some new research,
our notes, and we want to pull out the key
nuggets give you a shortcut to getting up to speed
on this.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, cut through the noise a bit.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We're talking surprising facts, maybe some practical takeaways, hopefully enough
to you know, keep you thinking. So let's unpack this. Okay,
first off, we do need to acknowledge the anxiety. It's real,
the whole job displacement.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Thing, absolutely, you can't ignore it.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
The research does show AI is being talked about for
taking over tasks and graphic design is well. Definitely in
that conversation, a lot of people worry AI could automate
big chunks of the work, especially like the repetitive stuff production.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Tasks, things like maybe generating dozens of AD variations or
basic resizing and layouts, that kind of.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Thing precisely, and that raises valid concerns, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It does. We saw one steady estimating I think it
was up to thirty percent of entry level design tasks
could potentially be automated in like the next five years.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Wow, thirty percent.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, so it really forces us to ask, Okay, what
is the core value of human creativity of strategic thinging,
especially when machines can do some of the work.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
But and this is key, what we kept seeing across
the sources is this idea that AI is more of
a force that changes the job.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Right, it reshapes it rather than just eliminating it. It's
less about you know, robots coming for your job and
more about redefining what a designer actually does.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Okay, so let's get into that redefining part, because here's
where it gets well, maybe less scary and more interesting.
AI can generate amazing visuals yeah, and automate a ton
of technical steps. But the research is pretty clear on this.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
It struggles with true human creativity, that unique spark. Like
you said.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Earlier, what does that actually mean though, true human creativity
in design?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Well, the sources break it down really well. It's not
just about making something look good, you know, esthetics. It's
about deeply understanding what a client needs, often on an
emotional level. It's solving complex problems, sometimes problems the client
hasn't even articulated properly. And it's about crafting designs that
actually connect with people emotionally culturally. We saw this fascinating
(02:46):
case study and AI generated a brand identity looked great,
technically perfect okay, but it completely missed the subtle cultural
nuances for the target audience. It just didn't land fell flat.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Ah, So it lacked the context, the human understanding exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
That emotional intelligence, that critical thinking, that nack for adapting
to really specific, sometimes weird client requests. AI isn't there yet.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So it might give you options, loads of them, maybe.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
About thousand options, yeah, but it.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Won't inherently know which one will make someone feel I
don't know, understood or trigger a specific feeling. It's more
than just pixels.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
It's communication, it's connection, that's the human element.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Okay, So if AI isn't replacing designers outright, what is
its role? How is it actually being used?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well, the research shows it's already being integrated pretty significantly
in some places. Tools are letting designers do things in minutes,
tasks that used to take hours.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Any examples.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, one firm we read about they use AI for
generating initial mockups, finding assets, that kind of thing. They
reported cutting down the sort of foundational phase of projects
by almost forty percent.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Forty percent. That's huge, it is.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
And importantly, it wasn't about cutting jobs. It was about
shifting where the designers spent their time.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Right, that efficiency boost sounds like the real game changer.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Then totally.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
It freeze designers up from the more tedious stuff, the
grunt work, maybe.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Exactly, so they can focus on the higher level activities.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Like the creative strategy behind it all, the bigger picture, yes.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And understanding the business goals, thinking about the overall impact.
