The 5 Best AI Tools for Designers

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way creative professionals work by automating tedious tasks and generating new ideas. Several AI tools have emerged to assist with different aspects of the creative process.

Khroma is an AI-powered tool for generating color palettes. It analyzes images and extracts complementary colors that work well together. Designers can input an image, text prompt, or starting colors and Chroma will output a palette. This saves time compared to manually picking colors. However, overreliance on Chroma can make designs feel generic if not combined with a designer’s own color sense.

Fontjoy is an AI font pairing tool. It suggests font combinations based on analyzing millions of websites. Designers input sample text and Fontjoy outputs fonts that pair well in terms of readability, visual harmony, and personality. This helps beginners learn good font pairing principles. But Fontjoy lacks knowledge of a project’s specific context, so designers should view its suggestions as a starting point.

Vectorizer uses AI to convert bitmap images like JPEGs into scalable vector graphics (SVGs). Designers upload an image and Vectorizer traces its shapes to create an SVG file. This automates a traditionally tedious task. However, Vectorizer often requires cleanup work to perfect the vector rendering. It works best on simpler images without fine details.

Logo AI tools like Looka use machine learning to generate logo ideas based on a business name and preferences. This provides inspiration and a quick starting point. But logos also require custom refinement to achieve an iconic, memorable brand identity. Auto-generated logos can appear generic.

Purana is an AI tool for generating patterns, textures, and other visual designs. Designers specify a sample image or text prompt and Purana outputs original graphics. This boosts ideation when designers feel stuck. However, Purana’s computer-generated designs lack human creativity. The tool is best for exploring options, not the final output.

In summary, AI creative tools showcase the potential to augment human creativity and make workflows more efficient. However, designers should view them as assistants rather than sole creators. The most compelling designs combine human creative vision and judgement with AI tools for exploration and refinement. AI is an exciting new material for the creative process, but human imagination, context, and purpose remain essential.