26/07/2023Comments are off for this post.

Bigger and better – How AI is changing our design possibilities

There’s no doubt that the most important element of Unlimited B2B is well-thought-out, creative output. For many years, we’ve developed and refined processes to produce the best results, while celebrating the distinctly human trait of creativity.

However, with the accelerated rise of AI, it’s time for this process to change. Now, new tools and approaches are becoming available all the time. And while they certainly won’t replace human creativity any time soon, they can certainly be beneficial in delivering better results, faster than ever before.

One tool we’ve been getting familiar with recently is Runway. This AI-powered creativity tool is helping to streamline many elements, so our designers have more time to make refinements and perfect their work. It’s already gained significant acclaim for its role in the creation of Everything Everywhere All at Once and, frankly, if it’s good enough for an Oscar Best Picture, it’s good enough for us too.
So, what are we using it for?

Time saving

Instant green screens, rapid image adjustment, even quick custom animations from static imagery. Runway is helping our creative team to build a solid base for assets so much faster. Using Runway almost feels like using a custom piece of flatpack furniture. You have your basis; you just need to put it together and make it as great as possible. You don’t have to carve all the pieces out yourself. That saves us time, money and genuinely leads to better overall results.

Concepting

Creating a range of interesting and varied concepts is one of our favourite things to do. With Runway, we can create more outrageous, exciting, visually different and challenging concept imagery than ever before. And we can do it in half the time.

Whether creating visuals from text, converting imagery to a different art style, or making simple refinements, Runway allows us to create concepts that capture imagination in a fraction of the time. And while these creations might not be refined enough for a finished product, they get the message across to clients quickly and efficiently, while also enabling new possibilities for our design team.

Pushing boundaries

Some design techniques simply aren’t possible within constrained budgets, or limited time. That was true, but it’s now being challenged by AI tools like Runway. Now, previously cost-prohibitive techniques are becoming available for some of our clients, while the upper limits of what’s possible are also on the move. That’s simply down to the time-saving nature of Runway, combined with the features that encourage our designers to think differently. You can try different art styles and mediums in a fraction of the time it’d otherwise take to develop alternatives. That gives us more options, and our clients better results.

Fun

When you’re working hard, it can be easy to forget that the core of good creativity is often having some fun. Runway has proven to be a great way for our designers to cut loose and try something a bit strange. For instance, they could use it to imagine Kermit the Frog in renaissance paintings, or turn their colleagues into claymation creations, all from their desks, without days of extreme effort. That’s entertaining, it develops new skills and helps with creative thinking. We enjoy the results, and so do they.

What’s next?

It feels like we’re on the cusp of something very exciting with AI. It’s enabling new possibilities and evolving at an incredible rate. To be at the cutting-edge of creative design, you need to embrace that and make the most of it. Which is why we’ll continue to do exactly that. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

16/11/2022No Comments

The creativity confidence crisis in B2B (and how science can help us crack it)

Standing out. The struggle is real. You only have to look around to see that.

The expected B2B visuals that lack punch. The commoditised offerings that are hard to tell apart.

When it feels like everyone’s saying the same thing, why are people still reluctant to try something different?

Could it be that, while we want to do something different, we’re stuck in old habits? After all, it’s easier to go with the flow than challenge the status quo. I get it. It’s hard to do something different, but it amounts to a crisis of confidence in B2B creativity.

No doubt you’ll recognise the challenges; The abundance of micro differentiators makes it hard to identify a USP. The broadness of audiences makes it difficult to find real insights. And many marketers feel more comfortable reverting to product and service messages. Yes – that’s still a thing.

But one of the biggest issues is process. Getting stakeholders together, aligned and contributing, for one, and getting them to contribute at the right time.

Some stakeholders – technical or product experts – are not experts in communication. Their contribution is most important in the beginning and, arguably, less important when judging the work.

To round off these challenges, there’s also the cultural aspect. Some organisations prefer safe and comfortable. Even their marketers see a departure from the norm, or any talk of creativity, as fluffy.

So, how do you give people the confidence to do something different, or, to be more accurate, something more effective?

For us, the answer lies in human understanding. And the recognition that most human behaviour operates outside of our consciousness.

Science has shown us that human behaviour is not just rational. Buying behaviour is influenced by emotion, memory retrieval and perception.

So, if we want to connect with people, it makes sense to get some help from neuroscience.

For example, if you want to understand what someone will do, just ask them. Right? The problem is, people tell you what they think they will do (or what they think you want to hear), but that’s not necessarily a true reflection of how they actually feel.

Implicit time response testing goes beyond what people say to understand the strength of their emotional conviction. At the simplest level, the faster the response, the easier it was to access from memory – making it more authentic.

Find out more about how that works here >

We’ve been using this type of creative testing to give our clients confidence that their campaign is going to both stand out and drive action. The road to getting there has been smoother too. There’s less subjectivity. And more focus on what’s working for the audience.

Creative testing with implicit research techniques helps brands understand what truly drives customers. It can help measure how the brain is responding, what people like and how they make complex decisions.

At TMW Business, we build our research methodologies to deliver on our brand promise: ideas that move people. This means emotion, motivation and action are all measures of effectiveness.

Because if you can win heads and hearts, you can win business.