How to Utilise AI For Your Designs (Without Losing Its Soul)

We’re firmly in 2025, a year where technology hums in the background: nimble, powerful, and ever-evolving. As web designers and marketers, we stand at a crossroads. AI offers dazzling speed and scale, but if you hand it the keys to your aesthetic (and in particular, give full copywriting permissions), you risk delivering something that feels cheap, generic, or downright hollow.

I promise I'm not an AI hater, before you read any further. But there are ways you should use it to enhance your own content.

1. Web Design in 2025 – Balancing Innovation with Intent

This year’s web experiences are shaped by intentional minimalism combined with bold expression. Think immersive interactions, playful typography, cinematic animations, and even gamified elements. But behind all of that, the non-negotiables are still the same: site speed, accessibility, usability, and responsive layouts.

The exciting tension of 2025 design lies in weaving these fresh, expressive elements into websites that remain seamless and functional.

It’s not about chasing every shiny trend. It’s about creating work that still feels timeless while carrying a clear sense of identity.

2. AI: Your Brainstorming Ally, Not Your Finisher

AI is brilliant at kickstarting the creative process. Use it to spark ideas, shape moodboards, or explore early-stage prototypes. But if you let it handle the final design, you’ll likely end up with something that feels soulless.

Your audience can tell when a website or campaign has been left in the hands of AI alone. It looks neat (read: cold), but lacks the nuance and emotional pull of human creativity.

Did you hear that? Audiences can tell when a robot has made something designed to speak to humans. Crazy!

When I am trying to explain this to people, I always come back to this great video by Instagram user @kenzigreendesign (an idol of mine), showing her non-designer boyfriend and AI logo, and a professionally designed logo, and asking him to pick which one was which:

Let AI support you, but layer in your own craft, brand voice, and intuition. That’s the difference between a website that simply functions and one that resonates.

3. Trends to Watch in 2025

Here are a few big movements shaping design and marketing right now:

• Hyper-Personalization through AI and Data: Brands are tailoring visuals and messaging to the individual, boosting engagement while lowering acquisition costs.

• Answer Engine Optimisation: With Google introducing “AI Mode” in search, visibility is no longer just about ranking links. Businesses now need to optimise for AI-generated summaries as well.

• The Human Touch in Design: A growing number of consumers want more personality in their digital experiences. This is where hand-drawn motifs and tactile details, even in digital spaces, are gaining momentum (noticed an increase in paper textured backgrounds and illustrations lately?).

• AI Influencers vs Human Authenticity: Virtual influencers are growing in popularity, but human creators still hold the crown when it comes to authenticity and trust.

• Luxury and Emerging Tech: Big fashion houses are experimenting with AI and AR to create digital product passports, virtual try-ons, and new community spaces. Innovation is no longer a gimmick. It’s becoming part of the luxury experience. Now this, I am super supportive of. Waiting here patiently for the day when the wardrobe app from Clueless comes to fruition.

  

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Why This Matters

AI is reshaping marketing and design at lightning speed.

But leaning on it too heavily results in bland, forgettable output. The real opportunity lies in using AI as a creative accelerant while staying grounded in timeless design principles.

Users want experiences that feel authentic and intentional. They’re drawn to brands that respect their intelligence and offer moments of delight. That balance of innovation and humanity is what will set strong brands apart this year.

Wrap Up

Using ChatGPT as a brainstorming tool or educational tool? Absolutely! Relying on AI to create all of your content? No. Switch that brain back on, and write the way your business writes.

Design in 2025 is about thinking and feeling, not just engineering and output. Use AI as a tool to move faster, but never as a shortcut. Let trends inspire you, but don’t lose sight of clarity, accessibility, and storytelling.

The future belongs to brands that can deliver work with both heart and craft. No one knows your business and audience like you.

Well, and your marketing team 😉