The sources often frame AI not just as a tool,
but almost like a super powered assistant.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Giving designers superpowers.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I think one article called it, Yeah, something like that,
it enhances their abilities rather than replacing them.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Okay, that makes sense, which leads us naturally to skills.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Right.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Okay, what does a designer need to know now? Ah?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yes, this came up again and again, the need for
what they're calling hybrid skill sets.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Hybrid skill sets meaning it's.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Not quite enough anymore to just be brilliant with traditional
design software. The successful designer move moving forward needs to
blend that core expertise with new tech skills.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I really liked that concept of the T shaped designer
that came up.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
In the redail. Oh yeah, that's a great visual explain
that for us. So imagine the letter T. The vertical
part that's your deep expertise in your main area, say
core graphic design principles, typography, layout deep knowledge, got it,
But the horizontal bar that represents broader knowledge across other related.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Fields like what kinds of fields.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well, definitely understand the AI tools, what they can do,
how they work, but also things like marketing fundamentals, maybe
even some basic coding concepts. User experience principles are huge too.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
So it's about bridging gaps between the creative side and
the tech.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Side, precisely finding that sweet spot, being able to talk
the language of developers, understand the marketing strategy, and bring
the creative vision to life.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
And the sources were specific about some must have skills
for this future designer, weren't they?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
They were beyond the design basics. It's really understanding how
AI eye tools generate things, not just clicking buttons, but
knowing how to prompt them effectively.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Ah, prompt engineering basically.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Sort of yeah, but applied to design and being able
to clearly communicate your design vision to developers who might
be implementing AI components.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
And you mentioned X user experience. Why is that so critical?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Because AI might generate, say, an interface layout, but it's
the human designer who needs to ensure that layout is
actually intuitive, easy to use, maybe even delightful for a
real person.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Making the AI's output makes sense for humans.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
You got it. That interpretation and refinement step is.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Crucial navigating all this change. It can feel overwhelming, I
imagine for designers out there.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Oh, for sure, change is always a bit scary, especially
when it feels so fundamental.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
But I thought the analogy to photography was really helpful.
Remember that from film to digital.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yes, that's a great comparison. There was huge anxiety back
then too.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
People worry the art was being lost, right, that photographers
would be out of work.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Uh huh. But what actually happened. Digital open up new possibilities,
new kinds of photography, new careers, different workflows.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
It didn't kill photography, it transformed it.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Exactly, And the sources suggest graphic design is likely going
through a similar transformation with AI.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
So the advice is embrace it, don't fight it.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Pretty much, the experts really emphasize staying informed, keep learning
about the new AI tools, talk to other designers, network,
share what works and what doesn't.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Be willing to experiment, I guess definitely.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
One design lead had a great quote something like the
only bad AI tool is the one you don't try.
They have to be open to playing around with this stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
It's easy to feel swamped, though it.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Is, But the key takeaway seems to be that adapting
and learning are how you thrive through these shifts.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So focus on sharpening skills that AI can't easily replicate.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yes, strategic thinking yeah, complex problem solving, and really finding
your unique niche. What can you offer that a machine.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Can't, that human touch, that deep understanding the emotional connection
in the design.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
That's your unique value proposition. Basically, that's what becomes even
more valuable.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Okay, so let's distill this, bringing it all together from
the sources, is AI ending graphic design?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
The consensus is a clear no, it's not ending it.
It's profoundly evolving it.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Designers working with AI not being replaced by AI.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
That seems to be the trajectory, leveraging AI's power to
boost their own creativity, handle the repetitive stuff, and focus
on the really strategic, human centric parts of the job.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
So the industry isn't dying, it's transforming, becoming something different,
maybe even more dynamic.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
That's the optimistic view, and it seems well supported by
what we've read. Those who adapt, who increet these tools,
who lean into their unique human skills, they'll likely thrive.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
They'll merge that human touch with the tech proficiency.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Exactly. It's about that synergy.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
A powerful takeaway. Indeed. So maybe the question for you
listening isn't if AI will impact your field.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
But how hmmm, that's a good way to put it.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
As you think about these rapid AI advancements, what unique
human skills, what strategic thinking. What creative problem solving will
become most valuable in your own area of work or interest.
