AI or authentic?

AI or did everyone just use the same designer?

I’m not anti-AI. Far from it.

Except now, I can scroll through my feed and start predicting the next poster before I even read the business name.

The same colours.
The same layouts.
The same “creative” details.

Majority of AI-generated posters are starting to have the EXACT same personality.

Which is ironic, because the whole point of branding is to stand out.

So I started screenshotting them…

Over the last couple of days, I’ve screenshotted every poster I’ve seen that had those obvious AI vibes. Not a custom design, not even a Canva template… just that very recognisable AI look.

Because they all seem to follow the same formula:
Black background. Bright colours. Textured backdrop. A few random details. A swish little tagline or CTA in italics.

And you know what? We get it.

It’s 2 days before your promotion going live, an event, or advert due tomorrow, and asking a designer to “just quickly fit this in” can feel like the easy option.

Chances are, it’s not actually a ‘quick’ job. 

There’s usually the content fixing, sourcing the right imagery, checking layouts, proofing, back and forth… all the things that make the final piece actually work.

And if you’ve been a bit unorganised, don’t have the budget, or just need a quick one-off piece, that’s okay. AI absolutely has a place.

Note: Example advertisements have been digitally altered to remove or obscure business names, logos and identifying details. Images are used solely to illustrate design trends discussed in this article.

Unless it’s your regular designer.

Because they already know your brand, your fonts, your colours, your style. There’s no onboarding, no explaining, no starting from scratch.

The question is, does your business want to stand out and be authentic… or blend in with everyone else down the road?

For a one-off job? AI can absolutely help.

But if you need a campaign assets, an advert that fits (to size) in the paper (and not RGB), social posts, Facebook graphics, email graphics, signatures… that’s where a designer earns their keep.

A designer will take the idea, build the concept, and roll it out consistently across every platform.

Same goes for logos. Honestly, if you want to save time and figure out what you do and don’t like, have a play in Canva first. (Just be prepared… AI can come up with some absolute garbage too).

The best part? We use AI too.

If it speeds things up, write quick copy for social media, generates an image when stock sites don’t have what we need, or removes a tedious step, we’re using it.

Because if we don’t need to muck around, neither do you.

AI isn’t replacing designers quite yet.

It’s just another tool in the toolbox.

If you’re in the market for some reuseable on-brand templates with a point of difference, did you know they can be set up in Canva?

We can create Canva Brand Templates that give your team the flexibility to update content while keeping your branding, colours, fonts and layouts consistent. In Canva you can also turn a design into a ‘brand template’ that can’t be completely destroyed by a rogue team member changing everything (hooray!)

Easy to use, easy to update, and still looking like your business.

Because the best tools are the ones that make life easier, without making everything look the same.