Last week, legendary design studio Pentagram shared the case study for one of its latest projects, a new design for the Federal Government's performance tracking website. Unless it reveals bold new look for a renowned brand, agency case studies always don't tend to attract a ton of attention outside of the design industry. But this one made quite the splash for one very simple reason: it involved the use of AI.
In order to create over 1500 illustrated icons to represent various government divisions and topics, Pentagram turned to Midjourney to create icons based on a bespoke illustration style created for the project. Somewhat predictably, this led to a public outcry on social media, with commenters criticising Pentagram for using generative AI instead of hiring illustrators, and in some instances going as far as accusing the agency of theft. But as Pentagram partner Paula Scher sees it, this vocal minority is missing the point of the project – and of AI in general.
