Why AI Can’t Replace a Brand Guardian
(And why that’s a good thing for your business… and mine)
Not too long ago, I watched AI whip up a logo, a brand palette, a voice guide, and a dozen social captions… in an incredibly short period of time.
It was impressive. Fast. Polished. A little unnerving. Because if a few clicks can create all that, where does that leave brand guardians like me?
I started asking the strategic, future-facing questions:
- What does the future of branding and graphic design actually look like now?
- Where are the opportunities for my business, and more importantly, for my clients?
- How can I stay ahead of the curve, without becoming a machine myself?
- And how do I communicate the real value of what I offer in a world where “design” can be typed into a box and spat back in seconds?
Because the industry is shifting. What used to take days now takes minutes. And while that’s a bit confronting, it also offers clarity — a sharper look at what can’t be automated.
So I started there, not with what I do, but with what I protect.
AI doesn’t guard anything.
It builds. It replicates. It follows the rules and prompts its given.
But it doesn’t know when the rules need to bend to serve the bigger picture.
A brand guardian doesn’t just make things look good, we protect the meaning behind them. We notice when messaging starts to drift, when colours no longer feel aligned, when branded assets aren’t consistent.
I work with a leadership coach who’s shifted from 1:1 mentoring of micro businesses to running group programs for large corporates. Over 10 years, we’ve slowly evolved her branding each step of the way. My guardianship is always giving her credibility. Her brand is always clear, consistent and aligned for the next chapter. AI doesn’t sense when your business has evolved and your identity hasn’t caught up. And it definitely doesn’t know that the image it picked for your homepage feels… off, somehow.
I do see an opportunity here, to use AI as a starting point – for speed and structure – and human brand guidance for substance, soul and protection. The future isn’t a fork in the road between humans and AI – it’s a weaving of both. The brand guardians, graphic designers or any creatives that continue to succeed will be the ones that use AI and human strategy in tandem.
(Having said that…I will still enjoy going home, dipping a real brush into real paint, and spending an afternoon hand-painting a wall mural in my hallway. No algorithm involved. Just me and a bit of mess.)
If you’re wondering what you’re really paying for in this new AI age – remember it’s not just design. It’s discernment. It’s context. It’s guardianship
Yes — I will be using AI. I’m not waving a pitchfork at the future. And, I’m also not handing it the keys to your branding.
If you’ve been tweaking templates, rewriting bios, or second-guessing your logo for weeks… that’s not being picky. It’s a sign you care about your reputation. That your brand doesn’t feel like you and the way you want to show up.
And no, you don’t have to figure it all out alone. That’s exactly what I’m here for.