AI-Enhanced Workflows

Overview


Description

Utilizing skills that I recently obtained through the Pratt Institute's Certificate Course in AI Design, I have been experimenting with a series of AI-based design tools to create more dynamic visual content for a series of fictitous Upstate New York-themed small business brands that I developed. In addition, I also created tourism campaigns using AI-based tools for Lake Placid and the Adirondack High Peaks region, as well as Saratoga County.

AI-generated brand stories were also utilized in two of the examples (Beekman Cold Brews and Hudson Pointe Brewhouse) to create narratives for a group of fictitous personas that represent the targeted demographic profiles for each brand. This is a concept that I learned about in one of the sessions of the Pratt course that is now being used in many major New York City advertising agencies.

Goals

Explore the current capabilities of a wide variety of AI tools for enhancing existing logos, slogans and brand identities to create visual prototypes for full, integrated social media marketing campaigns, as well as packaging design assets for boutique food and beverage brands.

Design Assets


Beekman Cold Brews (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Packaging design assets and social media prototypes for a fictitious indie coffee shop located on the Beekman Street Arts District in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Place-based theming was used in some of the assets by incorporating local Saratoga landmarks such as the Adelphi Hotel and the geysers at Spa State Park, as image backdrops (rendered from my own photography).

Packaging designs for 'Beekman Cold Brews'
Packaging designs for 'Beekman Cold Brews'
Social media graphic for 'Beekman Cold Brews'
Social media graphic for 'Beekman Cold Brews'

Birch & Glen Wellness Spa (Glens Falls, New York)

Social media prototypes for a fictitous wellness spa and facial treatment center located in downtown Glens Falls, New York.

Social media graphic for 'Birch & Glen Wellness Spa'
Social media graphic for 'Birch & Glen Wellness Spa'
Social media graphics for 'Birch & Glen Wellness Spa'

Brant Lake Paddle Tours (Brant Lake/Horicon, New York)

Social media prototypes for a fictitous paddle tour business located on Brant Lake, New York.

Social media graphic for 'Brant Lake Paddle Tours'
Social media graphic for 'Brant Lake Paddle Tours'
Social media graphic for 'Brant Lake Paddle Tours'
Social media graphic for 'Brant Lake Paddle Tours'

Camp Caldwell (Lake George, New York)

Social media prototypes for a fictitous bespoke summer camp-themed resort located on Lake George, New York. Generative AI was used to modify the original logo that I created with an illustrated camp-style mark.

Original logo for 'Camp Caldwell'

(Orginal, manually created logo)

Logo, modified by AI for 'Camp Caldwell'

(Modified logos using generative AI)

Social media graphic for 'Camp Caldwell'
Social media graphic for 'Camp Caldwell'
Style tile for 'Camp Caldwell'
A style tile representing the identity of Camp Caldwell with my original, manually created logo in Adobe Illustrator along with a color palette and typefaces that were all custom selected. The brand identity which I developed was used as the visual foundation for generative AI-based tools to create dozens of promotional graphics based on this theme.

Hudson Pointe Brewhouse (Queensbury, New York)

Packaging design assets and social media prototypes for a fictitous craft brewery and restaurant located in the southeastern Adirondacks.

Place-based branding was used throughout the project with the names of many major local landmarks throughout Northern Saratoga and Southern Warren Counties being selected to market the brewery's extensive collection of taps and ales (ie. "Pilot Knob Pilsner", "Assembly Point Amber", "Hadley Summit Hazy IPA", "Spier Falls Sason", "Palmertown Porter", "Grant Mountain Marzen")

Packaging design for 'Hudson Pointe Brewhouse'
Packaging design for 'Hudson Pointe Brewhouse'
Social media graphic for 'Hudson Pointe Brewhouse'
Social media graphic for 'Hudson Pointe Brewhouse'
Social media graphics for 'Hudson Pointe Brewhouse'

McCaffrey & Brown LLP (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Social media prototypes for a fictitous small legal firm located in downtown Saratoga Springs, New York.

