Designing AI

The tension and the differences between AI and I as the fuel for creative printed exploration.

designing A(eye)

BY MAFALDA REYNOLDS BRANDÃO

WHAT I LEARNT ABOUT IMAGE PROMPTING

The thoughts I went through to achieve this

The tension and the differences between AI and I as the fuel for creative exploration.

All imagery done by me & Midjourney

A (EYE)

Image synthesis bridges the designer’s mind and diffused public internet (image) data. Developing an A(eye) is thus exploring and noticing the aesthetic opportunities in the difference between humans and computational semantics.

02.24 “AI eye” synthetic image on how AI is a recontruction of the internet

03.24 Provotype on the “multi-layeredness” of a neural networks

MODEL

The models behind image synthesis have multimodal capabilities that work within a network of relationships. The model has learnt relevant patterns between image and text and will predict how to recreate images by placing more attention on certain words of the prompt than others, giving them higher weights.

Imagery:

02.24 “Neural Network” synthetic imagery on AI’s semantic relationships

02.24 “Attention” synthetic imagery on AI’s attention algorithms

NOISE

A denoising model is responsible to generate images that seem to “emerge” from noise. This capability was acquired during training, when the model was fed noisy images and text pairings and learnt how to “clean” these images with machine learning algorithms.

“Denoising” abstract representation of the denoising process

“ 02.24 “Still dumb?” Synthetic imagery on AI’s emergent capabilities

DIFFUSED MATERIALITY

Us humans, we cannot understand the world as diffused, but we can visualise the difference between our reality and AI’s, by analysing the synthetic image. For the AI, there is diffused materiality within patterns images, and thus every prompt can lead onto emergent material qualities that us humans cannot describe (yet). The opposite of symbolic AI; a kind of computational meaning based on learnt patterns akin to

02.24

Imagery: 02.24

“vibes and styles” (Bajor, 2023).

dumb meaning

Imagery:

02.24 “Noise cleaner” Synthetic imagery on AI semantics

02.24 “Material Magic” Synthetic image on AI’s materiality

/imagine

JUST VIBING

Generative algorithms operate within an aesthetic unity of the training data. This form of orientation within complex networks can be understood as AI “vibes” or “styles” (Grietzer, 2017).

Designing prompts involves is exploring the intersection of design & computational semantics.

A NEW PRESPECTIVE

Image synthesis invites us into a visual representation of the differences between human and AI. AI has the ability to conjure imagery that transcends the boundaries of natural language but not necessarily of imagination.

02.24 “Denoising” illustration of the denoising process Imagery: 02.24 “ 02.24 “Still dumb?” Synthetic imagery on AI’s emergent capabilities

RGB style circus vibes

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Imagery: 04.24 Corduroy fabric background, vertical stripes array, RGB colour palette 02.24 Corduroy fabric background in RGB stripes that converge into a vanishing point on the floor

A RELATIONSHIP

The technology anthropologist Bruno Latour criticised how humans approached complex systems such as neural networks without comprehending nor questioning them treating them as “blackboxes”. What if we begun questioning our relationship with the model?

WHO’S POLO?

Polo does not judge a designer by his background nor discipline. To Polo you can be an artist, a lighting expert, an interior designer... All at once. In fact, you are just a type of designer, a kind of designer, a style of designer. Euphemisms aside, you are simply an instruction.

Polo places attention to Marco’s prompt and predicts how to turn image noise into Marco’s vision.

Marco removes the noise of his vision and articulates it as well structured prompts

image on the right “white background

vertical rows of random scribbles”

Synthetic

with

Blackboxing: When a machine runs and one focuses only on its inputs and outputs and not on its internal complexity (Latour, 1963)

to polo I am...

a style of designer a type of designer

a kind of designer

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LANGUAGE GAP

The material prompt language system is a system of language constraints I established to treat words as raw materials. I did not prompt around copyrighted material nor brands or cultural styles.

Designing prompts for controlled images involves is exploring

TOKEN EMPATHY

The model turns prompts into smaller pieces of information (tokens). What If I begun noticing the model’s “favourite” tokens and build a vocabulary from there? As a result of using the /shorten feature, I begun prompting in a more concise manner and my image became closer to my visions.

