As both an artist and a computer graphics programmer I’ve been following the developments in natural language generative Artificial Intelligence tools, which have the potential to transform the nature of production design. The means to create captivating imagery at previously unimaginable speed is already compelling.

And Adobe’s Firefly beta implies that this technology is going to be increasingly integrated into every designers’ toolkit.

Will there still be a need for designers at all? While no one can claim to know the ultimate effect of this new technology, it’s my opinion that designers will still have a role to play. When a firehose of images can be unleashed for the asking, someone with a strong design sensibility will need to exert editorial discretion at selecting from among the alternatives.

I also believe that the ability to build effective natural language prompts is (and will continue to be) a skillset in its own right. And having the broadest possible understanding of artistic movements, design styles, and particular artists will be equally important to creating such prompts.