AI in My Design Workflow: How I Use Technology Without Losing the Human Touch
When AI first started making waves in design, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. Could a machine really understand aesthetics, brand storytelling, or the little details that make a project feel “right”? I wasn’t sure. But curiosity and a looming deadline pushed me to try it.
Now, AI tools sit right next to my sketches, Photoshop layers, and brand references. My top three tools -Adobe Photoshop’s Generative Fill, ChatGPT, and Gemini are part of my process, but never the boss. I treat them like teammates sometimes brilliant, sometimes stubborn, and occasionally they produce results so weird I question all my life choices.
Here’s how these tools have become part of my workflow and what they actually add to my designs.
The Time-Saver: Photoshop Generative Fill
One project really opened my designer’s eyes. He was working on Cigars USA, and we needed an image of two women smoking cigars. Stock photos were all wrong too staged, too corporate, wrong lighting, wrong vibe.
So he turned to Photoshop’s Generative Fill. A few quick prompts later, he had realistic scenes that looked like we’d hired a professional photographer. But did we use them as-is? Absolutely not. He still masked, blended, and polished every detail manually. Photoshop AI didn’t replace him; it just gave him a head start, turning hours of tedious work into minutes.
It’s perfect for impossible shots or creating alternate versions quickly, but it’s far from perfect. Sometimes it adds extra fingers, awkward lighting, or elements that just don’t make sense. That’s where the designer’s eye comes in.
The Idea Machine: ChatGPT
Then there’s ChatGPT. I don’t use it to draw or paint but for ideation, it’s gold. When redesigning a logo, it helped me explore symbolism, shape variations, and directions I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.
The best example? Tile by Taryla. The client wanted a fresh take on the floral swirls in the letter “T.” ChatGPT helped me generate ideas in different styles vintage, hand-drawn, minimalist and even suggested symbolic meanings for each variation. We still drew and refined everything by hand, but ChatGPT made the brainstorming phase so much faster.
It’s like having a partner who never sleeps, but you still need to filter and refine everything.
The Detail Whisperer: Gemini
Sometimes, projects demand precision patterns, textures, or mockups that need to be perfect. For a pattern project, I combined manual design, ChatGPT prompts, and Gemini refinements. The result? High-quality, consistent patterns that looked like the work of an entire team but it was just me switching between tools.
Gemini is great for clean, detailed visuals, but it can feel a little “too perfect.” Without manual adjustments, patterns can look flat or lifeless. The human touch is still essential.
What AI Actually Gives Me
AI doesn’t replace creativity. Instead, our top 3 tools help us:
- Speed up tedious tasks: We can generate 20 concepts in the time it used to take me to sketch 2.
- Expand possibilities: Different styles, moods, and ideas appear instantly.
- Refine complex details: Patterns, mockups, and textures become manageable.
Of course, there are downsides. Over-reliance can dull critical thinking. Ethical questions around realism and likeness matter. And AI can create a homogeneous look if you don’t add your personal touch.
AI Is My Sidekick, Not My Replacement
We still design with intention, strategy, and trial-and-error. AI gives me extra hands but not extra taste. Where I used to spend hours hunting references, building mockups, or testing visual variations, my top 3 tools now speed up the process. The final design always goes through my personal lens, my judgment, and my hands.
AI didn’t steal our creativity it just gave us more room to use it. Sometimes it’s brilliant. Sometimes it’s bizarre. But it’s never boring and that’s the kind of teammate we’ll take any day.
If you want to see how AI can transform your business, book a free consultation right here. We’ll explore your current challenges, uncover AI opportunities, and provide actionable strategies to help your business stay ahead of the competition.
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Johnny Flash Productions
Johnny Flash Productions is a creative agency based outside of Washington D.C. that focuses on digital strategy, web design and development, graphic design and event production that helps businesses get better results from their marketing.
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The team at Johnny Flash was terrific. They guided me through the entire process and created a website that perfectly met my company's needs.
John and his team do top quality design work, website work, and just about anything you would need to have a dynamic presentation in both print and digital media. Incredibly talented and innovative, you can call him with a "thought" that comes back to you better than you ever imagined. Truly professional and talented, I could not recommend more highly.
