The Essential AI Toolkit for Creative Workflow
In the evolving landscape of Large Language Models (LLMs), it feels like the dust is finally settling and we can evaluate the transformative role of AI in enhancing our daily workflows. Our goal at Hunt, Gather is to seamlessly integrate AI into the creative process - easy to say, and a bit harder to do in practice. The reality is there’s a nearly impossible list of AI tools popping up weekly. And like any good tradesmen, we’re only as good as the tools we use, and the effectiveness of those tools is dependent on our willingness and ability to use them.
So Tim and Ryan are giving us a peek at the tools they use most often. Why do they use them? How do they help? When should we give them a try? Let’s find out…
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It’s crucial to acknowledge that none of the tools we’ll talk about today make us an expert in…anything. No tool is going to replace anyone at this agency, and we’d bet it won’t replace anyone working wherever you’re reading this from. Instead, these tools are designed to amplify our strengths and mitigate our weaknesses. It’s akin to boosting a player's weaker skills in EA's Madden to enhance overall performance. This philosophy underpins our use of AI, making us more versatile contributors within our creative agency.
Ok, with that in mind, for a tool to really make it into our daily rotation it has to solve a clear need. As we sat down to think about this list, we found the tools we used the most helped us in at least one of three areas…
- Enhance our knowledge base
- Boost our productivity
- Stimulate our creativity
We’ll discuss tools in these rough groupings, attached to some everyday use cases that we hope feel familiar.
Informed decision-making with AI
Shoot - I have 30 minutes to become at least conversational in a new topic.
- Quick Learning with Perplexity.ai - in many ways, this has replaced traditional search engines for us, blending the best of AI-assisted responses with the comprehensive search capabilities of platforms like Google. It's our shortcut to becoming conversant on new topics in record time.
Shoot - I have 30 minutes to become at least conversational in a new topic and that’s not nearly enough time to read this giant document I found on said topic.
- Efficient Summarization with ChatGPT - speaking of the gold standard…we would NOT ask ChatGPT to make us an expert in something. It might give you relevant answers, but it’s just as likely to make something up and leave you looking the fool if you don’t double check the references. What we WOULD use it for is to quickly help summarize a giant chunk of information. ChatGPT excels at condensing vast amounts of information into digestible summaries, ensuring we're prepared to tackle complex subjects swiftly.
Enhancing Productivity Through AI
"I have a whole lot of code to write and not a lot of time." -Tim
- Code Writing with GitHub CoPilot - A cloud-based AI tool developed by GitHub to help developers write better code with AI assistance, GitHub CoPilot acts as a turbocharged assistant, accelerating the coding process without sacrificing quality.
- Phind - Chat-based AI assistant that enables developers to quickly get help and answers to their coding-related problems or questions.
"I have a whole lot of content to write and not a lot of time." -Ryan
- Content Creation with Claude.ai - a free conversational AI similar to ChatGPT by the folks at Anthropic. Claude.ai, facilitates the creation of engaging written material, from blog posts to insightful paragraphs, tailored to specific personas. You supply the tool a series of bullets, a desired output, and the persona you want that output to portray and boom. Words. You can tell I didn’t use Claude for this article from this paragraph alone 🙂
"I have a whole lot of math to do and not a lot of time?" -Data & Analytics Team
- Navigating Mathematical Challenges with WolframAlpha:: This AI-powered tool is indispensable for quick, accurate solutions to complex mathematical problems, providing visualizations and scientific insights.
Fostering Creativity with AI
Ugh I feel stuck in this ideation process and wish someone would throw some spaghetti at the wall for me.
- Idea Generation with ChatGPT4 and Dall-E - we specify 4 here because of its integration with Dall-E (OpenAI’s text to visual tool). First we assign the GPT the role of a creative consultant, and use the prompt to give it the brief and start coming up with conceptual ideas. But then the fun part, we ask it to visualize our favorites of those ideas. These tools unlock a wealth of conceptual ideas to inspire our projects.
I have a rough idea in my head but I’m not a designer and could really use a visual to help convey the idea.
- Visualizing Concepts with Midjourney - there’s lots of info about the best way to prompt Midjourney out on the internet and we won’t attempt to outdo those, but this tool is instrumental in transforming rough ideas into tangible visuals, enhancing our creative process with innovative imagery. In our particular roles, we love to play around with the Chaos parameter, which increases the variability in imagery created and can unlock some unexpected ideas.
- Cracking New Directions with Krea AI - a visual tool that allows you to upload an image and then edit/adapt that image based on text-to-visual edits or by introducing secondary visual elements. It gets abstract, but if you’re just looking to create reference imagery it can be a big help.
I just wish this presentation was 10% more fun and surprising.
- Suno AI - maybe you need a custom theme song? This text to song AI tool is just what you’re looking for when the need for a “folk music meets 80s glam rock anthem” arises.
- ElevenLabs - maybe your presentation is missing a surprise guest? This text to voice AI tool allows you to easily create a narrator based on your prompt.
Our journey through the AI landscape reveals a suite of tools that enhance our efficiency, creativity, and knowledge. This exploration is not just about the tools themselves but how they enable us to excel in our roles within the creative industry. As AI continues to evolve, we remain committed to leveraging its potential to redefine the boundaries of creativity and productivity. We welcome discussions, suggestions, and, of course, a friendly game of Madden with anyone interested in the intersection of AI and creative work.
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Hunt, Gather is a full-service creative agency based in Austin, TX. Our women-owned team of Makers + Doers gets fired up about big ideas and building connections between brands and consumers. We are purposeful by design and meticulous with our craft, and we give a damn about our clients and the impact they have on the world. This passion and dedication show in our work.
Anui integrates AI seamlessly into daily life and work through our proprietary platform. Our women-led team creates natural AI solutions that enable effortless communication and collaboration. We design AI experiences that feel intuitive, freeing people from unnecessary complexity. Our mission is to realize the potential of AI to improve how we live, work, and play.
