I used to pay some of my bills by teaching Photoshop. Here’s a thumbnail I made for one of my old video tutorials. I came across it when browsing old folders. It made me think.
Though AI is taking centre stage right now there is still a massive need to know how to do things which AI cannot achieve.
For building brand reputation and public perception there are times when ‘close enough’ just isn’t good enough. For those times the manual method is the only way to fly. And it remains the most satisfying. Particularly when you have a vision and can create it from disparate parts with some clever handiwork. I love to see people’s jaws drop when they understand how to achieve a desired effect. It’s quite a buzz to be present during their light bulb moment.
Sadly, with the advent of AI and Canva et al, fewer business owners want to invest in learning. Most will try to figure things out themselves, spending hours down a rabbit hole scratching their heads to find solutions before accepting compromises due to time constraints. I see far too many avoidable and obvious issues with approved content. It’s really not good for your brand if the lighting or shadows are wrong. Or the model has six toes. And don’t get me started on the perils of poor print preflight and production. I could tell you some horror stories…
There is still much to be gained in having a trained graphics professional on tap, either to train you or to do the work for you. Either way, the expense is actually going to save you money in the long term.
