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Welcome to the Friday edition of our newsletter. We spend Fridays going deeper into tools and trends related to generative AI (and Tuesdays sharing news updates). This week Professor Snider discusses how to make better designs using AI.
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How to stop your flyers from screaming “made with ChatGPT”
First we saw them in our Facebook feed. Then they started popping up in real-life printed flyers. Last week I saw an enormous ad hanging up at the mall that had all the telltale elements…
Brush-stroke textures. All-caps headline with a paint-splatter background. Little circular icons next to every bullet point.
The “ChatGPT flyer” look has taken over community bulletin boards, restaurant signage and Facebook event pages. 404 Media published a hall of shame of reader-submitted AI flyers, and the responses were brutal. One reader said, "They look like absolute DOG S#$%."
Small businesses that use these designs on Facebook say they work to drive business - and I am sure they do (many people are visual learners). Anti-AI people hate them. The problem isn't that these flyers were made with AI. The problem is that person writing the prompt didn't know enough about design to write an effective one.
Luckily for them, I teach a design class at Drake University. And part of what we do is apply design concepts to new tools like ChatGPT.
Let's break down exactly what causes the look that makes designers cringe – and how to prompt your way to something clean enough that nobody rolls their eyes at it.
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The tells of a ChatGPT flyer
I went through dozens of these, including the ones in the 404 Media piece. The same patterns show up every time:
No white space. The AI fills every square inch. Real designers is about constraint and removing unnecessary elements. AI design is about cramming in as much as possible.
The grunge starter pack. Distressed brush strokes, paint splatter, chalky white display text, diagonal banner ribbons. This is the model's default idea of "eye-catching."
Six different fonts. Every line gets its own typeface, outline, drop shadow or color. Human designers cap it at two.
An icon for everything. Calendar icon, pin icon, coffee cup icon – each in its own little circle badge. The more flair, the better.
A dramatic hero image that doesn't belong. A hyper-detailed cartoon cat. A cinematic monster truck. When a simple photo or no image at all would work better.
Warped text. The AI paints letters instead of typesetting them. That's why you get weird kerning and wobbly edges.
The fix: tell the AI what NOT to do. Your prompt has to explicitly demand less.
Four moves that work
Name a real design style. "Eye-catching" and "polished" get you the grunge kit. Instead, reference actual design traditions: "minimalist Swiss-style poster with a grid layout" or "clean event poster like you'd see at a modern art museum."
Lock down colors and fonts. Be specific: "Use only two colors – navy and white, with one orange accent. Maximum two typefaces: one bold sans-serif for the headline, one light weight for details." You can even specify actual fonts in some AI tools.
Ban the defaults by name. This is the big one. "No brush strokes, no paint splatter, no distressed textures, no drop shadows, no diagonal banners, no icons next to bullet points, no all-caps body text."
Demand empty space. "At least a third of the layout should be white space. One focal point: the event name. One call to action."
A prompt you can steal
Design a flyer for [event]. Give it a clean, professional look appropriate for [type of event/audience] — think good modern design, not a sterile corporate template. You can use a bold or characterful headline font paired with a simple, readable body font. Use a focused color palette (2-3 colors max, including [your brand colors]). Establish a clear visual hierarchy: the event name should be the dominant element, followed by date/time, then details. Imagery is welcome if it's simple and relevant (a real photo, a clean illustration, or a subtle background graphic) — avoid busy, hyper-detailed, or cartoonish AI-style renders. Include only this exact text: [paste your text]. Do not use: brush-stroke or splatter textures, distressed/grunge effects, drop shadows or outlined text, diagonal ribbon banners, icon badges on every bullet point, or all-caps body text.
Example
Here’s my starter image using a simple prompt in ChatGPT: Create a flyer promoting this event:
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Here’s my improved prompt using the template above: Design a flyer for our Back to School Gen AI UpdTE. Give it a clean, professional look appropriate for working professionals — think good modern design, not a sterile corporate template. You can use a bold or characterful headline font paired with a simple, readable body font. Use a focused color palette (2-3 colors max, including #47E314 and #dee4f2 and white). Establish a clear visual hierarchy: the event name should be the dominant element, followed by date/time, then details. Imagery is welcome if it's simple and relevant (use attached images) — avoid busy, hyper-detailed, or cartoonish AI-style renders. Include only this exact text:
Back to School AI Update
Innovation Profs will catch you up on all the latest updates in the world of Generative AI
Aug. 26 Noon-1 p.m.
More info at innovationprofs.com
This event is FREE thanks to a sponsorship from Lean Techniques
Do not use: brush-stroke or splatter textures, distressed/grunge effects, drop shadows or outlined text, diagonal ribbon banners, icons, or all-caps body text.
The backlash against AI flyers is real, and it's growing. But it's not really a backlash against AI. It's a backlash against lazy defaults. Add a little intention in your prompt and your images won't end up in anyone's hall of shame.
Have you spotted a ChatGPT flyer in the wild this week? Hit reply and send it our way. Worst one gets featured (anonymously) in a future edition.
