AI is changing the design industry - but is it changing it for the better? Here I examine what artificial intelligence can and cannot do in surface pattern design.
May 18, 2023
Note: This post was first written in 2023, when AI image generation was still finding its feet in the design industry. I have updated it slightly in 2026 to reflect how the landscape has changed - and what has stayed stubbornly, reassuringly the same.
Artificial intelligence has moved from hot topic to established presence in the creative world. The debate among artists and designers has shifted too - from whether AI would affect the industry, to how deeply it already has. Some have embraced it as a tool; others remain concerned about what is lost when design is reduced to a prompt and a data processing exercise. After three years of watching this unfold, my position has only become clearer.
In this post I'm looking at the role of AI in surface pattern design - its benefits, its limitations, and what I believe it can never replace.
Undoubtedly the most obvious benefit of AI is its ability to create images incredibly quickly, and therefore cheaply. By referencing existing materials available in the public (and sometimes private) domains, AI creates new images using the given (text or image) prompts as its brief. A company, which is on a tight budget may be tempted to use AI instead of a professional designer, because of cost implications and the speed of production. Considering the billions of reference images available on the web today, there is always the chance of AI coming up with a perfectly usable pattern design for one’s intended purpose. AI can also be used as a tool for creative problem solving, or for a concept exploration, to save time in terms of the final project, although this is far less useful for pattern design than for some other creative industries, such as photography and game design.
There are several drawbacks with AI on surface pattern design. Here are a few points to consider.
Due to unclear legislation, it can be difficult to establish a copyright ownership for an AI image. As the pattern design is referenced from various sources, it is difficult to claim full ownership of an image, when it hasn’t been created from scratch by one person. Many companies, who buy and licence pattern designs, want their legal bases covered when printing and selling their products to the public, and currently AI is in the grey area in regards to copyright. Having said that, I am certain that some companies and countries that are already ignoring copyright, won’t have a problem in utilising AI generated images for their financial gain. To them, if it makes financial sense, it will make sense. A pattern produced by AI from a copyrighted image (which can be used with some paid services) can violate the copyright terms of the original creator, and it is important that any use (reference or otherwise) will need to be cleared by the copyright owner - and properly compensated for. This is why more clarity and robust legislation is needed, if AI is to be used for commercial purposes in the industry in future.
When this post was first written in 2023, AI pattern tools were producing results that were often technically poor - broken repeats, merged motifs, limited colour control. That has improved. However, the core challenge remains: AI pattern generation still relies on prompts rather than genuine understanding of what a design needs to carry. Here are a few examples I generated in 2023 using PatternAI, which illustrate the technical limitations of that time.
Note: AI image quality has improved considerably since these examples were generated in 2023. However the fundamental issues around seamless repeats, layering, and precise colour control in pattern design remain significant challenges for AI tools.
In comparison, here is one of my own hand-drawn pattern designs - Sea shells. Every motif is individually drawn, layered, and precisely composed, with full control over colour, detail, and placement throughout the process. It is infinitely scalable, with multiple colour ways that can be altered and applied to multiple surfaces and applications.
Perhaps one of the biggest problems for me personally about AI patterns is that the production completely dismisses the collaborative element of design. When I create custom patterns for my clients, the interaction between me and my client is a crucial part of the creative process. From the initial research and brainstorming session, to selecting motifs and colour palettes and eventually to assembling the pattern, communication and collaboration is at the centre of it all. I cannot see how simple writing of prompts into a computer can ever replace this human led process. Good pattern design tells a story, as it is born out of a creative process that has meaning, for both the designer, the brand, as well as the end consumer.
The organic hand drawn line is what makes us humans. From the earliest cave paintings, humans have used their desire to depict the world, regardless of their artistic ability. The current creative society is an evolution of thousands of years of knowledge and learning. Every artistic era and movement is part of our art history, which wasn’t created in an isolated bubble or a vacuum; every new piece of art references the art of the past. AI, despite its name, doesn’t have intelligence; it does not consider or understand this evolutionary process. All it does is data processing of billions of reference images. It doesn’t care when, how and who created those artworks or in what context. It just processes data into images. Just writing that sentence leaves me all cold inside, and not how creating, or experiencing art, should make one feel.
We are all unique in our creativity; our way of interpreting the world comes from our own learning and life experiences. Every designer has their own creative style, which evolves and often changes during the span of their creative career. This style could be minimalist or maximalist, geometric or loose and organic. Some designers work with watercolours, some with digital stylus. But each creation is part of a unique process inside a human head, each line drawn informed by our personality. The line can be wobbly or straight, thick or thin, depending on what we are thinking and trying to achieve, and even who we are. This is completely unique to us humans and possible because of our capacity for intellectual and emotional thinking.
Obviously the ethical aspects of AI in the creative world raise questions. As often is the case, the technology is created first and the (ethical) legislative code afterwards. Our desire to make huge technological advances surpasses our desire to work in a holistic and ethical way. When there is a chance to make financial gains from a particular technology in a consumerist world, it is difficult for some people to see why ethics should matter. However, to have a fairer world, where designer’s profession and skills are properly valued, the ethical considerations of AI are crucial, particularly when it is still in its relative infancy.* - note: AI was in its infancy in image generation in 2023
Regardless of my and other designers’ feelings about AI, it is here to stay. The advances in artificial intelligence and related technology are part of human evolution and exist due to our constant need for technical expansion and exploration.
As history has shown us, every (creative) industry goes through changes; nothing remains the same for very long. Pattern design itself has changed a lot since the founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris, created his beautiful wall paper printing blocks out of wood in the 19th century. I’m sure Morris would be turning in his grave if he saw the CAD technology used in pattern design industry today and how easy it is to create patterns on the fly on an iPad. There is no way to stop development of new technology and all we can try is to embrace it and use it as a tool for our benefit rather than to our demise. And speaking of Morris, his gorgeous, timeless repeat patterns are still in high demand, even with all the computer assisted designs flooding the market today.
I believe that even though AI will undoubtedly become more dominant in the industry, there will be a divide between companies that want cheap and quick AI produced patterns, and companies that appreciate human interaction, unique style and handmade quality in their products. Just like William Morris wanted quality art to be accessible to all, it is our challenge as designers to educate the public to understand what is involved in the creative process, and the importance of preserving the ideas and skills of the professionals in the industry.
Despite all my reservations, I believe we must learn to coexist with artificial intelligence in the design world. This can happen amicably, as long as we use AI as an assistive tool (rather than means to an end), are aware of its drawbacks and ethical issues, whilst we also protect and value the work, skills and the intellectual property of professional designers.
I am Heidi, a biophilic surface pattern designer. I combine a decade of design industry experience, an award-winning filmmaker's mindset, and my Roots To Bloom™ method to help heritage brands stand out with hand drawn design.
Your story is the design. Let’s tell it together.
Heidi Vilkman
www.instagram.com/heidivilkmandesigner
https://www.youtube.com/@HeidiVilkman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-vilkman-surface-designer/
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https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2023/03/ai-technology-transform-design/
https://uxdesign.cc/the-ai-art-design-revolution-a431bcdcf881
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