Regardless of how much the technology.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Evolves, it's definitely something to chew.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Thanks for diving deep with us today,
Welcome to the deep dive Today. We're really getting into
a question that's buzzing everywhere, especially in creative fields. Is
AI killing jobs? Yeah, it's a big one, and we're
going to focus specifically on graphic design. You know, there's
a lot of fear there, you can feel it about
AI replacing human designers.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It's definitely a palpable concern. But looking through all the
research and articles we gathered for this deep dive, it
paints a different picture.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
It really seems like the impact isn't so much about extinction,
but more about well evolution, a profound evolution actually.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Exactly, And that's our mission here for you today. We've
gone through a whole stack of sources, articles, some new research,
our notes, and we want to pull out the key
nuggets give you a shortcut to getting up to speed
on this.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, cut through the noise a bit.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We're talking surprising facts, maybe some practical takeaways, hopefully enough
to you know, keep you thinking. So let's unpack this. Okay,
first off, we do need to acknowledge the anxiety. It's real,
the whole job displacement.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Thing, absolutely, you can't ignore it.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
The research does show AI is being talked about for
taking over tasks and graphic design is well. Definitely in
that conversation, a lot of people worry AI could automate
big chunks of the work, especially like the repetitive stuff production.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Tasks, things like maybe generating dozens of AD variations or
basic resizing and layouts, that kind of.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Thing precisely, and that raises valid concerns, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It does. We saw one steady estimating I think it
was up to thirty percent of entry level design tasks
could potentially be automated in like the next five years.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Wow, thirty percent.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, so it really forces us to ask, Okay, what
is the core value of human creativity of strategic thinging,
especially when machines can do some of the work.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
But and this is key, what we kept seeing across
the sources is this idea that AI is more of
a force that changes the job.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Right, it reshapes it rather than just eliminating it. It's
less about you know, robots coming for your job and
more about redefining what a designer actually does.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Okay, so let's get into that redefining part, because here's
where it gets well, maybe less scary and more interesting.
AI can generate amazing visuals yeah, and automate a ton
of technical steps. But the research is pretty clear on this.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
It struggles with true human creativity, that unique spark. Like
you said.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Earlier, what does that actually mean though, true human creativity
in design?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Well, the sources break it down really well. It's not
just about making something look good, you know, esthetics. It's
about deeply understanding what a client needs, often on an
emotional level. It's solving complex problems, sometimes problems the client
hasn't even articulated properly. And it's about crafting designs that
actually connect with people emotionally culturally. We saw this fascinating
(02:46):
case study and AI generated a brand identity looked great,
technically perfect okay, but it completely missed the subtle cultural
nuances for the target audience. It just didn't land fell flat.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Ah, So it lacked the context, the human understanding exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
That emotional intelligence, that critical thinking, that nack for adapting
to really specific, sometimes weird client requests. AI isn't there yet.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So it might give you options, loads of them, maybe.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
About thousand options, yeah, but it.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Won't inherently know which one will make someone feel I
don't know, understood or trigger a specific feeling. It's more
than just pixels.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
It's communication, it's connection, that's the human element.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Okay, So if AI isn't replacing designers outright, what is
its role? How is it actually being used?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well, the research shows it's already being integrated pretty significantly
in some places. Tools are letting designers do things in minutes,
tasks that used to take hours.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Any examples.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, one firm we read about they use AI for
generating initial mockups, finding assets, that kind of thing. They
reported cutting down the sort of foundational phase of projects
by almost forty percent.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Forty percent. That's huge, it is.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
And importantly, it wasn't about cutting jobs. It was about
shifting where the designers spent their time.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Right, that efficiency boost sounds like the real game changer.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Then totally.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
It freeze designers up from the more tedious stuff, the
grunt work, maybe.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Exactly, so they can focus on the higher level activities.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Like the creative strategy behind it all, the bigger picture, yes.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And understanding the business goals, thinking about the overall impact.
