I Was Against AI. Here's What Changed.
I'll admit it: I was afraid to try AI, and a little against it. I thought it would stop me from thinking, spy on me, or just hand me generic answers.
Then I started using ChatGPT. It generated images, made suggestions, and even found spacing issues on my website. Then I discovered Claude, and now it's my go-to. It helps with just about everything behind the scenes: debugging my code, scanning my sites for errors, looking up instructions, and building checklists. This saves me a tremendous amount of time and I get to avoid doing the things I don’t like and honestly not very good at so I can focus on what I do best, designing and taking care of clients.
The Calculator Doesn't Do the Math for You
I love getting ideas from magazine layouts
DIGITAL IS GREAT, BUT I LONG FOR THE DAYS OF HIGH FASHION AND GREAT MAGAZINE LAYOUTSWhere I used to get stuck
My creative work isn't the hard part. It's the mundane tasks: checklists, client forms, the details. After eight-plus hours staring at a screen, I make mistakes I normally wouldn't. And honestly, sometimes I just get bored.
Now AI helps me:
Build client checklists and turn scattered notes into one organized document
Debug my code and catch typos I've looked past a dozen times
Spot a leftover template product hiding in a client's shop
Rescue a photo crop when Photoshop wouldn't open
And the feedback. Who's around 24/7 to check your work? Oh my ChatGPT Robot, who I call Sebastian (and yes he knows his name) takes over the role of a therapist. Then there’s the Google AI robot Gemini, who I call the “gossip bot”, if you want the dirt or any inside info he/she/it will spill the tea. As in it will tell you “it just heard this or that.” And then I discovered Claude, and now it’s my go-to for all the real behind-the-scenes work. I’ve got to admit it I love AI.
What stays mine
AI can't know my clients. It can't develop my style or make the final design decisions. It works from what I tell it and the tasks I give it. Every layout, color, and design choice on my clients' sites is mine; AI is my assistant, not my designer.
I build my clients' sites without templates (unless they're my own custom ones), in an editorial style that's bold and punchy. When AI gives me something generic, off-brand, or sounding like a typical support bot, I push back.
I still get my inspiration from photographs and images, things you can touch and feel
I'M ALSO A LITTLE NOSTALGIC FOR NEWSPAPERSWhy this matters to me now
I've always been a creative. When I first started, I had no idea who I was, what my brand stood for, or who my ideal client was. Now I've found my style and my way of doing things, and it keeps evolving. AI takes the day-to-day work I don't love off my plate, so I can spend more time on the part on what I do best.
If you're nervous about AI
It can make tasks that used to take forever surprisingly simple, but you still have to know what you're doing. It's like calculators: they made everyone's life easier, but you still have to know math. My goal hasn't changed. I want every client to feel listened to, and to see their business shine through stunning layouts and attention to detail.
I’ve really changed my attitude towards AI
Right now I am learning a new platform Showit. If I can't figure something out AI helps me tremendously in comparison to having to wait two days for a platform to get back to you or possibly never. Anytime I am lost in Illustrator, AI can help.
I do what I love.
AI CAN'T REPLACE HUMAN CREATIVITY, BUT IT SURE CAN MAKE THINGS EASIER.But here’s my prediction
Will jobs be lost to AI? Absolutely. So, now is the time to get better, be better, be at the top of your game. And you better make the client experience ultra-convenient because AI will!
Interested in working with me to develop and design a stunning website?
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