My position on AI in design

​

I have spent 30 years building brands and visual identities. That experience, and the judgement it represents, remains at the centre of every project I take on. AI tools do not change that. What they do is extend the range of what is practically possible within a project, when used with care and intention.

I selectively integrate AI into specific parts of my workflow, where it adds genuine value without compromising quality, authorship, or client trust. I do not use AI to replace creative thinking, shortcut craft, or reduce the time and skill that goes into understanding a brief.

This statement sets out how I currently use AI, what I will never do, and how I handle any questions that arise with clients.

 

How I currently use AI

 

Concept development and ideation

I use a range of AI platforms as a thinking tool during the early stages of a project. Outputs are never used directly. They feed into a process of analysis, selection, refinement and integration with my own creative direction. The final work firstly reflects my judgement, experience and aesthetic decisions, not an AI prompt. Secondly, all work is artworked to a high standard to be usable in a number of formats for a variety of print and digital platforms.

 

Image extension
(Adobe Photoshop)

I use the ‘Generative Expand’ and the ‘Remove’ tools in Adobe Photoshop to reformat or recompose traditionally photographed images, for example, extending a landscape image to work in a portrait layout, or giving a tightly-cropped photograph more breathing room for a headline. The original photograph, whether client-supplied or licensed from an image library, remains the creative anchor. The AI fills peripheral areas to match the existing image. The result is always reviewed, refined and finished to professional standard before delivery.

​

What I do not do

• I do not generate and deliver AI images as finished design work without significant human design input
and refinement.

• I do not use AI to produce visual work that misrepresents a real person, place or situation uness the brief requires it and is approved by the client.

• I do not input confidential client data, unpublished
brand assets or sensitive business information into
any AI platform.

• I do not use AI tools whose terms of service would grant third parties rights over a client’s brand material.

 

Transparency with clients

Where AI has been used in a way that is central to the piece of work, or where I have any reason to think a client would want to know, I will fully disclose it and discuss it with them.

If you have any questions about AI use on your project, please ask. I would always rather have that conversation early.

 

A note on the EU AI Act

The EU AI Act comes into full effect on 2 August 2026. Under Article 50, anyone who publishes AI-generated or AI-assisted content in the EU has obligations around transparency and disclosure. Even though most of my work is done for UK clients, my practice already aligns with those requirements. For clients in regulated sectors, or those with specific compliance needs, I am happy to provide documentation of AI use on a per-project basis.

 

If you have any questions about AI in my work, a project, or questions about this statement, please get in touch.

Last updated: September 2026