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When we all get a little too busy, sometimes we forget to say a heartfelt "Thank You"! I am so grateful that God led us to partner with you. I know good things will come from our hard work done together in His name. The website is terrific. Pure and simple.
Thanks for your expertise, guidance and always friendly attitude.
Working with John and his team has been such a wonderful experience! They consistently go above and beyond to quickly complete our requests, and it's great working with a team of true experts. I highly recommend them for anyone looking for WordPress developers.
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John's knowledge base allows them to understand our ideas and concepts and bring it all together in a professional, well thought out deliverable. Their work has always exceeded our expectations in both quality and speed.
We look forward to continuing our long business relationship as he continues to stay on top and ahead of visual marketing trends without losing it’s classic appeal.
We used Johnny Flash Productions to help us recreate our website and to make it more visually appealing and more current. Working with them was very pleasant and easy. They really listened to what we were looking for and worked within that framework.
I would highly recommend them. I am happy to provide a reference or answer any questions that you may have.
We often see a lot of homeless families in our city. Some are of old age and some with children. Tonight my wife and son and I drove around and gave grocery bags to some of these families. What a joy to see their smiles and happiness!
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The man besides me is one of the associate pastors of our church. He really needed financial help because he has a rare disease called Ameloblastoma and needs to undergo a procedure. The amount of money from JFP is really a big help for him and to his family!
Johnny Flash did a great job on our new Wellesley Hills Congregational Church website. Delivered on time and on budget. They helped us shape good content as well.
We were so satisfied we had them redo our Wellesley Nursery School in the Hills website also.
Professional, knowledgeable, friendly! Everything you could ask for in a website development firm/SEO company. Johnny Flash Productions is the best website development firm and SEO firm in Northern Virginia!
This process was so much easier than I expected. John listened carefully to what I was expecting to accomplish with our website and kept me focused on our objectives.
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Johnny Flash Productions and their team were aces to work with. Their process was simple, and project schedule was on target.
More importantly, their Storybrand mindset opened us up to a whole new world for our website presence, business development and even our own client communication.
John was amazingly helpful and he held the attention of the audience very well. He has a passion for what he does that really shows!
We regularly get rave reviews about our website. Often other non-profits have asked us for a referral. Johnny Flash was easy to work with and has always been responsive to our needs. They provided several built in tools that help keep our website from becoming stale.
If you need a graphic design team, Johnny Flash is a helpful partner to have on hand. Their work is professional and creative. Their Project Manager was a true Godsend for us personally, keeping every project on schedule with grace and a smile!
John, Joli and Team provided the path forward for us on how to take our desire to have a brand new website to getting it launched and live. We started at a high level of who we were and what we wanted to accomplish with our website.
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I was looking for a web designer who was not only talented, but could deliver - and keep delivering what I needed month after month. The team at Johnny Flash Productions brought ideas to the table that complemented what I wanted to do with my website and their design exceeded my expectations.
I was willing to pay more for their continuing monthly service than I had paid previously because they laid out what I could expect from their team. So far, they have under promised and over delivered.
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They also worked us to revamp both websites within our set budget while still providing a quality web design and custom look. If I could give them ten stars, I would!
They did excellent design work, were professional and responsive. They were an absolute pleasure to work with, and I plan on using them for future projects.
We are all super big fans of your work and love your passion and talent for design. All of us are so blown away by your incredible work on the anchor piece for A Better Story!
I don't know what we would have done without you. Thank you for being so amazing!!!
I've had an exceptional experience working with Johnny Flesh Productions for my website's search engine optimization. John and his team are not just experts in SEO, but they also make the process engaging and informative. Their prompt responses and unwavering professionalism stand out, making every interaction a pleasure. If you're looking for a team that delivers outstanding results and values client collaboration, Johnny Flash Productions is the go-to choice. Five stars all the way!"
JFP is amazing. My new website is very clean, conveys exactly what I want to my clients, looks way better than the competition, and will be the base for my company moving forward. And now I have a great working relationship with Johnny Flash Productions for all of my SEO and website needs. Don't hesitate to go with JFP, they're honest. They rock!
John and his team are great to work with. We have worked with them on a broad range of projects including logo development, campaign materials and website design. They are a great partner!
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The staff are very responsive, organized, on time and they follow through until the work is complete. We valued them so much that we use them for our monthly maintenance and they help with our advertising online.
