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CARLA IS A BRAND IDENTITY DESIGNER AND ART DIRECTOR CURRENTLY WORKING IN BERLIN WITH AN AFFLICTION FOR COLOUR AND CONTROVERSY.
SHE CREATES INFLUENTIAL AND PROVOCATIVE BRAND EXPERIENCES BY CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO MAKE BOLD AND UNCONVENTIONAL STATEMENTS THAT ACKNOWLEDGE CURRENT SOCIAL TENSION, CULTIVATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE BRANDS AND SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS AUDIENCES WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
WE HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING HER TALK AT THE OFFF IN VIENNA, IT WAS INSPIRING BOTH FROM A PROFESSIONAL AND A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW, HERE WE ASKED CARLA ABOUT HER VISION IN THE FIELD OF GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
How do you think artificial intelligence can influence the world of visual design and are you as a designer exploring this field, if so how and if not why?
I think it’s safe to say that AI is coming for all our jobs in one way or the other. As much as I hate to admit it, artificial intelligence has taken over, making it especially hard for certain types of designers to keep up. One thing I think AI technology can bring to the branding space is in-depth brand research that enables us to create purposeful brand stories with data insights that we may have not had easy access to in the past - AI is at the forefront of redefining how we approach design and branding. As we move forward, the brands that successfully leverage AI technologies while maintaining an ethical and authentic approach will likely lead the way in establishing deep, meaningful connections with their consumers. But, unfortunately we do have to come to grips with the fact that In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence is revolutionising how brands conceive and implement their aesthetics. As businesses compete to stand out in a crowded market, integrating AI opens up new possibilities for using data to create visually engaging stories. This change isn’t just a passing trend; it’s a major shift in the design landscape, shaping how brands connect with their audiences. Traditional design often takes a one-size-fits-all approach, but AI’s data processing lets designers understand individual preferences better, as well as the competitor landscape. By analyzing consumer behavior, tastes, trends and the competitor landspace, AI helps brands customise their strategy more closely to resonate with different audience segments. This kind of personalisation enhances user experience and builds a stronger connection between the brand and its consumers before the visual process has started. With this being said, as brands increasingly rely on AI to shape their strategic positioning and social / ethical considerations - the pursuit of authenticity is still the most important - which is where I draw the line personally. There is a fine balance between personalisation and creating a generic & cookie cutter brand, and brands must navigate these waters carefully to maintain authenticity with every brand that they create, when it comes to the visual aspect of the brand. While AI can enhance the research phase, it is still crucially essential for brands to retain human touch and unique aesthetics within their designs to ensure they remain authentic and relatable for their audience - and cut through the noise of the current landscape. So I think AI can definitely assist us designers in navigating the creative process more purposely and strategically with less subjectively assisted by more cold hard evidence, but I do believe that AI won’t be able to exicute the creative outcome from start to finish like a human, or a team of humans can. When it comes to brand identity design, the future of brand aesthetics isn’t just about technology; it’s about creating compelling visual stories that connect on a personal level. So in my own design practice, I personally try to steer clear of using it as much as I can for the creative process, as it feels a bit inauthentic to me, and I pride myself in avoiding to create generic brands.
During your speech at OFFF in Vienna, you emphasized the importance for designers not to try to please everyone and to maintain a clear identity. Do you think generative artificial intelligence can support designers in distinguishing themselves, helping them maintain and develop a unique voice in their work? If so, what advice would you give to those approaching this field?
As I was mentioned during my speech at OFFF Vienna, I believe it’s crucially important for designers not to try to please everyone and to maintain a clear identity - which is a carefully balanced blend between your iconic style within your work as a designer, as well as who you are as a living breathing human; essentially, your personality, which I think we too often shy away from letting the world see.
When it comes to branding ourselves as designers, I believe we all already have the skills we need from our day to day work as desingers - and these same branding skills & prinicples can be applied to ourselves, not only our design clients.
Just like the design work we do for our clients, I think brand identity designers can definitely us AI to help define their own brand strategy - to help distinguish themselves and to define their personal brands that stands out. Things like defining your purpose as a designer, what makes you different from all the other hundreds of thousands designers competing against each other and positioning yourself in a way that is different and memorable for your audience - including your brand voice and how you speak to your audience.
Similarly to any brand that we work on, I think designers can use AI’s data processing to create more nuanced understanding of the landscape of designers that exist, and use these findings to help narrow dow a gap that they can hone in on as their own niche - and own that space. Once you have an idea of what is out there, it becomes easier to see how you can stand out against these crowds, as well as defining the voice that you need to use to reach your ideal audience. So I definitely think that AI can support desigers in these first steps to creating a personal brand. But when it comes to defining your visual aspect of your personal brand, I believe AI generated personal brands run the risk of becoming too visually generic, which negates the point of the brand being personal to you as a designer. I think the principle of it being a ‘personal brand’ makes AI within this context a bit redundant, as you know yourself, your work and your style better than a robot or computer ever will. So when it comes to defining the aesthetic of your personal brand, I’d advise designers to dig deep and define this for themselves, as at the end of the day, it needs to reflect and portray their unique personality in a visual way, as well as show off their unique style within their work. But using AI, is a great way to get yourself out of your own way, define who you are, how you speak to your audience, which can often be the hardest part when creating brand for yourself. When it comes to the visual side, you can use your insights from your research, and pair this with your own personal style and aesthetic that makes you, you.
https://carlapalette.com/
INTERVIEWED BY MARCO PITTARELLO