On the right is the system of language I used for this book’s prompts purposefully avoiding branded or copyrighted words. Imagery:

/imagine print language texturing language rendering language controlled prompt design language orientational language coloring language vibes styles computational language material prompt language system

ASSEMBLAGE

Conceiving prompts as print meant thinking of the print as a layered composition, or an “assemblage”. One which did not need glue or screws, only imagination.

IN BETWEEN LAYERS

I begun structuring prompts as a sequence of visual layers that interfered with previous layers. I found in this process the ability to design surrealist material stories. For example, one material could be stitched onto the (next) material or weave into the (next) material.

the intersection of design & computational semantics. layer next layer

textures formal qualities print material objects colors ,->

The Style of You Workshop: I designed a workshop around prompting. The activity asked participants to think of themselves as printed textiles and to describe this textile identity as“vibes and styles”. The aim was to test whether using ontological principles could help unlock participant’s imagination. It also enabled me to get external input to gather more “material” (words) for my exploration of prompting.

SUPERJECTS

Prompting around textile “styles” and “vibes” enabled me to dive deeper into the perceptual qualities of textiles and thus using the model’s computational gestalt. Examples of answers included “ethereal vibes” silk, “decayed style” wool, “pleated style” cotton. This prompting approach also led me to discover “superject” materials.

superject

Borrowed from Alfred Whitehead’s philosophy on emergent entities; to refer to imagery that “emerges”from the combination of the prompter’s imagination and AI.

02.24 Don McIntyre, Participant from the workshop “The Style of You” filling up a prompt structure; (Above) Don’s answers.

Romanticising baseball: Synthetic image exploring juxtaposition in materialities Superject , Whitehead

COMPUTATIONAL GESTALT

Mapping the different perceptual qualities between computational semantics and human semantics as a different, more granular and yet wondrous sense of gestalt.

Z-AXIS DISSECTION

An overview of the layers of possibilities for synthetic image structuring. I used this framework to envision complex images. This method led me to discover that I could add the key word “background” into the prompt structure to orient the model to guid the image in an imaginary Z-axis.

Filler layer enlighten move weave flatten Background layer Composition layer prints materials & textures colors image prompting style design gestalt emergent qualities formal qualities natural language semantics computational semantics computational gestalt controlled surrealistic “look and feel”

Computational Gestalt Diagram exploring wonder versus control stages of my exploration

CRAFTY PROMPTING

A page on my approach and methodologies for to explore prompt as a craft. This exploration led me to gradually design & refine a prompt structure that I can go back to to create multi-layered compositions.

Anticipatory motifs

/blend

Promoting command that combines the aesthetics of multiple images into a new image (Midjoruney, 2023, V6).

motif Motifs are the repeated elements of a design, such as shapes, symbols, or images, that form the pattern

TILE PROMPT STRUCTURE texture + word “background” colours/print colours/print motif* + medium composition

white corduroy background, a diagonal rope in the centre , rope is half neon pink half pale green Prompt: white corduroy background , glittery azure ropes in diagonals in the centre of the composition /blend 1 image of composition 1 image of details 1 image of colour

Prompt: corduroy white background, multiple thin slightly wiggly RGB coloured vertical stripes, vertical line sequence

User My nephew Lourenço Context Bed linen

Prompt: cerulean blue and white linen background, beije watercolor fluffy teddy bear in the center, stripes Promoting with a context & audience in mind Colour gathering Prompt: corduroy white background, alternating white blue and red vertical stripes

Prompt: cotton paper, ultramarine diagonal stripes, envelope composition with red hand stitched line contour Prompt: white textile background, circular composition in the centre, filled with horizontal pleated details, red stitching

Prompt: corduroy white background, multiple RGB coloured vertical stripes in ink dye , vertically lined up

ote that the envelope is just a compositional reference it is not meant to be an envelope in the end This is an example of anticipatory imagination skills that I grew

ENVISIONING

Detail design

design

design

PROMPTING IN TILES FLAT FEEL

/ imagine white linoleum background texture, with RGB coloured stripes, a white rope hanging

/ imagine white linoleum texture background, glass beading that looks like cake sprinkles in the movement of a frisbee

/ imagine royal green and bright pink corduroy texture background, divided by a diagonal black rope

