It seems like only yesterday that we were closing out 2022 and artificial intelligence use in the creative arts sphere was blasting off in popularity. With it came a variety of mixed emotions, fears and celebrations for all that it has to offer. Now that we are sitting a mere 18-months out from the A.I. claims to fame, a lot of print industry crafters are facing the same question – is using A.I. helping or hindering my business?
Artificial Intelligence is a broad term for computers that utilize complex algorithms to attempt to mimic human results. If you’ve ever seen a sci-fi movie centered around A.I. then you have seen the seemingly-unrealistic outcomes where A.I. takes over the world and dulls down humanity in the process. While what we face in the present isn’t quite that catastrophic, we are still seeing pros and cons to the usage of A.I. in our modern world. One thing we have learned from history is that as humans, we are in a constant state of finding balance between advancement and the wants, needs and desires of the human experience. For every positive, there will be negatives, and we must critically think about how we reach the middle ground that is best relevant to the individual.
As we turn the page on 2024, it’s time to take a hard look at our use of A.I. in the sublimation and heat transfer industry – for better or for worse.
A.I. IMPLENTATION
Artificial intelligence is being used in multiple ways across the apparel decoration industry with the two primaries being artwork generation and marketing.
We start by asking the question of “Why?” – Why are crafters choosing to use A.I. for their business?
A.I. helps streamline the workload that is involved in the print industry business. Not only can you create artwork from an idea but also create artwork rapidly which saves both time and money. Marketing and advertising of handmade products requires a reasonable amount of effort in market research. Market research can be grueling and requires a broad spectrum lens of what influences buyer decisions. Like many business owners, big and small, the nuances of getting a product sold on repeat is best left to someone who is an expert in analyzing consumer metrics.
With A.I. we are able to do hours worth of research in a matter of seconds and get a summary of what we need to know based on an infinite number of resources that are in existence. For crafters this can give them information such as marketing trends, price points by demographic, keywords for content and product descriptions, caption writing and social media or other marketing ideas.
In many ways, A.I. offers a lot of solutions to tasks that small businesses cannot afford to hire out and cannot manage themselves on top of everything else. Utilizing A.I. in the sublimation and heat transfer industry serves the purpose of creating options while filling the need for convenience. On the surface this seems overwhelmingly positive and attractive, but the single most important metric to success in all areas of life is missing – authentic human connection.
MAKER BUSINESSES V. OVERCOMSUMPTION
There is a belief in the apparel and accessory decoration industry that more options is the best path for success. It seems logical, in theory, that if you’re offering something for everyone then you are in a position to make money from anyone. For a while, this was reasonably lucrative because the skills and talents of makers wasn’t being replicated in mass production spaces. The decade in which Silhouette and Cricut crafting started to explode was one that was also creating a new set of standards for how we live – and the start of the overconsumption trend. Curated and personalized items for all parts of life that were only available for a premium price became more accessible at the hands of makers which unlocked the possibility for more consumer spending. The implementation of social media also meant that the sky was the limit in terms of ideas someone might have and want to execute.
Whether we are talking about a stockpile of graphic t-shirts, personalized drinkware, party accessories, memorial items – or anything in between; items that used to be reserved for special budgets have become the status quo. The desire to have the next popular item or multiples of one specific item made it possible for print industry crafters to capitalize on demand fairly easily.
Unfortunately, as all good things do come to an end – so has the era of printing anything for anyone. Since 2022, we have seen a rapid decline in the popularity of being able to print just “any” handmade item. The decline in sales has driven makers in our industry to leap into the arms of A.I. with all of its hopes, dreams and artificial promises. The hiccup? Overconsumption is the enemy of handmade items. Just as we are seeing today, historically, manufacturing continues to latch onto anything that gains popularity and mass produce it at the lowest price possible. Relying on A.I. for your business creates the ultimate fatal flaw: lack of originality in products and messaging. This leads to higher competition and a general lack of customer loyalty. Branding and marketing are the tools we use to create loyalty and separate from the competition but both require two things: original products and messaging, and authentic human connection.
Are you starting to see the problem?
NAVIGATING THE GOOD AND BAD OF A.I.
It is important that we focus on co-existing with technological advancements instead of competing with them or allowing them to replace our own talents. As we continue to be a more self-aware society, we see pushback at inauthentic experiences and low-quality products. We will always see ebbs and flows in what is popular, trending, or profitable alongside cheap customers, but as I always emphasize – trends don’t last; good businesses do.
A.I. has the potential to reduce the work of your business but it requires you to have a solid business structure and understand where the “you” should filter into your craft. As we have been discussing for the last two years, this starts by having a niche and target customer. From there, we can strategically leverage A.I. in a few different ways:
Compound Artwork: Fully A.I. created designs are easy to detect and give the “discount store” vibe more than many makers realize. Some items – like tumblers – fair better than others with fully A.I. designs. For most items, however, the best use of A.I. is going to be in creating compound artwork. This means using high quality A.I. clipart or elements within a larger design.
Artwork Inspiration: The types of artwork creation that A.I. is replacing is that which is largely inauthentic. For example, A.I. is replacing certain simplistic graphic design styles and more complex but similar graphic design such as that used in video games or patterned fabric. Essentially anything that is easily mass-produced or duplicatable. As a maker, you give your products an advantage by using A.I. to help generate inspiration graphics that you then work from to create your own original elements in programs like Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. Even though it does take longer to create your own artwork, you have the advantage of having something unique without concerns of violating intellectual property or artistic styles which is two issues with A.I. generated art.
Marketing Ideas: A.I. on platforms like ChatGPT can be a great tool for generating ideas that align with the kind of marketing your products need to reach your target customer. The most exhausting part of creating a content strategy for your craft business is deciphering what is actually relevant to your audience. Market research is multi-sided but A.I. can help put a dent in what you need to know to make strategic decisions in this space.
Product Development: Within any niche, there can be many different products and themes. One obstacle makers face is the endless question of “will this item actually sell”. By using artificial intelligence you can generate a product development guide complete with aesthetic recommendations and adjacent products as it relates to your target customer and business. With that guide, you can source designs that align with your desired themes and aesthetics from original creators or make your own.
Content Framework: In addition to using A.I. to help with content ideas for social media and other marketing, it can also be used to give you captions and loose ideas. It can be tempting to simply copy and paste the results that you get with this usage but marketing is best when it has the HUMAN integrated. Instead of using A.I. to create your content, captions and more – use it as a guideline. Rewrite captions in your own lingo and brand voice. Expand the content ideas to align best with your brand messaging and your target customer. Cross check SEO keywords and hashtags for validity.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Using A.I. might be hurting your business more than you think – especially if you’re using it in place of your own unique talent and skills. If you haven’t caught on yet, the apparel and accessory decoration industry is in a state of major disruption as a result of A.I., overconsumption and mass production. A lot of makers have felt discouraged by this and plummeting sales over the last 24 months. The good news is, and I cannot stress this enough, that doesn’t have to be your story.
For many of you, if you want to truly thrive then it is time to reassess, restructure and refocus your business. The equipment and capabilities of the apparel and accessory decoration industry create endless possibilities for what you can print, press and profit. Exit the rat-race of chasing trends, lowering your prices and fighting for customers. Stop over-using A.I. in ways that subtract the human touch from your products and business. Start using the tools and resources as leverage to build a business that is authentically “you” and gets you excited every day.
Take your business to new heights with everything we have to offer in the Sub That Learning Library App, today!