Social media graphic for 'McCaffrey & Brown'
Social media graphic for 'McCaffrey & Brown'

Shushan Sugar Shack (Washington County, New York)

Packaging design assets and social media prototypes for a maple sugar farm located in Washington County (Shushan), New York. Generative AI was used to create a modified version of the original logo that I created with an illustration of a sugar shack building.

Original logo for 'Shushan Sugar Shack'

(Orginal, manually created logo)

Logo, modified by AI for 'Shushan Sugar Shack'

(Modified logo using generative AI)

Social media graphic for 'Shushan Sugar Shack'
Social media graphic for 'Shushan Sugar Shack'
Packaging design for 'Shushan Sugar Shack'
Packaging design for 'Shushan Sugar Shack'
Style tile for 'Shushan Sugar Shack'
A style tile representing the identity of Shushan Sugar Shack with my original, manually created logo in Adobe Illustrator along with a color palette and typefaces that were all custom selected. The brand identity which I developed was used as the visual foundation for generative AI-based tools to create dozens of promotional graphics based on this theme.

Lake Placid, New York Tourism Campaign

A series of social media prototypes was designed for a fictitous tourism campaign promoting Lake Placid and the Adirondack High Peaks region, including Keene, Keene Valley, Wilmington and Jay. All of the imagery in the graphics was rendered from my own collection of photographs that were taken throughout the Adirondack High Peaks region over the past decade. The logos in the examples below were all manually created in Adobe Illustrator.

Social media graphic for Lake Placid Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Lake Placid Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Lake Placid Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Lake Placid Tourism Campaign

Generative AI-based tools can also be used to quickly create new variations of existing graphics. In the examples below, I created an entire series of High Peaks-themed illustrations that were based on the theme of my original, manually created vector graphic of the Lake Placid Ski Jumps that I designed in Adobe Illustrator.

In essence, one unique, well refined human created piece of art can now serve as a master template for establishing a visual identity that will be used to automatically generate dozens of other variations.

Original manually created Lake Placid vector graphic

(Orginal, manually created vector graphic)

AI variation of Lake Placid vector graphic

(AI variation based on the style of my original graphic)

AI variation of Lake Placid vector graphic

(AI variation based on the style of my original graphic)

AI variation of Lake Placid vector graphic

(AI variation based on the style of my original graphic)

AI variation of Lake Placid vector graphic

(AI variation based on the style of my original graphic)

AI variation of Lake Placid vector graphic

(AI variation based on the style of my original graphic)

Saratoga County, New York Tourism Campaign

A series of social media prototypes was designed for a fictitous tourism campaign promoting Saratoga County, New York, including downtown Saratoga, the Saratoga Race Course, Congress Park, Saratoga Spa State Park, the Saratoga National Battlefield and Battle Monument, as well as Moreau Lake State Park, Saratoga Lake and Great Sacandaga Lake. The first graphic ("Explore Saratoga County") contains a collage of renditions of my own photography. All of the imagery in the other graphics is my own unaltered photography of the Saratoga Springs area.

Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign
Social media graphic for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign

All photography (c) Colin Neal. May not be resued without permission.

The AI-based examples above were designed to replicate the aesthetic style of a mockup newspaper ad that I manually created in QuarkXPress.

Newspaper ad for Saratoga County Tourism Campaign

All photography (c) Colin Neal. May not be resued without permission.

Brand Stories


In one the sessions of the Pratt course, a lecturer explained how until recently AI was only used to create tangibles, assets and deliverables. Now, they explained that many advertising agencies are using AI-based tools to develop brand stories and full brand experiences.

AI-generated brand stories were developed in two of the examples, Beekman Cold Brews and Hudson Pointe Brewhouse, in order to create distinct narratives for each of the core demographic segments being targeted by each brand. According to an article from Harvard Business School,"Customers connect with brands not only for their products but for the values they represent. In today’s fast-paced market, where countless companies are vying to capture consumers’ short attention spans, purchasing decisions often come down to a brand’s story."

Beekman Cold Brews (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Master Brand Position

Beekman Cold Brews is Saratoga’s Arts District coffeehouse—a place where carefully made cold brew, local creativity and neighborhood life come together. Just beyond Broadway, Beekman gives people somewhere to work, meet, discover, create and stay awhile. Come for the coffee. Leave feeling a little more connected to Saratoga’s creative side.