/ imagine white, petrol, cream stripes on corduroy texture background, with a vertical nautical rope

tile print

PROMPTING IN TILES IllUSION OF DEPTH

/ imagine magenta knit texture background with a viridian and white braid in the centre / imagine white linoleum texture background, pale green rope in a tartan-like composition with red beading / imagine corduroy texture background with a navy stripes blue and white print , the shape of an eagle embroidered in the middle using baseball red stitching / imagine corduroy texture background with a navy stripes blue and white print , the letter Y embroidered in the middle using baseball red stitching

PROMPT EXAMPLE

/imagine cotton tetxure background , half ultramarine half navy print, green white and red braided nylon ropes in a diagonal composition

ULTRAMARINE COTTON TEXTILE BACKGROUND

WITH A NAVY PRINT

SOME GREEN, WHITE AND RED BRAIDED ROPES IN A DIAGONAL

Trompe d’oil collection

My final collection celebrates a wondrous look and feel that evidences the AI’s emergent aesthetic capabilities; medium combination, extreme, detailing, extra-ordinary materialities ... I would like to keep these prompts private.

AI PRINT COLLECTION

—Trompe d’oil — May 2024

SEA-FOAM GREEN BASEBALL MATCH PERFORATED MESH WITH CORAL CONTROURS CREAM POSTER WITH RED ROSES & ROPES ULTRAMARINE UNDERNEATH THE ROPES

Why concept capture?

AI can be useful to get novel ideas for material possibilities beyond human imagination based on intuitions. The advantage is that one can get engender visual ideas from unresolved mental imagery.

FUTURE MATERIALITIES

CONCEPT CAPTURE

flowerly

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMAGE SYNTHESIS

/ imagine wooden rock texture background with a white stitching zig-zag moving on top / imagine white creased linoleum texture background, bright red stitching baseball style, moving around like a frisbee /imagine satinated fabric falling with flowery print gradient colours with baseball stitching contours / imagine white creased linoleum texture background, bright red stitching baseball style, moving around like a frisbee V2

IMAGE TO TEXTURE

Synthetic imagery can be easily converted into virtual textures with other AI tools such as adobe substance 3D sampler; which is able to read images, predict and self- render the image’s material qualities.

SURREALISM DESIGN

Image synthesis enables to articulate a sense of reality within the illusion; AI’s stereogram-like compositing responses to text could unlock new possibilities to facilitate the conception of augmented reality experiences for example for game design or AR advertising.

in

Synthetic imagery of prints then textured

adobe substance Imagery:

texturing ideating

FOR IMAGE SYNTHESIS

OPPORTUNITIES

GENERATIVE CX BOTS

Generative AI could be implemented within user experiences for bespoke printed products (eg bespoke tiles, bespoke textiles). Bots could guide users during generation of design as self- efficient promoting systems.

tile design bot

Hey! I am your future tile. By replying to me, you get to design me. Let’s start?

reply to me with key words ( ) around ...

vibes styles colours prints textures word prompting

test different key words send to production?

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shifting imagery mock-up Northen lights Marble Soft color blur generating assisting

MAFALDA’S KITCHEN TILES DESIGNED USING PLANET TILES BOT

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMAGE SYNTHESIS

MAFALDA’S GENERATIVE USER EXPERIENCE USING PLANET TILES BOT

PROMPT ENGINEERING

Design school could teach how to prompt and think (imaginatively) about design and computational material semantics.

Material design

This image depicts a material that gives off __________ vibes

Imagery:

Workshop exercise I did that worked well to train visualisation and prompting. I recommend using an immersive environment like a dark room with a projector to see the student’s proposals!

In pairs your aim is to pick a “vibe” and collaboratively plan-out and test prompts that could visualise it as a material. You will agree on a final image together and note down the final

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMAGE SYNTHESIS

END NOTE

AI’s ability to mimc styles makes it very easy to decontextualise, depersonalise and disrespect creative identities of brands and independent artists; that’s why I propose prompting around materiality and formal qualities as these words are, in my (A) eyes, new kind of raw materials.

YOUR A(Eye)

There is no right way to prompt, it is an ongoing discovery so I want to leave you with my strategy but incentive you to explore yours too! The following page is a breakdown of what I found works for me and a template that is versatile for new prompt structures.