The conversation around AI in the creative industry has been loud and often polarizing. Some see it as a shortcut that dilutes originality. Others view it as a tool that simplifies repetitive tasks without touching the heart of the work. For creatives who move between strategy, execution and delivery, AI is neither a threat nor a miracle. It is a support system that helps streamline the practical parts of the process.
The Human Heart of Creative Work
Creative work remains deeply human. AI learns by observing us. It imitates but does not originate. The real challenge for most teams isn’t creativity. It’s time and resources. That is especially true for lean design teams where every hour and skill is stretched. AI helps by giving us more time to focus on what we do best.
Reframing the Role of AI
AI can’t replace creative thinking. It doesn’t understand nuance, audience needs or timing. It can’t create a compelling concept or choose what matters most in a design.
What it can do is speed up the road to the work that requires real attention. It reduces production time and supports areas outside your expertise, like building visual assets or writing a first draft. These are tasks that might otherwise slow progress.
We work with talented partners who bring specialized skills to our projects. But they can be costly or more than what a smaller client or simple project needs. Sometimes you just want a fast, flexible option that extends your capabilities without stretching your budget.
One way we’ve started framing AI internally is around low-risk use. Formatting a presentation. Turning a voice memo into notes. Drafting a basic outline. These are not creative choices. They are time-intensive tasks. Thinking about AI this way has helped more people feel comfortable experimenting.
ChatGPT demonstrates building a color accessibility widget by outlining a plan and displaying corresponding HTML and CSS code in a split-screen interface.
AI Removes Friction. It Doesn’t Set Direction.
AI is ideal for repetitive or time-consuming tasks. That includes formatting slides, writing placeholder text or drafting messaging outlines. These are not the core ideas behind a campaign or brand. They are the logistics that surround it.
For teams building physical or digital tools, AI can generate lists of ZIP codes, addresses or placeholder names for mockups. For communicators building training, leadership or sales content, it can repurpose key messaging into different formats. Human review is still required, but the starting point is no longer a blank page.
Here’s one example of this kind of support in action. We used AI to help create an interactive color palette builder. A few years ago, this would have required a developer or advanced design skill. Today a creative team can build it and plug it into a larger toolkit or client system with ease.
AI Color Picker
Interactive Color Wheel
This wheel shows where your selected base and complementary hues fall.
The Value is in Judgment
Creativity depends on context, experience and taste. These are not features of AI. They are the result of human perspective. AI cannot make decisions that require intuition or cultural understanding. It cannot build trust with an audience or argue for a creative idea. That remains the role of the designer.
Many creative tools already include AI in some form. From photo editing to layout suggestions, automation is not new. What has changed is how visible and accessible these tools have become. Knowing how and when to use them is now part of the process.
The point of AI in creative work is not to replace people. It is to relieve some of the pressure to do everything at once and give us better tools to work with.
Moving Forward with Intention
Adopting AI into a creative process should be done with care. Not every task needs it, and not every tool lives up to its promise. But for teams focused on quality and efficiency, AI can offer real support.
Creative thinking is still the foundation of our work. AI helps protect the time to focus on that and gives us tools to bring ideas to life.
Ashley DuPuy Mancuso is Creative Director at Franco. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
