AI Creative Production
Plan, direct and quality-check AI-assisted creative production without losing authorship, accuracy or a recognisable point of view.
Brief before prompt
Define the audience, job and boundaries before opening a generation tool.
Start with the job
Write what the audience should understand, feel or do. A tool prompt is not a substitute for a business goal. Add the audience's situation, the place the work will appear, its size and what success looks like. For example, 'help new buyers compare mug sizes' is clearer than 'make a beautiful picture.' Put the goal in one short sentence so you can judge each draft.
Set truthful boundaries
Record claims that must stay exact, content to leave out and any private details. Use approved material as the source for facts. Do not ask a tool to invent proof, customer quotes or product features. Make a short fact sheet with the approved wording and source for each claim. Mark missing proof as a question, not as something the tool should guess.
Make criteria observable
Replace taste-only feedback with visible checks. You might check that a headline can be read on a phone, a product keeps its real shape, three approved colours appear, or there is one clear focal point. Keep personal judgement, but explain what you see. Choose checks that two people could review and answer in the same way.
Try it: 1. Choose one real creative task and name its audience and goal. 2. Record the format, size, approved facts and anything that must stay out. 3. Write three checks that someone can see in the finished work. Deliverable: one filled brief and a three-point review list, ready before you open the tool.
Direct and iterate
Treat the first output as a draft, then make one intentional change at a time.
Describe relationships
Describe the main subject, what it is doing, where it is, how it is framed, the light and where the image will be used. Say what should be in front and what should sit behind it. If you need space for words, name the empty area and keep the subject away from it. Write the directions in that order, then remove details that do not help the viewer.
Use references deliberately
Use only pictures you have permission to use. Explain what each picture is for, such as its lighting or layout, instead of copying a living artist's exact look. Write down who made it, where you found it and how you may use it. Keep the reference separate from the approved product photo so nobody mistakes a style example for product proof.
Change one variable
Save the first draft as your starting point. Test one useful change, such as a closer camera view or a plain background, and record the exact new direction. Keep the other instructions the same so you can see what changed. Compare both pictures side by side and note what improved, got worse or stayed the same.
Try it: 1. Use the brief from Lesson 1 to write one clear prompt. 2. Save the first result and its prompt. 3. Make a second version by changing just one thing, such as camera distance. 4. Compare the two results against your review checks. Deliverable: two saved prompt versions and a short note explaining which one worked better and why.
Review, refine and hand off
Apply human judgement to facts, quality, accessibility and production readiness.
Inspect the actual output
Check any words, hands, product shape, logos and claims in the picture. Zoom in to check small details, then view it at the size people will see. AI-made text can be wrong or hard to read, so add important wording separately. Ask another person to check details that affect safety, price or product use.
Check permission and disclosure
Before publishing, check the image tool's current rules and the rules for the website or platform where it will appear. Ask the creator or rights holder when you are unsure if a photo may be used. Save the source and permission in one record so a teammate can check it later. Follow any rule that asks you to say when AI helped make the work.
Package for another person
Send the chosen file, its size, approved wording and the source notes with it. Say whether the file is ready, waiting for approval or still needs work. Name any problem the next person must know about. Keep unused drafts in a separate folder so they are not mistaken for approved work.
Try it: 1. Choose one draft and review it at full size and on a phone screen. 2. Check product facts, text, permission notes and contrast. 3. Use the review sheet to record a fix and any limit. 4. Prepare the approved file and notes for a teammate. Deliverable: a scored review and a clear handoff pack with the file, approval status and any open issue.