Creative technology
Why AI Platforms Hire Human Designers and What It
Artificial intelligence companies are continuing to hire human designers and branding agencies to create their visual identities. Examples include agency How&How rebranding AI image generator Ideogram, Lazarev designing for AI video app Elva, Together creating identity work for AI audit firm Clusia, and Meta commissioning lettering artist Jessica Hische to draw a new logo for AI platform Muse for a $12,500 fee. Despite online backlash on platforms such as Threads regarding artists lending credibility to AI firms, author Tom May notes that branding relies on trust rather than aesthetics alone. Because generative technology faces an ongoing credibility deficit among the public and creators, these tech firms rely on human-made design to build authenticity and visual authority.
The signal
Artificial intelligence companies are continuing to hire human designers and branding agencies to create their visual identities. Examples include agency How&How rebranding AI image generator Ideogram, Lazarev designing for AI video app Elva, Together creating identity work for AI audit firm Clusia, and Meta commissioning lettering artist Jessica Hische to draw a new logo for AI platform Muse for a $12,500 fee. Despite online backlash on platforms such as Threads regarding artists lending credibility to AI firms, author Tom May notes that branding relies on trust rather than aesthetics alone. Because generative technology faces an ongoing credibility deficit among the public and creators, these tech firms rely on human-made design to build authenticity and visual authority.
What matters
Key points from this story
- 01
Tech firms including Meta, Ideogram, Elva, and Clusia have commissioned human designers and agencies to build their brand identities.
- 02
Lettering artist Jessica Hische earned $12,500 for designing Meta’s Muse logo, illustrating the commercial value still placed on human craft.
- 03
Creative Bloq highlights that branding requires building public trust rather than merely generating appealing images.
- 04
AI platforms face an ongoing credibility deficit, driving them to use human-designed logos to project authenticity.
- 05
Independent painters can leverage this industry shift by emphasising authentic studio processes and verifiable artwork provenance.
Put it into practice
What artists can do now
Upgrade digital artwork listings with clear colour accuracy, precise physical dimensions, and high-resolution detail shots of paint texture.
Frame original paintings within realistic room mockups to help prospective buyers judge scale, lighting, and interior context.
Write concise, transparent artist notes for each artwork, detailing the physical medium, surface preparation, and underlying creative rationale.
Document behind-the-scenes studio work and technical execution to establish undeniable human provenance across portfolio platforms.
Story topics
Keywords and themes
Source transparency
Sources and further reading
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