Here at Docklands Media, we’ve been teaching Adobe Illustrator to creatives from all types of industries for over a decade, shaping countless creative journeys. But our recent exploration of Illustrator’s Generative AI tools has been nothing short of revolutionary. Today, we’d love to share how these tools have reshaped the way we see design and why we believe they’re essential for every Illustrator enthusiast.
1. The Dawn of a New Design Era
When Adobe introduced Generative AI tools to Illustrator, we were instantly intrigued. These tools don’t just assist; they transform the design process. Using artificial intelligence, they generate patterns, visuals, and intricate designs based on set parameters. Sure, these tools can be considered as being at their infancy stages now, but they do look very promising and we already started seeing the benefits.
Our experience so far can be summarised in three parts:
- Speed: Tasks that previously took hours were completed in a fraction of the time. Brainstorming sessions became faster and more efficient.
- Innovation: The AI tools, every so often, would suggest design elements we hadn’t considered, pushing our creativity to new heights.
- Consistency: As we worked on varied projects, we found that the AI maintained a steadfast consistency across designs, irrespective of the medium.
Here are a few examples we created using the following prompts. The initial illustration was the following:
We used the prompt: “a grizzly bear sleeping with his family”, and got the result below:
We then used another prompt: “campfire with musicians around”, and the result was the following:
Yes, we are still in awe too.
The actual illustrations were surprisingly accurate and nicely created in terms of file structure. We only had to remove one or two rogue paths which took less that 5 seconds each.
2. The Essence of Learning and Mastery
We won’t sugarcoat it; Illustrator is still a very complex and deep software to master. The AI tools will not replace any graphic designer worthy of their titles. Even if you do decide to use the AI tools, you will still need to understand how Illustrator works and integrates these tools properly. So there is still a learning curve. While the AI tools in Illustrator are intuitive, harnessing their full potential requires a deep understanding. This realisation reinforced our commitment to continuous learning and led us to refine our Adobe Illustrator courses.
Our Adobe Illustrator Fast Track Gold course still remains our most comprehensive Illustrator course that now includes the AI workflows, especially during the advanced level of the training.
3. Looking Forward
At Docklands Media, we’re excited about the future of design with AI tools at the forefront. Adobe Illustrator’s Generative AI tools have opened doors to design avenues we hadn’t ventured into before. As we continue to explore and experiment, our mission remains clear: to equip designers with the knowledge and skills to thrive in this new design era.
So, if you’re as excited as we are about the confluence of AI and design, join us on this journey. Let’s co-create, learn, and shape the future of digital design together!
