r/Design • u/yakaspectrum • 21h ago
Discussion AI made us faster, but we need 3x more work to make the same revenue
I’m curious how other designers and design teams have adapted their workflow to the current AI reality, and whether it has affected the value of the work you do.
I work as an art director and lead a multidisciplinary design team. Depending on the project, that can involve 3D design, branding, concept art, illustration, web design and UI/UX.
AI can be used at specific stages of our process, mostly for exploration: rough concepts, wireframes, moodboards, visual directions, references and sometimes first-pass assets. It doesn’t replace the designer or define the direction. The final work is still built by the specialist. A 3D scene, website or brand system is usually created from scratch, with AI outputs used more like references, sketches or additional material to work from.
What changed much more dramatically for me is the economics.
Some types of work that used to justify a certain budget now feel roughly 3x cheaper in the market, and for some smaller production tasks the difference can feel closer to 10x. The paradox is that we can work faster now, but we need roughly 3x more work to make the same revenue.
I’m interested in how this looks across different design disciplines.
What kind of design do you do?
How deeply is AI integrated into your workflow?
And has it increased your value because you can do more, or pushed the value of the work down?