I have always been a bit of a sceptic, especially when a shiny new piece of tech promises to revolutionise the creative process. So when generative AI tools like DALL-E first appeared in 2022, with their awful early image output I decided to wait until they improved.

But, about a year ago, curiosity got the better of me and now I can tell you that generative AI like Midjourney is set to change the way creatives work forever.

I think where we are at with generative AI is truly a “desktop publishing moment”, where everything changes for good.

The thing is, most creatives haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s possible.

I’ve been using Midjourney for about a year now, and it’s become an essential part of my creative process. It’s not just a tool for generating images—it’s a way to explore new ideas, to push boundaries, and to collaborate with generative AI that can bring any image I want to life.

Midjourney offers a playground of possibilities for idea generation. Why spend hours searching for reference images when you can create a mood board in minutes? The ability to rapidly prototype and visualise abstract concepts has transformed the way I communicate with clients, and it’s opened up new avenues of exploration in my own work.

But, where Midjourney really shines, is in pitch or pre-production for TV or film work. Whether you’re storyboarding an ad, or creating an animatic for a short film, Midjourney signals the end of the hand-drawn sketch and allows you to go straight to final renders with a particular director, style or grade in mind.

Here are some of the ways you could adopt Midjourney in your creative practice.

Ideation and Concept Development

One of the most frustrating things about group brainstorms or collaborating, is that you can’t see what’s in someone else’s head. We often don’t talk about this aspect of communication but it’s a major blocker. We end up having to employ sales tactics to convince people to go with our idea. It’s a lot of what being a creative director is all about, sadly. Now, we can visualise any idea and it can be judged on it’s own merit.

Brainstorming

When your feeling stuck, use Midjourney to quickly generate visual concepts that spark new ideas. It’s like having a brainstorming partner that never runs out of inspiration. Yes, you have to understand how to prompt, and have a bit of a prompt library up your sleeve, but once you get going it becomes really satisfying.

Moodboards and Reference Images

Instead of spending hours searching for the perfect image online, use Midjourney to create it yourself. It’s a game-changer for moodboards and reference images. I find that the more prompts I collect, the more artistic references and styles I actually discover. Combining styles can also create amazing new directions.

Storyboarding

When budget was tight and we couldn’t get a storyboard artist, I used to create storyboards by hand, but now I can use Midjourney to generate them directly. Not only is this faster and less expensive, but it also allows me to explore different visual styles and create more dynamic storyboards.

Spatial Design

An excellent use case for Midjourney is visualising a physical idea. You could get quite clever and feed in an image of an actual venue and change it up. Here I think the arguments I see and hear are really to do with people’s lack of understanding of Midjourney, and how to control the output to get exactly what you want. Again, here, having a library of prompts that you can rely on really is a game changer.

3D Visualisation

Before you commission a 3D model, use Midjourney to create a visual mockup of what the final model will look like. This obfiously saves time and money, but crucially helps ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Environment Design

Obviously thinking about the time and money spent on visualising a physical space, this is an obvious use case. Use Midjourney to visualise physical spaces, such as store interiors, installations or experiential events, before they’re built.

Exploring Different Directions

One of the less obvious applications is using Midjourney to help you discover new visual styles. This does require good prompting knowledge, and great reference material.

Art Direction

I can use Midjourney to explore different art styles and try new things. It’s helped me push my creative boundaries and create work that I never would have imagined before.

Remix Mode

Midjourney’s remix mode allows you to re-generate an existing visual in a new style. It’s an exciting tool that encourages collaboration with AI and gives you unlimited creative possibilities.

Client Sign-Off

If you are trying to “sell” an idea, I reckon your going to be behind the many creatives and designers who now use Midjourney to simply “show” the idea. Hopefully this will bring about a new wave of high quality work, as the barrier to entry for Midjourney is fairly low.

Rapid Prototyping

Use Midjourney to get ideas to a visual stage that’s impressive enough for client sign-off. It’s accelerated my process, saving time and money in the long run.

Visualising Abstract Concepts

If you can imagine it, Midjourney can visualise it. It’s helped me communicate abstract ideas with clarity, making it an invaluable tool for bringing clients on board with creative proposals.

Conclusion

Midjourney isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about taking things further. With a bit of experimentation and a deep understanding of prompt crafting, we can all push creative boundaries, and venture into uncharted aesthetic territories. Using remix mode to collaborate with AI opens up a world of unexpected directions.

When you are thinking about adopting Midjourney in your creative practice, it’s good to remember this isn’t about replacing human creativity. It’s about augmenting it. Midjourney is a tool that can redefine the process of design but you still need to bring good ideas to the table. I think the key thing is to assure people that generative AI is not here to replace them. This is a tool that can help you create better work. Guaranteed.

The post Adopting Midjourney in Your Creative Process – I Used AI to Become Even More Creative (and You Can Too) first appeared on Unreality Labs.