Update cookies preferences

What is Generative AI Imagery and How Can It Boost Your Brand?

AI is here to stay — Why It Matters to Your Business

AI image generation is a hot topic with platforms such as MidJourney, Sora, Firefly and many more. For online businesses it’s changing everything. There's now a real opportunity to create more engaging visual content than ever before. Knowing how to approach this can feel overwhelming; do we need to generate everything with AI, can our existing assets work with AI tools, and will the results compare to more traditional outputs (photoshoots)? We'll explore these questions. 

The right tool for the job  

New platforms and tools are coming online at a blistering rate and updating on a weekly basis. Understanding the specialisations of each new offering is key, from high artistic flair, conceptual ideation, or video generation. This challenge is an exciting one from a creative point of view. They can, with the right direction, transform core ideas into amazing concepts, without the traditional limitations of locations, props, or even models. More importantly it’s opening creative avenues that may have been closed historically due to logistical or budgetary constraints.

[Image generations from Midjourney]

Most of the AI image platforms use a set of prompts (words) to create new images and videos. With these prompts we can create an environment and place products within it. To explore the difference between some platforms we’ve run the same prompt across all – here we’ve looked at how a new water bottle might look in a kitchen.:

Prompt: minimalist modern metal water bottle on a wooden table, with sunrise sunlight streaming through a window. Include a leafy green plant in the background.

MidJourney Most artistic and visually striking creative outputs, but harder to control for finite compositions.

 [ MidJourney-Generated Image]

DALL·E Best for natural conversations through ChatGPT and excellent for concepting new visual ideas. Not as naturalistic imagery.

[Generated with Dall-E]

Adobe Firefly from Adobe integrates with their suite of creative tools and offers greater control of composition.

[Generated with Adobe Firefly]

The power of prompting

Prompting is a structured description that guides the image generator how

to create realistic visuals. There are many forms, here we’ll look at how to make product photography imagery. For that we’ll need: 

1. Product: Describe the product clearly (e.g., a minimalist perfume bottle').

2. Background: Set the scene/environment (e.g., marble counter top).

3. Camera Angle: Specify view (e.g., 'low angle,' 'close-up').

4. Lighting: Define style (e.g., 'soft natural light').

5. Style: Add realism or mood (e.g., photorealistic, cinematic, cyberpunk).

6. Aspect Ratio: Set dimensions (--ar 16:9 for full screen).

Iterating, the secret sauce.

Creating the right AI image is more than swapping words around – it’s a process that describes the brand vision and refines the concept. A deep understanding of the art direction and clear idea of creative concept drive the process. Each adjustment is an opportunity to perfect the lighting, style or composition until the image gives the story you want to tell.

One the many benefits of AI imagery is the ability to quickly explore different concepts. Here we look at a perfume bottle in different environments and then use a moodboard technique to request multiple environments in a single generation. Previously this would have been hours of retouching just to get a single idea across. 

The perfect image is just the start

It’s common knowledge that moving content has a far higher engagement level online and with AI imagery turning static assets into moving content is now an exciting possibility. Once the master images are created AI can turn your these into short videos or animations, perfect for arresting landing pages, more engaging product cards and matching dynamic social media.

Further Real-World Applications

Case Example: Creative World-Building with AI for a Christmas Experience

This fun immersive theatre project had a challenge: how to show the lead character, Santa, in situ for early marketing of the event, before the actors were even cast. Also how to effectively explore alternative interior visions before going into production. We used midjourney to realise key scenes with Santa before production began. Saving time, resources and allowing for iterations previously impossible within the budgets and giving the client a clear vision of the final production.

AI Generated Christmas Concept image of a postal room at Christmas

The intersection of Creativity and Technology

Generative AI imagery will only going to grow in it’s adoption, function and ability. From transforming simple concepts into rich visual narratives to helping brands explore new realms of storytelling, the possibilities are endless. We’re here to support brands get the most from this new technology. 

Next time, 

We’ll explore select specific tools that specialise in product photography and how to work with existing assets, to create outstanding brand content. 

Want to find out how AI can help optimise your business?


Kev

Kevin Mura

Advertising & Branding Specialist - Guest Writer

Written by Kevin Mura for Develo Design. Kevin is an art director with 20+ years of experience in advertising & branding. 

Develo is a leading Magento agency and eCommerce web development company based in Birmingham, in the UK, serving clients globally since 2010. Our Blog covers topics around the array of services our certified Magento Developers offer, including Hyvä themes development, Adobe Commerce, Magento Punchout catalogues, ERP integrations and much more. To speak to a friendly member of the team about your next project, contact us here.


...
Kev

share:

Ready to start your next project?

See how we can help you accelerate your business