1 min read· by Awab Tech Lover
Graphic Design in the Age of AI: Tools I Actually Use
Midjourney, Figma AI, Adobe Firefly — a working designer's honest take on which AI design tools earn a place in the workflow.
AI design tools went from novelty to utility, but most of the hype is still ahead of the reality.
Where AI earns its place
- Moodboards and exploration — Midjourney v7 still leads for style
- Background removal, upscaling, object removal — Photoshop generative tools are unmatched
- Iconography and illustrations — fast first drafts, hand-finished in Figma
- Copy variations — Figma AI for filling realistic content into mockups
Where it still falls short
- Brand systems with consistent voice
- Anything requiring exact typographic control
- Pixel-perfect production assets
- Real accessibility-aware color systems
My workflow
- Brief → Midjourney for direction
- Figma for layout and components, AI for content fills
- Photoshop generative for image cleanup
- Final polish by hand — always
The designers who win are the ones who treat AI as a faster brush, not a replacement for taste.