Sam was 6 when she was diagnosed with leukemia. After 1.5 years of treatment, she survived and continues to take medication. Everyone calls her the little warrior for her bravery. She has been a living testament to the family that God heals and makes miracles. We’re so thankful for the financial support for medication.
Can’t say enough good things about the team at Johnny Flash Productions. From beginning to end, their attention to detail was top-notch. John and his team were always ready to answer any and all questions throughout the process. We specifically hired JFP to build a website for my company from the ground up, and they delivered an incredible final product. The project manager assigned to our site was diligent, deliberate, and made the entire process smooth and efficient. We’re extremely pleased with the results and can’t wait to work with them again in the future.
Exceeded all expectations in their abilities to professionally evaluate and customize our company WordPress website. Above all else, their customer service is the best I've dealt with in a long time with any company I've worked with in the past. I definitely recommend Johnny Flash Productions to anyone looking for exceptional service, professional detail and customer support.
Working with John and his team has been such a wonderful experience! They consistently go above and beyond to quickly complete our requests, and it's great working with a team of true experts.
I highly recommend them for anyone looking for WordPress developers.
It has been such a pleasure working with John and Nicole to develop our WordPress website. The team is very professional and worked closely with us during the entire process. We couldn't be happier with the result, we love our new website.
I definitely recommend Johnny Flash Productions!
Amazing company to work with from start to finish. From Joli and the web design team to dealing with John directly these guys are true professionals. Couldn't be happier with our results and highly recommend.
We chose Johnny Flash Productions because I knew the person, John Falke. Relationships are important. Knowing character is important and relevant to business decisions. Knowing whether a person/business will stick by their word is important along with can they perform.
A company that can perform is good, but if they do not stick by their word, skill means nothing. You produced a great product, worked with us, gave a fair price and kept us on task.
Very helpful company would highly recommend!!
I must admit that I was not crazy about revamping our website, primarily due to the time commitment and cost. However, in looking through the updated content this morning, the new website looks terrific and was well worth the time and expense.
Thanks to you and your team for all of your hard work.
We have a fabulous website thanks to their excellent process.
Their knowledge of SEO and integration of social media channels improved our church's online impact.
We’ve been working with Johnny Flash for years, and they’ve consistently done an outstanding job for us. Their expertise and dedication shine through in everything they do. We trust their input and value their opinions when it comes to our website and social media presence. It’s always a pleasure collaborating with them, and we highly recommend their services without hesitation!
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The experience of building home remodeling company’s website was nothing short of excellent! John and his team are extremely professional, responsive, and efficient at what they do. Their process is clear and they stick to it every step of the way. The weekly production meetings were very helpful and kept the project moving forward at record speed!
My favorite part about working with Johny Flash Productions is that John and his team truly care about their work and they were unwilling to settle on anything less than perfect. We have already had a significant influx of home remodeling leads and they are far more qualified! We highly recommend Johny Flash Productions!
We had a phenomenal experience working with the Johnny Flash Productions team for our new website, SEO, and logo. We are excited and unequivocally satisfied with the results. Our website has received numerous positive reviews from our clients, associates, and friends. And their SEO services have already brought us new clients who found us online.
Johnny Flash Productions, is an Internet Marketing Industry Expert. I've had the pleasure of interacting with him in a Marketing Mastermind group, and as an industry person, I can say with confidence that John knows his stuff. He's an Expert's expert. His processes are solid, and he knows how to solve problems, and drive leads to your business. He's the real deal.
We love working with Johnny Flash! Their team is always helpful, prompt, and makes the process of everything we're doing a lot easier. From designs to social media, and their support team are all amazing! Thank you!
Excellent WordPress Web Designer, we are so lucky to have them design our website we were very satisfied with the results!
In a matter of weeks, the Johnny Flash team was able to help Care With Love immensely with ideas as well as practical implementations regarding our website and marketing plans. Their team is professional, responsive, and exemplify great customer service. Well done Johnny Flash Team!
We are truly grateful for our time working with John and his team. They were able to manage a full redesign within a relatively tight timeline and delivered an impressive site that also worked well through mobile devices as well.
They kept us on schedule as well and were a pleasure to work with. The team continues to be incredibly responsive following the initial launch.
