Our conversation about the exhibition kicked off with a unique exercise. We unrolled a long sheet of paper and began jotting down our thoughts. It was a refreshing way to encourage us to openly share our impressions of the entire exhibition. Andreas threw in a challenge, suggesting that I express something nihilistic in my thoughts.
But I couldn't help but be authentic. In all honesty, I didn't quite enjoy the exhibition. It seemed to be heavily saturated with AI, to the extent that it made me question if this was the new face of design. The overwhelming presence of artificial intelligence left me pondering whether AI had become the central theme in the world of design.
It was fascinating to observe how many individuals identified and honed in on similar themes and ideas. The shared recognition of these common threads underscored the resonance of these concepts within the exhibition. It emphasized the power of the exhibition to evoke similar thoughts and emotions in its diverse audience, creating a shared understanding and appreciation for these themes. This collective response added a layer of depth and significance to the entire experience, highlighting the universality of certain ideas and their impact on the viewers.
It might sound a bit hypocritical, but I decided to turn to Midjourney for image generation for the suggested storybook. The exhibition had been a valuable teacher, making me realize that resisting a trend just for the sake of it wasn't necessarily productive. Trends become trends for a reason; there's often something significant to learn from them.
So, instead of stubbornly going against the flow, I chose to embrace the use of AI-generated images. After all, if it's a trend, there must be a good reason behind it. It was time to explore, learn, and discover what all the buzz was about. This shift in perspective opened the door to a world of possibilities and creative opportunities that I was eager to explore in my upcoming project.
Before even thinking about the text prompts, I drafted the 'story' I wanted to produce first. Since I am now aware that I work better after being able to express my idea in words, this was the route I chose to craft the story. As mentioned earlier, my image generator of choice was Midjourney. (I paid $10 for it too...)
To at least maintain some form of consistency in the images, I made sure to include 'anime style' at the end of every text prompt. Other than that, I specified who I wanted in the frame, lighting and action. This allowed me to choose from various generations.
a man in white shirt and shorts, playing video games in front of his desktop computer, wearing headphones and laughing, japanese anime style
a man in white shirt and shorts, playing video games in front of his desktop computer, wearing headphones and laughing, japanese anime style
a man in white shirt and shorts, playing video games in front of his desktop computer, wearing headphones and laughing, japanese anime style
For my storybook project, I decided to craft a narrative that delved into the mundane and repetitive existence of a working individual. It was a story that painted the monotonous routines and scenes of a typical working man's life. Each day seemed to mirror the last, with a predictable and, frankly, boring pattern.
But as the story unfolded, something remarkable began to happen. The protagonist, trapped in this cycle of monotony, started to discover small moments of significance. These moments brought a glimmer of meaning to his life. They were like hidden gems in the midst of the ordinary.
As the narrative progressed, these meaningful scenes started to gain prominence. They began to overshadow the once-dominant meaningless routines. The story became a journey of transformation, illustrating how even in the most mundane of lives, moments of purpose and fulfillment can emerge, gradually overshadowing the banality of the everyday.
This narrative was not just a story; it was a reflection of the human experience, where meaning can be found in unexpected places, even within the confines of routine and repetition.