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AI-generated logos: What you need to know
Your logo is often the first impression someone will have of your organization, so a poorly designed one can have a significant impact on your business success. If it’s too dated, you may discourage potential employees from wanting to work for you. Too boring, and you blend in with all the other organizations out there vying for your audience’s attention. Too reliant on trendy design fads, and prospective business partners won’t take you seriously – plus, trend-driven logos can quickly feel outdated after just a few years.
Suffice it to say, your logo is one of the most critical elements of your brand, so the pressure to get it right can be daunting. That’s why many people turn to AI: a quick, low-cost solution that just about anyone can use. With a simple prompt and the click of a button, you can generate dozens of logos in seconds. What’s not to like?
As it turns out, quite a lot!
While AI can be a useful tool for generating ideas and inspiration, there are several drawbacks to using it to create a logo for your brand.
AI-generated logos are not copyrightable: Under U.S. copyright law, artwork (including logos) must have substantial human authorship to qualify for federal copyright protection, and a logo generated solely by an AI platform does not meet that requirement. Our blog Can AI-generated logos be copyrighted? expands on the topic in greater detail.
AI doesn’t know your story, values, vision or audience: When generating a logo, AI programs can’t think strategically. Instead, they draw from existing shapes and patterns in their training data, pairing the text from your prompt with visuals they associate with those particular words. The resulting images are often generic, too literal and difficult to distinguish from all the other AI-generated designs out there:
Caption: A search for AI-generated construction company logos results in very similar designs – and plenty of typos.
AI doesn’t provide production-ready assets: Businesses need to use their logos across a wide variety of applications, such as websites, social media platforms, print ads, large-scale signage and embroidered apparel, to name a few. To do so effectively, a logo needs to be in proper file formats: scalable, editable vector files in both RGB (digital) and CMYK (print) color modes. AI generators produce flat, raster-based files intended primarily for digital use– most vendors will reject those file types for professional production purposes.
AI can’t create a consistent brand identity: A logo is not a standalone representation of your organization – it’s one part of an larger brand identity system, which includes logo variations (reverse color versions, horizontal and vertical orientations, icon-only versions, etc.), brand colors and typography, and usage guidelines that account for both accessibility and design best practices. AI tools aren’t yet capable of developing a truly cohesive brand identity; prompting them to do so often results in assets that are inconsistent in style and execution. This lack of cohesion can confuse your audience and significantly weaken your brand.
AI is facing increasing public skepticism: Recent survey data shows that Americans, particularly young adults, are viewing AI more negatively at a time when businesses are rapidly expanding their use of it. Some people view AI-generated content as inauthentic, while others go so far as to criticize businesses for being unwilling to invest in human expertise. That same survey found that 49 percent of respondents feel either somewhat or very negative about businesses using AI in ads. However, it’s worth noting that a majority (75 percent) approve of businesses using AI during the brainstorming process when its use is disclosed.
Don’t let the list above discourage you from using AI as part of the logo design process altogether. When used responsibly and thoughtfully, AI tools can improve clarity, increase efficiency and reduce overall costs. As a brainstorming assistant, AI can help you explore early design concepts, narrowing down visual direction, color palettes and typography choices, allowing you to provide clearer direction to your design team. When you have a better understanding of what you want, a designer can focus their time and expertise on refining your vision rather than trying to guess it.
AOE relies on an internal practice group to guide our team’s use of AI, ensuring that we utilize it ethically, responsibly and in a manner that aligns with our high standards of service. We view AI as a tool that enhances our work during the ideation process – not as a substitute for our team members. Want to learn how to best use AI for logo creation or another design project? Reach out to our (human!) experts today.