When to use AI vs hire a designer
An honest matrix. Plus when the right answer is 'both, in that order'.
We make money when you don't hire a designer. Here's when you should anyway.
Use AI when
1) You are pre-revenue and need a logo to validate a landing page tomorrow. 2) You are a creator with a side project. 3) You need a placeholder while you build a fundraising deck. 4) You want to test five names against five visual directions before committing.
Hire a designer when
1) You're spending more than $1M/year on marketing. 2) Your brand is the product (think Aesop, Glossier, Hermès). 3) You need original illustration as a brand asset, not just a mark. 4) You need someone accountable for the brand for the next five years.
Use both, in this order
Generate ten directions with AI, pick the one you love, and hand it to a designer for typography refinement, motion, packaging, and an extended system. The AI does the cold start; the designer does the polish.