Let’s talk about AI logos and why they may not be all they’re cracked up to be.
You’ve seen them. I’m sure you have. A business unveils their latest logo and within roughly .25 of a second you’ve figured out that it was created with generative AI.
Before I dive in though, let me lay out my intentions:
- I AM here to discuss why this may not be the clever business move you think it is
- I AM NOT here to shame AI users or target specific people
If you’ve read any of my other work, you may have noted that it’s not really my style to tell you what to think or do. I’m delivering information so you are equipped to make informed decisions.
Before we talk about anything else, let’s review what a logo (and any of your branding, really) is meant to do:
- Make a first impression and continue to identify your brand
- Help you stand out in a crowd
- Define your brand identity and values
- Promote brand awareness
- Strengthen your message
With that in mind, I have 3 questions I want you to consider when tossing around the idea of using generative AI to create your business’ logo:
First – is it recognizable?
If you feel like “if you’ve seen one generative AI design, you’ve seen them all”, you’re not the only one. I promise you, people recognize AI images.
Generative AI, and specifically individual models typically have tells, or baseline similarities that are obvious to those familiar with them. That’s why I can tell from a mile away if someone’s press release or article has been written by ChatGPT.
Your brain doesn’t instantly recognize AI generated art like this because it’s ugly (and I admit, some of them really are quite cute). For the casual viewer, it’s not because you’re noting a divergence from design best practice either – it’s because you’ve seen it before. You’ve seen the layout and styling countless other times. It’s not that it’s hideous, it just doesn’t stand out.
No matter how attractive your design is, if it looks like everyone else’s, is it actually recognizable?
Your logo isn’t just a picture you use because it’s pretty. It’s an image that becomes an intrinsic part of your brand and the cornerstone of your brand identity. Do you want it to be unique and memorable? Or do you want it to look like everything else popping up on potential customer’s screens?
Second – does it communicate your values?
Let’s be honest here, in some spheres AI is very popular – and in some, it’s very unpopular.
Consider it all…the good, the bad, and the inane misspellings you’ll sometimes see in AI generated images.
When you use AI generated art as the face of your business, what are you communicating? Ask yourself some questions…
- Does it communicate precision?
- Does it communicate creativity?
- Does it communicate integrity?
- Does it communicate that you invest in your business?
- Does it communicate that you collaborate with other businesses?
Your answers may be different than mine would be, and that’s okay. I don’t want to you blindly accept. I want you to think!
Consider this: have you seen advertisements for any local events recently? I have; a lot of them in fact, as the weather warms up and our rural area wakes up from winter. The first flyer I saw was cute (though I could tell immediately it was AI generated) – a rustic, down-home kind of design with lots of information, colorful and welcoming. Then I saw the second. And the third, and, and, and…they all looked the same. Sure the pictures and information are different, but they’re so visually similar it became hard to remember which was which.
What do these advertisement communicate? Consider a town’s community day advertising with a flyer that was made with AI. This is for the community – but we don’t have the faith in our community to have a human from it make this for you. Sometimes it’s a matter of money; this is the cheap and easy way to get it done and get it done quick. But emotions are a big part of selling something, and you’re simply not going to be as successful at selling when your promotional materials turn people off.
Third – is it reproduceable?
Your logo should be something you can scale and print anywhere from the imprint on a pen up to a billboard. This is why professional designers deliver logo files in vector and specific formats that allow this.
You don’t know what you don’t know. A designer can tell you when the details you’ve asked for are too delicate to reproduce well on a business card or advise you on what files to use for different purposes. They’ve learned and have done this, firsthand. Chatbots are regurgitating information they’ve processed – they make mistakes, and if you don’t know enough to ask, they very likely won’t give you more information.
While branding can be changed over time, it’s not generally preferred. Ideally, you want to settle on a design with longevity and function that will serve you well for as long as you need it.
If you’ll notice, I’m not railing against AI use. That’s a whole other ball of wax, and another topic for another time. I’m giving you information you may not have the experience to consider (and your AI of choice won’t tell you) so you can determine the best way forward for your business with your professionalism, integrity, and values adequately represented.
I hope this has helped you in some way. If you’d like to chat about logo design, strategic marketing planning for your small business, or simply ask some questions about a related topic, reach out. I’d love to hear from you.