Transparency and clarity are critical factors for anyone us AI tools within their creative process.

First and foremost, this project is about the creative reimagination of masks as a creative canvas and symbol in expressing our unique individuality, brought to life through captivating lifelike imagery, captured and presented through beautiful and elegant designs across a series of physical products. AI tools, as well as other professional creative tools, were leveraged in the generation, retouching, editing, reformatting, color correction and layout of images and their incorporation into the designs of the various products that enable the original creative vision to come to life. 

To achieve the desired outcome and impact, AI used in this project would be as necessary as a piano, printing press, camera, CNC or injection mold machine used within their respective disciplines and areas of use elsewhere. They are a necessary step to the end product.

The evolution and rapid advancement of AI continues to roll forth in both exciting, and concerning ways, depending on its use. In many instances, it’s ‘shiny object-ness’ of the moment steals more credit than it even deserves, despite the impressive results. It’s ability to simply visualize people and objects at a realistic level does not make it automatically “creative”. AI is simply a tool. One that individuals can use in a creative way to use and apply to bring their ideas to life.

And while AI tools were used to bring FAICEMASQ to life, it’s important to highlight that I didn’t just push a button and it all came to life magically. It took over 3 years, not 3 hours. An enormous amount of time was put into the exploration and development of image generation, but also all the areas that AI tools were not used that are worth listing:

  • I came up with the original idea of masks as a theme, stemming from my own experiences from wearing masks during the pandemic to reframe a negative association into a positive, creative one. Not AI.

  • I thought of the 100+ thematic concepts and ideas showcased in the book. Not AI.

  • I came up with the concept names that have their own fun (at least what I think are fun) titles or names that incorporate creative wordplay. Not AI.

  • I wrote the prompts — and constantly rewrote, modified and adjusted them for all the images generated to achieve an aesthetic quality and style that matched the intention and quality of my original vision. Not AI. (Additionally, I intentionally didn't use or include any artists names in those prompts. I may be influenced from the style of various artists, but I don’t ask AI to replicate what they’ve worked they’re entire career to create and own.)

  • I curated the images that required a particular creative sensibility to evaluate over 30,000 originally generated images from which only a fraction was selected and used within the collection. Not AI.

  • I adjusted the images which required manual adjustments to retouch, edit, color correct and modify almost all of the generated images selected in order to create a cohesive sense across the collection, within their respective creative theme, as well as their placement and position within the layouts on their respective pages. Not AI.

  • I came up with the products that are offered here, including the books, posters, and playing cards. Not AI.

  • I designed each product that I felt showcased the images in a simple, elegant format across the books, using a variable grid that allowed a sense of consistency while giving each design the ability to flex and present images in different ways. Not AI.

Of course the fidelity of the images within this collection would not have been possible without AI. That’s what makes it so innovative and revolutionary. But it’s simply a tool in the hands of those who wield it in bringing an idea to life. And that idea, and the creators ability to imagine that final product at the beginning, is still what’s most important.