The sources often frame AI not just as a tool,
but almost like a super powered assistant.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Giving designers superpowers.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I think one article called it, Yeah, something like that,
it enhances their abilities rather than replacing them.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Okay, that makes sense, which leads us naturally to skills.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Right.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Okay, what does a designer need to know now? Ah?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yes, this came up again and again, the need for
what they're calling hybrid skill sets.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Hybrid skill sets meaning it's.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Not quite enough anymore to just be brilliant with traditional
design software. The successful designer move moving forward needs to
blend that core expertise with new tech skills.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I really liked that concept of the T shaped designer
that came up.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
In the redail. Oh yeah, that's a great visual explain
that for us. So imagine the letter T. The vertical
part that's your deep expertise in your main area, say
core graphic design principles, typography, layout deep knowledge, got it,
But the horizontal bar that represents broader knowledge across other related.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Fields like what kinds of fields.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well, definitely understand the AI tools, what they can do,
how they work, but also things like marketing fundamentals, maybe
even some basic coding concepts. User experience principles are huge too.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
So it's about bridging gaps between the creative side and
the tech.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Side, precisely finding that sweet spot, being able to talk
the language of developers, understand the marketing strategy, and bring
the creative vision to life.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
And the sources were specific about some must have skills
for this future designer, weren't they?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
They were beyond the design basics. It's really understanding how
AI eye tools generate things, not just clicking buttons, but
knowing how to prompt them effectively.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Ah, prompt engineering basically.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Sort of yeah, but applied to design and being able
to clearly communicate your design vision to developers who might
be implementing AI components.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
And you mentioned X user experience. Why is that so critical?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Because AI might generate, say, an interface layout, but it's
the human designer who needs to ensure that layout is
actually intuitive, easy to use, maybe even delightful for a
real person.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Making the AI's output makes sense for humans.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
You got it. That interpretation and refinement step is.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Crucial navigating all this change. It can feel overwhelming, I
imagine for designers out there.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Oh, for sure, change is always a bit scary, especially
when it feels so fundamental.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
But I thought the analogy to photography was really helpful.
Remember that from film to digital.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yes, that's a great comparison. There was huge anxiety back
then too.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
People worry the art was being lost, right, that photographers
would be out of work.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Uh huh. But what actually happened. Digital open up new possibilities,
new kinds of photography, new careers, different workflows.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
It didn't kill photography, it transformed it.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Exactly, And the sources suggest graphic design is likely going
through a similar transformation with AI.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
So the advice is embrace it, don't fight it.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Pretty much, the experts really emphasize staying informed, keep learning
about the new AI tools, talk to other designers, network,
share what works and what doesn't.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Be willing to experiment, I guess definitely.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
One design lead had a great quote something like the
only bad AI tool is the one you don't try.
They have to be open to playing around with this stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
It's easy to feel swamped, though it.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Is, But the key takeaway seems to be that adapting
and learning are how you thrive through these shifts.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So focus on sharpening skills that AI can't easily replicate.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yes, strategic thinking yeah, complex problem solving, and really finding
your unique niche. What can you offer that a machine.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Can't, that human touch, that deep understanding the emotional connection
in the design.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
That's your unique value proposition. Basically, that's what becomes even
more valuable.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Okay, so let's distill this, bringing it all together from
the sources, is AI ending graphic design?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
The consensus is a clear no, it's not ending it.
It's profoundly evolving it.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Designers working with AI not being replaced by AI.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
That seems to be the trajectory, leveraging AI's power to
boost their own creativity, handle the repetitive stuff, and focus
on the really strategic, human centric parts of the job.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
So the industry isn't dying, it's transforming, becoming something different,
maybe even more dynamic.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
That's the optimistic view, and it seems well supported by
what we've read. Those who adapt, who increet these tools,
who lean into their unique human skills, they'll likely thrive.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
They'll merge that human touch with the tech proficiency.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Exactly. It's about that synergy.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
A powerful takeaway. Indeed. So maybe the question for you
listening isn't if AI will impact your field.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
But how hmmm, that's a good way to put it.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
As you think about these rapid AI advancements, what unique
human skills, what strategic thinking. What creative problem solving will
become most valuable in your own area of work or interest.
Regardless of how much the technology.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Evolves, it's definitely something to chew.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Thanks for diving deep with us today,
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