College Student

College can feel like living between places: the dorm is distracting, the library is serious, and downtown can feel built for somebody else. Beekman Cold Brews gives students a place to land in Saratoga’s Arts District—a neighborhood coffeehouse where a cold brew can turn into an afternoon of studying, discovering local art, or meeting someone with a new idea. Grab a drink, find a corner, stay for an open mic or artist pop-up, and become part of the neighborhood. Beekman isn’t trying to be another campus café. It’s the off-campus creative clubhouse where Saratoga students can work, connect, and feel like regulars.

Remote Worker

Working from home offers freedom until the same four walls start shrinking. Beekman Cold Brews gives remote workers a change of scene without the formality of a coworking membership. Settle in with reliable Wi-Fi and a carefully made cold brew, get through the morning’s work, then step into the creative energy of Beekman Street. Meet a client, take a break around local art, or stay for an evening event. You don’t need another office. You need a place that helps work feel human again. Beekman is Saratoga’s Arts District workday café: productive enough to focus, social enough to remember you live somewhere interesting.

Young Professional

The workday ends, but going straight home can make every weekday feel the same. Beekman Cold Brews gives Saratoga’s young professionals a neighborhood alternative to the bar, the chain café, and another night scrolling at home. Stop in for a cold brew, meet a friend, discover a local artist, or stay for a small event that actually gives you something to talk about. There is no dress code and no pressure to perform. Beekman is the creative third place of the Arts District—a place to decompress, make connections, and feel plugged into Saratoga beyond Broadway. Your next favorite local ritual can start with one cup.

Coffee Enthusiast

When you care about coffee, “good enough” is easy to find and hard to get excited about. Beekman Cold Brews makes cold coffee the main event, not an afterthought: thoughtfully sourced beans, carefully developed recipes, rotating experiments, and baristas who can explain what changes the flavor in your glass. Taste a house cold brew, compare a seasonal release, and come back to see what is being tested next. The setting matters too—this is coffee made inside Saratoga’s Arts District, surrounded by people who appreciate craft. Beekman’s promise is simple: a creative neighborhood deserves a coffeehouse that treats cold brew as a craft of its own.

Creative Regular

Creative work can be strangely isolating. Beekman Cold Brews gives Saratoga’s artists, designers, writers, musicians, photographers, and curious makers a place where showing up repeatedly can turn strangers into collaborators. Come for coffee; bring a sketchbook, notebook, or laptop; stay for rotating local art, an open mic, a creative meetup, or a conversation you did not plan. You do not have to be “in the scene” to belong. Beekman is the everyday living room of the Arts District: informal, unpretentious, and built around making and sharing things. The goal is not to look creative. It is to give creativity somewhere local to happen.

Tourist

Saratoga visitors already know Broadway, the track, and the grand hotels. Beekman Cold Brews offers a different story to take home. Walk a few blocks into the Arts District, order a house cold brew, browse work by local artists, and experience the city through the neighborhood where people actually make things. A quick coffee stop can become a gallery walk, a conversation, or an unexpected event. Beekman is not designed to imitate the Saratoga everyone has already photographed. It is the doorway into its creative side—a local ritual visitors can discover for themselves and recommend as the place that made their trip feel less like sightseeing and more like finding something.

Hudson Pointe Brewhouse (Queensbury, New York)

Master Brand Position

Hudson Pointe Brewhouse is the Adirondack-inspired brewhouse where craft beer, farm-to-table cuisine and the spirit of the outdoors come together on the Hudson River.

Located near the gateway to the Adirondacks, Hudson Pointe gives locals, travelers and outdoor adventurers a place to slow down after the trail, the slopes or the road. Rustic tables, a glowing fireplace, river views, locally sourced ingredients and small-batch beer create an experience that feels unmistakably connected to Upstate New York.

Hudson Pointe isn’t simply a place to eat or grab a beer. It is where the Adirondack experience continues—around the table, beside the fire and over a pint.