Johnny Flash Productions gets results building stand-out websites that are optimized for success! Their team of professionals worked quickly to get to know my business and developed a plan of action. Their designers developed an amazing design that exceeded our expectations. If your organization or business is looking to build or improve your presence online.
I highly recommend Johnny Flash Productions!
John's proficiency inspires me!
We were so grateful to have found Johnny Flash Productions to help us with our marketing needs. Their work was above and beyond what we expected. The staff are very competent and great to work with. Excellent results!
Johnny Flash Productions helped breathe new life into Immanuel’s online presence with their wonderful redesign of our website. Aside from their consummate professionalism, flexibility and keen attention to detail, they were an absolute pleasure to work with.
It had to be a daunting task to be presented with the enormous number of expectations , hopes and ideas generated from our church’s website committee throughout the course of the website re-design, but if anything, Johnny Flash's resulting work exceeded all expectations.
I’m sure I can speak for all of us on the committee when saying that we’d heartily recommend Johnny Flash to any church or organization in need of a skilled, knowledgeable, easy-to-work with design company.
Was a pleasure to work with Johnny Flash Productions to walk through the full life cycle of a complete redesign of several of our ministries websites. Working with people who are experts caused us to think outside the box in how we really tell our story through our website.
The entire team was great to work with and the value has been incredible! God is good!
Johnny Flash Productions is a company that truly cares about their clients, this is obvious by not only their work ethic but they also the way they put their heart into every project they complete.
Johnny Flash Productions was a pleasure to work with, we look forward to working with them again in the future.
We have been very pleased with our website design experience with Johnny Flash. We appreciated how their structured process enabled our website team to prioritize our goals for the project and develop a final product customized to meet our individual needs.
I would like to thank Johnny Flash Productions for there great service my company has been able to get to get to the top of Google searches in half the time most companies take. I am now receiving 3 to 5 viable leads a day that all lead to service work for my company. And I can not thank them enough for all of there support with my site and maintaining it for me.
We couldn’t be happier with our experience working with Jhonny Flash Productions! From the very beginning, the team demonstrated professionalism, creativity, and an impressive attention to detail. They completely transformed our web presence, building a stunning, user-friendly website that truly reflects our brand and values. Special thanks to John, the owner, for setting the tone with his visionary leadership, and to Cassie, our incredible project manager, who kept everything running smoothly from start to finish. Her communication was top-notch, deadlines were met without stress, and she always made us feel like a top priority. On top of the amazing site, their ongoing SEO support has been a game-changer for our business—bringing in more visibility, higher rankings, and measurable results. If you're looking for a web and marketing team that delivers exceptional quality and cares deeply about your success, Johnny Flash Productions is the one. Highly recommended!
John has been managing my website SEO and Google Ads for only a few months now and his services have already generated profitable leads. I can’t say enough about his company’s professionalism, promptness and results oriented approach. Hiring his company has been an excellent business decision!!
We began collaborating with Johnny Flash Productions in January 2023 with the primary goal of optimizing our SEO and achieving visibility on Google's first page. During our initial meeting, John provided thorough explanations and informed us that it could take up to six months to see results. Fast forward, and our company consistently appears on the first page of Google.
Joan is the breadwinner for her big family despite her husband not having a stable job. She cares for two elderly women, two young relatives who have lost their families, and five children who are students. We gave her money to help and she expressed her gratitude.
We met a wonderful woman who juggles several jobs while trying to take care of her two children, one of which has cerebral palsy and the other polio. We gave funds to help with medication as well as food. She couldn’t have been more thankful!
We had a great experience working with Joli and the team at Johnny Flash. Their whole process was very helpful to shaping and sharing our website message.
John is a good teacher. It's hard to find someone like him that has the knowledge and is able to impart what he knows.
We've worked with John and his team for several years on multiple projects. They deliver great work on time, on budget and with solid ongoing support. We highly recommend Johnny Flash Productions!
I cannot begin to speak highly enough of Johnny Flash Productions. I was first alerted to their company by doing a Google search & found only one company around with so many 5-star reviews, so was curious if they could all be real. I found through working with John & Eowyn & the Johnny Flash team that we were able to collaborate to create the perfect website for our organization.
