Week 6 | 04/11/2024 | ‘FROM PRODUCT PERSONALISATION TO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, BEAUTY BRANDS ARE USING AI TO SUPERCHARGE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION’
Initial thoughts and first impressions
My first initial thoughts and impressions are that the article is based upon AI and how it’s fastly approaching the world of cosmetics as well as it being “used to skyrocket businesses,” Lombardo (2023). It makes us wonder where the creativity of our own minds has gone. You cannot call something ‘your’ business if AI is using sources from the web to create those ideas for you, they must have already been done before, which means the idea is not original. Where has the honor and execution of creating something that you can whole heartedly call your own? Many business owners are proud of their creations and what their imagination is capable of, creating successful, innovative businesses around the globe. However, using AI will teach the future generations that this type of learning and creating is a more efficient, clever way of doing things, when this is certainly not the case. All imagination and creativity will be lost if people are taught from a young age to use AI for their ideas and creations, as a creative myself this is upsetting to think that the future generations of creativity may disappear in the realm of technology.
‘For brands that don’t exist, well, AI can help you decide what you’ll become. For founders and creators, these tools have essentially bulldozed barriers to entry (like technical expertise and capital requirements), ushering in a new era of possibility,’ Lombardo (2023). Founders and creators? How can someone take the title of a founder or creator if AI is producing prompts with multiply sourced information from the web, which is creating their brand and business based of other business owner ideas? ‘Just imagine the vast realm of possibilities’. I agree that the realm of possibilities is a positive and can help many business across the world develop at a much faster pace but what if someone has the same ideas and AI gives the same prompts. Nothing is going to be unique and no one can call their idea their own?
However, AI does have its beneficial properties, using algorithms to enhance and support businesses using consumer needs. AI can be used for product concepts and creating new creative ideas and campaigns. So for using skin care and diverse skin shades, to support unique, desired and perfected outcomes, which are prefered by consumers.
Group Discussion
The group discussion consisted of myself and peers agreeing that AI is not a full form or learning or educating ourselves. One of my peers mentioned about feeling worried about what impact this will have on us as makeup artists and our roles within the future. It’s a useful tool that could be helpful for quick, instant idea however, there is no socialisation. This means that collaboration will be missed, which is a huge part of creating original ideas within our industry. One of my peers stated that she thinks AI is not always a bad thing, she stated that a family member of hers is not apart of the creative community and is more a mathematical genius, stating that she has always had to help with his creative flare. Therefore, AI could make him feel more independent when wanting to create art. I can agree with this, there are some pros and cons to AI, the pros being: sparking the imagination, taking inspiration or asking for advice. Whereas, I do think there are more cons. Them being: anti-social behaviour, loss of imagination and creativity, no more problem solving skills, no new unique ideas, etc. Rachel mentioned about the awareness of legislations taking place at university’s and how students are now using AI to write essays. Again I myself don’t understand how someone can spend all their time, effort and money on a course but they are not willing to learn? The reason we attend university is to education ourselves and using AI will not give us the knowledge we need to be successful in our careers.
Have you used any AI apps related to beauty? Experience?
I have used AI apps such as ‘AI Fantasy’ to imagine what I would look like with specific features or hair colours, and also turned myself into different characters by being influenced of social media to do so. My experience has not always been correct / accurate when experimenting with AI apps, however it is interesting to change hair colours, face shapes and eye colour to see how you could potentially look before applying any hair dyes, etc.
Intellectual property – copyright law, needs human creation to establish
Authorship, who owns it?
The issue with using AI is who does own it? AI uses multiple different resources to gather information to create one more or less unique idea. However, how and who has AI sourced this reach and information from? The issue with students using AI is how could we ever reference any of this information?
Is it a tool as a starting point?
AI could be a beneficial starting point… Like writers getting writers block, we can also get a creativity block. Using AI as a base to work from is a good idea if you do not have all the time in the world to sit and think about ideas. I personally tend to overthink ideas, leading to procrastination and not doing anything at all. I think for me personally if I was struggling to get started on something, then using AI as a push to get started could be beneficial in ways.
Will you use it?
I can’t imagine what I could possibly want to use AI for unless it was to spark my imagination and be the very first step of designing concepts. I think being the creative industry we should all want to be able to fight against artificial intelligence when it comes to thinking for us. This is no way to learn and it also kind of defeats the object of being within the creative industry, we call ourselves ‘creatives’ but if this was the way we achieved our ideas then it would all be fake.
We inputted the prompt to chat gpt to produce copy. Then inputted it into an AI image
generator (midjourney/craiyon). Compared results.
“create an editorial makeup campaign image with blue spotlights. the makeup should
include winged eyeliner, pigment, a nude lip, and orange hair. Include an image of
blusher in it”
This then produced different results for us all. Use this copy and input it into an AI image generator such a MidJourney. This is another one Craiyon - Your FREE AI image generator tool: Create AI art! (Duffy, 2024)
After inputting this prompt into Chat GPT we each got similar but different promtes. These were my results:
‘I can't create images directly, but I can help you visualise your editorial makeup campaign! Here’s a detailed description of how you can set it up:’
Campaign Concept:
Background: Use a dark backdrop to contrast with the blue spotlights. Position the lights to create dramatic shadows and highlights.
Model: Choose a model with striking features. Style their hair in vibrant orange, with loose waves or a sleek updo to keep the focus on the makeup.
Makeup:
Eyes: Bold winged liner that extends outward, creating an edgy yet elegant look. Use shimmering pigment on the eyelids, perhaps a metallic blue or silver, to tie in with the blue spotlights.
Lips: Opt for a soft nude lip, using a creamy lipstick or gloss for a fresh, modern finish.
Blusher: Include a striking blusher in the image, perhaps a peachy or coral shade, applying it on the model’s cheeks to give a healthy glow. You might place the blusher in a visually appealing way, like propped against a backdrop or held by the model.
Lighting: Make sure the blue spotlights illuminate the model from above, enhancing the makeup's shine and making the colors pop.
Final Touch: Consider adding a subtle shine or highlight to the model's cheekbones to complement the blusher and draw attention to the face.
‘This description should help you create a visually stunning campaign image! If you need any more specific ideas or details, feel free to ask.’ Craiyon - Your FREE AI image generator tool: Create AI art!
Did it produce what you envisioned? Importance of human input?
The app resulted in these images:
When I imagined a blue spotlight, this is very similar to what I had originally had in mind, however this is not 100% accurate. The important of human input is crucial when creating something specific, the vision we have in our minds will never be able to be repeated by inputting our thoughts into a prompt. The more we explain what we want and the more detail we provide the closer the AI outcome will be, although, a computer can not predict what is in our imagination.