Brand Promise: Crafted for Taste. Rooted in Place.
Emotional Position: Where The Upstate Spirit Comes Alive.
Category Position: The Adirondack Brewhouse Experience.
Outdoor/Adventure Campaign Line: Brewed for the Trail, the Lake & Everything In Between.

Outdoor Adventurer

A day in the Adirondacks shouldn’t end under fluorescent lights at a highway restaurant. After hiking Hudson Pointe, skiing West Mountain or exploring the trails around Moreau Lake, Hudson Pointe Brewhouse gives you a place to settle in beside the fire, grab a craft beer and watch the Hudson River roll past. Rustic timber tables, warm Adirondack-inspired interiors and hearty farm-to-table dishes made with ingredients from regional farms turn the post-adventure meal into part of the experience. Come in with muddy boots and a story worth telling.

Hudson Pointe Brewhouse: The Adirondacks don’t end when you leave the trail.

Craft Beer Enthusiast

Great craft beer should taste like it belongs somewhere. At Hudson Pointe Brewhouse, small-batch beers inspired by the Hudson Valley and Adirondacks are served in a space rooted just as deeply in the region—wood, stone, rustic tables, a glowing fireplace and views overlooking the Hudson River. Pair a seasonal ale with a farm-to-table meal featuring ingredients sourced from growers and producers throughout Upstate New York. Instead of another interchangeable taproom, Hudson Pointe gives every pint a sense of place.

Discover beer crafted for the landscape around you. Crafted for taste. Rooted in place.

Social Gatherer

Some nights call for more than meeting somewhere for a drink. Hudson Pointe Brewhouse gives friends a place to gather around long rustic tables, settle beside the fireplace and watch the evening fall across the Hudson River. Share locally brewed beer, pass around plates made with ingredients from farms throughout the region and trade stories from the trail, the slopes or the week you just survived. It’s relaxed enough for an impromptu round and memorable enough for the occasions that matter.

Hudson Pointe isn’t simply where people meet. It’s where Upstate stories are shared.

Food-Focused Diner

You shouldn’t have to choose between an exceptional meal and an exceptional craft beer. Hudson Pointe Brewhouse treats the kitchen with the same care as the brewhouse, creating seasonal farm-to-table dishes from meats, cheeses, produce and other ingredients sourced from producers throughout the region. Enjoy dinner at a handcrafted rustic table, warmed by the fireplace and overlooking the Hudson River, while choosing a beer brewed to complement what’s on your plate. The result feels less like a typical brewpub and more like a modern Adirondack dining experience.

Locally sourced. Thoughtfully brewed. Distinctly Upstate.

Tourist

The best places you discover while traveling are the ones that immediately tell you where you are. Just off Exit 18, Hudson Pointe Brewhouse offers a first taste—or one last taste—of the Adirondacks before the journey continues. Step inside to rustic wood and stone, a glowing fireplace and views across the Hudson River. Order a locally inspired craft beer and a farm-to-table meal featuring ingredients sourced from Upstate farms and producers. Instead of another familiar roadside stop, experience a place shaped by the landscape you came to explore.

Stop for dinner. Leave with a taste of the Adirondacks.

Reflections


While I am amazed by the current capabilities of generative AI-based models for developing logos, graphics and other visuals, overall, I think that AI is best used as an ideation tool for brainstorming ideas which will ultimately be incorporated into production assets and deliverables. One method that I currently feel is effective is a Hybrid Human-AI Workflow which combines human-led decisions with refinements and enhancements being made by AI-based tools. You can see the successful use of this approach with my "Camp Caldwell" and "Shushan Sugar Shack" logos, as well as the Lake Placid and Saratoga Tourism Campaigns where the visuals were almost entirely built around my own photography.

Another substaintial advantage to using AI within graphic design workflows is that it will allow for a more open, collaborative and egalitarian relationship between the designer and the client. Dozens of logos and visual prototypes now can quickly be developed or modified, which gives the client a much greater role in determining the direction and the outcome of their own project.

Conclusion

After spending countless hours experimenting with numerous generative models, I do not see AI as a replacement for human creativity or critical thinking, but rather as a powerful assistant for enhancing and streamlining graphic design workflows, leading to a dramatic increase in productivity and a more collaborative open relationship between the designer and the client.