MY AI ETHOS: Ideas First, AI Second
10 principles in
design and strategy
Protecting Your IP & Client
Original ideas, your brand assets and story are your most valuable currency and AI makes them more vulnerable than ever. Here’s how I safeguard both your concepts and my own:
Never Ever
Some lines should never be crossed.
✖️Never feed AI with unpublished work.
Concepts that never saw the light of day are still intellectual property. Uploading them means losing control forever.
✖️Never use AI as a shortcut for originality.
It dilutes your IP and your competitive edge.
✖️ Never mislead.
Passing off AI-generated images as finished design erodes trust with clients and audiences alike.
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→ Just because AI can doesn’t mean it should. Respect IP, respect people, respect meaning.
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→ If AI touches the work, be intentional about how and why and disclose it. No smoke and mirrors.
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→ AI can accelerate execution, but without a strong idea, it’s just noise.
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→ Brands win when they connect emotionally… AI should serve humanity, not replace it.
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→ Avoid trend chasing or style theft! Originality still matters more than ever…
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→ AI doesn’t go to shop and analyse… semiotics, culture or nuance the way humans do… that’s where our value lies.
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→ Use it to explore faster, provoke “what ifs,” or stress test directions… not to shortcut thinking.
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→ AI outputs are starting points, not polished finishes. The craft and rigor still matter.
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→ Imperfections, intuition, and subtle symbolism — that’s the magic machines can’t fake.
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→ Brands that integrate AI thoughtfully will evolve. Those that outsource thinking to machines will vanish.
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→ Include explicit clauses preventing unpublished work from being input into AI tools without written consent.
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→ IP remains with the creator until final deliverables are approved and paid.
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→ Clients understand the risks of AI misuse through a short AI policy guide.
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→ When appropriate, AI is only used collaboratively under controlled conditions, protecting originality and competitive advantage.