AI Tools for Designers: A Comprehensive Guide
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the design world by
storm, offering designers powerful tools that streamline workflows, boost
creativity, and make the design process more accessible. From automating
repetitive tasks to generating unique design elements, AI is now a crucial
component of the designer's toolkit. But with so many AI tools available, it
can be challenging to know which ones will truly elevate your work.
In this guide, we’ll dive into some of the best AI tools for designers,
exploring their features, unique applications, and how they can be integrated
into your creative process.
1. Adobe Sensei: The All-Around AI for Design
Features:
- Content-Aware Fill: Automatically removes unwanted objects from images and fills the gaps with surrounding pixels.
- Auto Masking and Selection: Automatically detects edges and separates objects in an image, making masking more precise.
- Layout and Design Suggestions: Sensei offers intelligent layout suggestions for web and print, helping you create balanced and visually pleasing compositions.
2. Canva Magic Resize and Design Automation
Features:
- Magic Resize: Resize designs to fit any
platform (like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) with one click.
- Brand Kit Management: Canva’s AI maintains
brand consistency by suggesting templates, colors, and fonts that align
with the brand.
- Auto Layout and Template Suggestions: Canva’s AI suggests pre-built layouts and templates based on your content.
3. DALL-E and Midjourney: Image Generation for Unique Visuals
Features:
- Text-to-Image Generation: Create custom
visuals by simply typing a description.
- Style Customization: Adjust the style of
generated images (e.g., watercolor, photorealistic, digital art).
- Inspiration for New Projects: With endless image possibilities, designers can explore new concepts and creative directions.
4. Runway ML: Video Editing Meets AI
Runway ML is an AI-powered video editing tool that offers creative effects
and fast editing capabilities. With its intuitive interface, designers can
explore video options that are usually labor-intensive, like green screen
keying and motion tracking.
Features:
- Background Removal and Green Screen Effects:
Remove backgrounds from videos without a green screen.
- Automatic Object Detection and Masking:
Detects and tracks objects in video frames, allowing for dynamic edits.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Ideal for design teams working on video projects.
5. Logo AI: Automated Logo Generation
Logo AI is an excellent tool for small businesses and freelance designers
looking to create simple, professional logos in a matter of minutes. It
combines AI with logo design principles to create unique logo suggestions based
on company information and style preferences.
Features:
- Automated Logo Design: Generates multiple logo
designs based on user inputs like brand name and style.
- Customizable Templates: Users can adjust
colors, fonts, and icons to refine their logo.
- Branding Packages: Provides brand kits with logo variations for various applications.
6. Khroma: AI-Powered Color Palette Generator
Choosing the right colors is essential in design, and Khroma leverages AI to
recommend color palettes based on a user’s preferences. With Khroma, you can
save time finding palettes that align with your project’s aesthetic.
Features:
- Personalized Color Palettes: Choose from
thousands of colors that fit your design style.
- Color Combination Suggestions: Khroma’s AI
generates compatible color combinations for projects.
- Image and Text Mode: Preview how your color choices look in different settings, such as backgrounds or typography.
7. Designify: Automated Background Removal and Image Enhancement
Designify is an AI tool focused on background removal and quick enhancements
for product photos, social media images, and more. It’s especially useful for
e-commerce designers who need to process product images quickly.
Features:
- Instant Background Removal: Remove or replace
backgrounds with ease.
- Automatic Image Enhancement: Adds lighting and
color correction to images for a polished look.
- Bulk Processing: Perfect for handling large volumes of images.
8. Artbreeder: AI for Unique Character and Concept Creation
Artbreeder is a creative platform that uses GANs to generate unique
character designs, landscapes, and abstract art. This tool is excellent for
concept artists and designers working on fictional projects or custom
illustrations.
Features:
- Genetic Blending: Mix different images to
create new and unique visuals.
- High Customizability: Adjust attributes like
age, gender, and style to refine visuals.
- Infinite Variations: Generate endless design ideas, ideal for early concept work.
9. Jasper.ai: Copywriting for Designers
While primarily a copywriting tool, Jasper.ai offers AI-powered text
generation that can assist designers who create social media posts, website
content, and marketing materials. With its natural language processing
capabilities, Jasper can create engaging copy to complement visual designs.
Features:
- Automated Content Suggestions: Generate catchy
headlines, captions, and descriptions for social media or ads.
- Tone Customization: Adjusts writing style to
match your brand voice, from friendly to professional.
- SEO-Friendly Copy: Ensures copy is optimized for search engines.
10. Deep Dream Generator: For Surreal, Artistic Styles
Deep Dream Generator by Google is an AI tool that turns photos into
dreamlike, surreal images. It’s ideal for designers looking to add an artistic
flair or explore new visual ideas for posters, album covers, or conceptual art.
Features:
- Style Transfer: Apply different art styles
(e.g., Van Gogh, surrealism) to your photos.
- Dreamlike Effects: Create trippy, abstract
visuals that push the boundaries of traditional design.
- Customization Options: Adjust the intensity of effects for subtle or bold looks.