01/05/2025
Since ChatGPT’s latest upgrade in image generation, the panic in the design world has become louder. I saw it this morning—graphic designers in Facebook groups panicking about AI. Some are actually already reporting a 60–70% drop in clients in the past year and declaring the end of their profession.
That made me pause. And wonder—what kind of designers are they?
My guess?
🤷♀️ Those who don’t really know what they’re doing—creating “intuitively,” guided mostly by trends and Pinterest moodboards.
🤷♀️ Those whose work centered around low-cost, easily replaceable commissions—leaflets, invites, cheap covers, logos without strategy.
This space was already scary before AI—Canva and DIY clients saw to that. 🙄
But now? There’s no more hiding.
Honestly, it was obvious to me years ago. That’s when I pivoted away from graphic design deeper into research, systems thinking, and creative direction.
Because the real skill now? It’s not just design. It’s being able to understand creation from above. Like an art director. Like a visionary. Someone who sets the intention and oversees the process from a higher altitude.
Designers who will thrive from here on out are not the ones chasing aesthetics or replicating trends. They are the ones with a style rooted in depth—crafted through unique workflows that cannot be reverse-engineered by simply looking at the outcome. They work with intention. With material. With meaning.
Some bring in research. Others offer a deeply empathetic approach to their clients. Some rely on hand-made processes—calligraphy, print, bookbinding, typography still touched by a human eye. These are not just skills. They are ways of thinking. Ways of seeing.
Of course, like with everything, the field will split:
On one side—the generated, fast, cheap, efficient.
On the other—the intentional, where people will still pay for the human story, the crafted process, the touch that no prompt can replicate.
So here’s my advice to any designer right now:
🔸 Name your edge. What makes you you? Make it your foundation.
🔸 Document your process. Don’t just flow—map it. Diagram it. Own it.
🔸 Use AI—but with boundaries. Let it amplify you, not replace you.
🔸 Think in workflows. That’s where your real creative sovereignty lies.
The illusion that you can design just by channeling a vibe—without knowing what you're really doing—is falling apart. It was never sustainable.
And now, it’s simply no longer possible to ignore.
If you’re feeling this shift in your bones—trust that.
It's not just fear. It's a signal.
