Serious question because i got into a heated debate with classmates about this
were working on a branding project and for the mood board phase i used midjourney to generate concept images that captured the vibe i was going for. things like “cozy minimalist café interior, warm wood tones, soft natural light” - used those images alongside real reference photos from pinterest to present my creative direction
one classmate saw my mood board and called it “cheating.” said i was “letting AI do the creative thinking for me.” another classmate said its the same as using pinterest or google images for inspiration and not a big deal at all
heres my take: a mood board isnt a deliverable. its a communication tool. im using it to say “this is the direction i want to go.” the AI images arent in the final project - theyre visual shorthand for a concept that i then execute manually through actual design work
but i can see the other side too. if your mood board is entirely AI-generated, you might be anchoring your creative direction on what midjourney thinks a concept looks like instead of developing your own visual language
the nuance matters tho right? like:
- using AI images as one element of a broader mood board alongside real photography and found references: probably fine?
- generating your ENTIRE mood board with AI: getting sketchy?
- using AI to generate the final visual assets: definitely different territory
where do you draw the line? is this even worth debating or am i overthinking it