“I think it’s essential to have a firm and strong foundation as a designer—that means understanding the basic fundamentals like color, value, scale, balance, composition, hierarchy, proportion, etc.”
— David Garcia, Lead Graphic Designer, Texas Association of Counties
Why Get a Graphic Design Certificate in an AI World?
AI is changing the way many professionals approach their work. Within the creative industry alone, graphic designers can use AI to build a design, manipulate photos and other images, write creative briefs, create presentations and much more–all faster than ever. And while AI won’t replace them, graphic designers should consider seeking a graphic design certificate and other professional development to stay relevant and flexible in their field.
AI use is a top trend in graphic design, according to “Graphic Design Trends and Predictions for the Industry’s Future” by business.com’s Senior Analyst Sean Peek and Senior Editor Gretchen Grunburg. “Over the past few years and, especially with rapid advancements in technology, the graphic design industry has shifted drastically. AI has revolutionized nearly every industry, and graphic design is no exception.”
Is AI Replacing Graphic Designers?
In short, no. But those who closely monitor the creative industry see AI-powered tools reshaping the early stages of ideation and production, while allowing designers more time to spend on focused, skilled work.
“The best agencies are about to figure out how to use AI to maximize, rather than replace the talent they have at their disposal,” writes Ollie Scott for the “It’s that Nice” blog on creativity.
Lead Graphic Designer David Garcia at the Texas Association of Counties says designers will continue to be necessary despite AI because their humanity is critical for good design. The 26-year industry veteran adds that human qualities such as “thoughtfulness, active listening and even listening to the things not being said when it comes to solving a design problem” are imperative.
I agree. In my experience as a writer working alongside designers and other creatives to develop marketing collateral, our deep understanding of each client, as well as the problems and needs of the client’s customers, informed our brainstorming. This collaborative back-and-forth flow synthesized our understanding and our ideas during the creative process, producing a human-made solution that AI can’t reproduce.
AI Skills Plus Foundational Knowledge
Designers can leverage several AI tools to aid their work. Here is a short, incomplete list, including just a few ways to use them.
- Adobe Firefly for ideation and prototyping and to generate and edit videos and photos.
- Adobe Express for video editing, graphic creation, editing photos and creating presentations.
- Adobe Photoshop to create and edit images with an ever-expanding list of specific tools.
- Adobe Scan to scan photos, documents and signatures for use in layouts.
- ChatGPT and Claude to research subjects, write creative briefs and other text.
- Microsoft Copilot to create meeting notes, to-do lists and more when working in the Microsoft environment.
Some may think that with the power of AI at their disposal, they just need to learn the tools to become a graphic designer. That’s a big nope. Jena Marble, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, says that while AI can play a role in design, human creativity and foundational design skills are imperative.
“Agencies and designers should approach emerging technology with careful optimism, balancing its potential to enhance creative processes and outcomes while maintaining traditional design methods,” says Marble in Communication Arts. “It’s like using the same images from Pinterest for moodboarding—if we only rely on generative AI, everything will start to look the same. Be playful, but don’t rely on it too heavily, and don’t abandon foundational tools.”
Similarly, Garcia says that while AI can be used to kick-start a design idea, the person using the tools must be well-versed in the key principles of good design to produce a quality product.
“I think it’s essential to have a firm and strong foundation as a designer—that means understanding the basic fundamentals like color, value, scale, balance, composition, hierarchy, proportion, etc.,” he adds.
Awareness of AI’s Potential Pitfalls
While using these tools, savvy designers should be aware of AI’s inherent problems. Amongst these is the elephant in the room—that generative AI models require extensive training on existing creative works, which is often done without permission from the original artists. This issue is the subject of several lawsuits that are now working their way through the courts. The outcome could affect how future AI tools are developed.
A second problem deals with misconceptions. Some clients may undervalue those small design projects where AI enables a quick turnaround. This is a case where the traditional adage “garbage in, garbage out” becomes relevant. The quality of information a designer provides to the AI tool directly affects the quality of what it produces. A quick project made using prompts that don’t follow the tenets of good design will look like it. Yet a knowledgeable designer following foundational graphic design principles can use AI to produce a higher quality product.
Along those lines, graphic designers can’t effectively use AI tools unless they fully understand what the tools can do and how to fully utilize them. Again, this is where continued professional education, such as seeking a graphic design certification, can help.
Professional Development Necessary
Nowadays, graphic designers may emerge from a variety of educational backgrounds; they might be self-taught or have earned certificates and degrees from trade schools and universities. No matter the background, all can benefit from continued education, especially in light of the changes AI has brought to the industry.
Registering for the Graphic Design Certificate Program at the UT Austin Center for Professional Education is one way graphic designers can learn how to responsibly use the latest AI tools and hone their foundational graphic design knowledge and skills. If you’re new to graphic design, take the opportunity now to start with the online, self-paced Introduction to Graphic Design Course, which will help you develop the prerequisite skills necessary to continue with the certification.
Industry observers agree that continued education, including learning about AI tools, is important. “Graphic design is still a portfolio-first profession. But certifications can strengthen your credibility, especially when you’re early in your career, switching industries, or targeting jobs that require specific software proficiency,” according to the Teal career website.
Peek and Grunburg agree. “To succeed in this evolving landscape, graphic designers must continuously update their skills and maintain diverse portfolios that showcase both traditional design excellence and proficiency with emerging technologies.”