We are currently experiencing a visual revolution. Expensive studios, cameras, and production teams are becoming optional. Now, all you need is the right AI service and a designer who knows how to craft a precise prompt. In just minutes—or even seconds—intelligent AI can generate an image that would have taken weeks of time and resources before. Incredible!
But why does it often fail? Look around: 90% of AI-generated content is instantly recognizable. It looks cheap, fake, and lifeless.
The truth? Designers often take the easy route. Everyone wants to write a prompt in three seconds—sometimes with mistakes—then get frustrated when the result is garbage and slam the laptop shut.
High-quality visuals matter in app design, websites, magazines, and posters. Let’s think about how to become a pro at AI-generated graphics.
Artificial intelligence doesn’t “create” graphics—it reflects ideas and information. It does exactly what you ask, no more, no less. This is the path of least resistance.
You might type: “expressive shot,” “spectacular visual masterpiece,” “warm subdued lighting” and cross your fingers, hoping something decent comes out. But this is not magic. It’s gambling—you might get a good hand, or you might not.
A prompt without intention is just a bunch of words. Breathe in, breathe out, and accept the fact: the creator is you, not a clever robot.
AI is your brush, lens, and projector of thought. The artist here is you, the designer.
10 Elements to Bring AI Visuals to Life
1. Light with Direction
Lighting is more than a technical detail. It must convey emotion, drama, and tell a story. Think like a cinematographer. Be precise:
Examples:
- “Neon reflections in the fog”
- “Sliver of light from a half-open door”
- “Warm glow of an incandescent lamp”
- “Hard shadows cast by window blinds”
- “Volumetric light cutting through dust”
You’re not just a designer—you’re the director of the frame.
2. Use Tactile Textures
Your images should feel touchable. Texture grabs attention because we don’t just want to see—we want to feel.
Examples:
- “Fine mist settled on a window”
- “Delicate, doll-like skin”
- “Rumpled linen dress with natural folds”
- “Rough bark with tactile depth”
- “Polished chrome reflecting light”
Tip: Add roughness, shine, and traces of time. This makes the image feel real—no one wants to look at a perfectly artificial world.
3. Add Intention to Composition
Before building a frame, ask yourself:
- What do I want the viewer to see first?
- Where should their gaze move next?
- What emotions should the element placement evoke?
- Does the composition match the story I want to tell?
Composition is not decoration—it’s a language that communicates with the viewer. Thoughtful artwork composition guides the eye, emphasizes key elements, and evokes the right emotions.
Key principles:
- Rule of thirds: Place key elements along intersections of imaginary grid lines to create balance and natural perception.
- Balance of mass and empty space: Don’t overcrowd the frame. Empty space highlights the subject and controls the scene’s mood.
- Diagonals and leading lines: Use lines to direct the viewer’s eye. Diagonals create movement; straight lines convey stability.
- Negative space: Space around objects enhances volume, contrast, and drama. Sometimes emptiness speaks louder than details.
Tip: Imagine yourself as the viewer and trace your eyes through the frame. If attention gets stuck or distracted, adjust the composition.
4. Create Depth in the Frame
Flat images feel dead. Guide the viewer’s eye through foreground, midground, and background, adding volume, movement, and tangible presence.
Techniques to enhance depth:
- Volumetric light: Rays passing through mist or dust separate planes and add cinematic feel.
- Lens blur / bokeh: Blur front and back planes to emphasize the subject and enhance three-dimensionality.
- Depth haze / atmospheric haze: Create perspective and space, making the scene feel realistic.
- Layered shadows and highlights: Spread across planes to add dimension and dynamics.
- Plan-based focus: Control attention and create the illusion of volume.
Use these methods to transform static images in design into cinematic scenes where each layer works emotionally.
5. Contrast and Focus
Contrast isn’t just brightness. It creates tension, drama, and guides attention. Think about visuals in terms of light vs. dark, motion vs. stillness, clarity vs. ambiguity.
Ask yourself:
- Where should the viewer’s gaze go?
- What should be in focus?
- What elements oppose each other?
Lens and focus techniques:
- Sharp main subject: Use focus points to make the midground clear while blurring front and back planes.
- Depth of field: Wide aperture blurred background (bokeh), narrow everything in focus.
- Selective focus / tilt-shift: Highlight key details, creating miniaturization or artistic effects.
Examples:
- “Sharp silhouette against glowing fog”
- “Soft shadows clashing with neon highlights”
- “Foreground slightly blurred, background hazy, midground in focus”
Contrast and focus are storytelling tools—they turn a simple image into an emotionally charged scene.
6. One Frame, One Story
Capture a moment full of emotion and thought. Don’t just freeze an object—freeze an event, a reaction, or an inner state.
Ask:
- What just happened?
- What is about to happen?
- What is the character feeling right now?
Use motion, gaze, pose, light, and shadow to freeze a story in one frame and make it alive.
7. Break the Pattern
Perfect images get boring. Clean skin and empty backgrounds look like ads. Real life is full of texture, noise, and small imperfections, which make a scene feel alive.
Add aesthetic “imperfections” to give character:
- Film grain: Adds tactile texture and cinematic feel.
- Light leaks: Random flares add unpredictability and dynamism.
- Motion blur: Conveys movement of objects or camera.
- Analog lens distortion: Minor curves and aberrations make the image more natural.
- Glitch artifacts: Add digital style or deliberate imperfection.
These techniques break patterns and make your image feel real, textured, and emotionally rich.
8. Mood Over Description
Don’t just describe objects. Evoke emotion and atmosphere:
- “A lonely lighthouse in a stormy night” — isolation and tension.
- “Warm coffee shop light through a rainy window” — coziness, intimacy, slight melancholy.
- “Broken boat on a deserted beach at sunset” — nostalgia and sadness.
- “Old park under misty rain” — mystery, meditative mood.
- “Empty city street at night with neon reflections” — solitude, urban aesthetic.
Mood drives the story and makes the image alive.
9. Add Dynamic, Lively Details
Great images aren’t sterile—they breathe. Add small controlled movements and details to make the scene feel alive:
- Motion blur on a rear wheel conveys speed and movement.
- Subtle lens flare at frame edge adds atmosphere and depth.
- Floating film dust adds texture and space.
- Splashes or raindrops make the scene tactile.
- Soft fabric or hair movement in the wind adds life and naturalness.
- Subtle reflections and highlights enrich composition and realism.
These details may be barely noticed consciously, but they make the image emotionally vibrant and cinematic.
10. Human Presence
Even without a person, their energy should be felt through objects, details, and angles. Small signs of presence make the frame alive and emotional.
Examples of human traces:
- Scattered papers on a desk hint at recent work or creativity.
- An open book with a bookmark recent reading, presence in the moment.
- Half-empty mug with tea stains trace of daily life.
- A scarf or coat draped over a chair an invisible character left their belongings.
- Footprints on dusty floor or sand presence without a figure.
- Window with fingerprints hint of someone looking outside, drawing the viewer into the scene.
Using such elements brings the frame to life, creating a sense of story and human presence, even without showing a person.
Homework
Pick your favorite AI image/video generation service (MidJourney, Krea, or any other). Analyze real examples of prompts. Like in school, dissect 2–3 user prompts according to these 10 criteria.
You can even highlight phrases and number them 1–10. Next time, I’ll give practical advice on thinking like an artist with AI, step by step.
