Have you ever wished that you could turn a simple idea into a polished image?
Well, in this lesson, we're going to be putting Chatgpt's image generation to the test with real world
examples.
So let's kick off with something super practical.
Making a visual to explain a concept.
Imagine you're a teacher prepping a lesson on the water cycle.
For example, you need a simple diagram, something with arrows, labels, and something that's clean
and easy to follow.
Now, one thing AI tools have historically struggled with is text.
You'd ask for labels or letters and they would be blurry or random different symbols.
But Chatgpt's image generation can produce crisp, readable text right inside the image.
So to get started with image generation, there's two ways you can either click Create Image, which
is the button right over the prompting box, or you can simply type the words create Image or ask ChatGPT
to create an image right inside the chat.
So here's the prompt we're going to use for our example.
Create a simple diagram of the water cycle.
Include labeled arrows for evaporation, condensation, Precipitation and collection.
Use a clean, minimal style with clear headers and soft blue tones.
Now, a quick tip here is no matter what tool you're using, your prompt should cover the basics what
the image is, where is it happening, the key visuals and all the details that are needed.
An easy formula for this is what's the subject, the setting, the details and the style.
The clearer you are with this, the better the results are going to be.
So right away we can see that we have the labeled arrows, clear headings, and a clean, focused design
ready to drop straight into a potential presentation.
Notice we use the words like simple and clear in the prompt, and these guided the eye to stylize and
keep things uncluttered and overall more minimal.
Now, adding phrases like minimal flat design or high contrast can sharpen results even more.
So, let's say you're teaching younger students and want something a little bit more playful.
On the other hand, we can use a prompt like make the same diagram more playful and colorful, with
cartoon style illustrations and bold text labels, as you can see, a totally different vibe.
It's brighter, friendlier and more appealing for younger learners.
The same idea, but the tones shifted with just a few different prompt tweaks.
So the takeaway here is that phrasing matters.
Words like minimal or clean or cartoon style give ChatGPT clear style cues.
And when you want to create a different style, you don't need to start over.
You can just build on what you've already made.
Now next up, let's create something more artistic, like an illustration for a newsletter or a book
chapter.
This is where style really counts, and the same basic prompt can look totally different depending on
how you describe the vibe and the feel.
So let's say you're writing about forest conservation and want a peaceful illustration of a forest at
sunset.
Let's start with this prompt.
Create an illustration of a forest at sunset.
It looks good.
Warm colors, a calm setting, but it's a little flat and nothing really eye catching.
So a trick for this would be when you want a more artistic look.
Don't just describe what's in the image, you can describe how it should feel.
So words like dramatic lighting, vivid colors, dream like, photorealistic.
All those things can totally level up the final result.
So let's change the prompt to create an illustration of a forest at sunset.
Make it cinematic, highly stylized, with vivid colors, dramatic lighting, and lots of visual depth.
So there's a huge difference.
This second output has a lot more atmosphere, bold colors, deep shadows, and just overall looks way
more dramatic.
All thanks to just a few different stylization choices.
Now let's flip this completely and let's say we want a more softer storybook feel instead.
We can do this by changing the prompt to something like restyle the same image in the style of a Studio
Ghibli illustration soft, hand-painted, and whimsical.
So there we have a much more magical feeling image.
And the key here was adding a style reference as the shortcut.
So words like Studio Ghibli, watercolor, or even 1980s sci fi poster will help guide the overall aesthetic.
The clearer your reference, the closer the overall match will be.
So the takeaway here is that your actual words are the creative direction, and being specific about
the mood and style will always give you a lot more control over the overall final look.
Now, with that understanding, let's switch gears to making a logo.
So let's say for our example that we just launched a vegan bakery called Green Crumbs.
We want to create a clean, modern logo that feels fresh and simple.
This is where a detailed prompt can make all the difference.
So let's use something like design a logo for a vegan bakery called Green Crumbs with a transparent
background include a stylized green leaf and a bread icon.
Make it modern and minimal using a soft pastel color palette and as you can see, modern, clean and
exactly what we were asking for.
And because we asked for a transparent background, this image can be ready to drop in with no background
on a website, a flyer, merchandising, or anything else.
So when you're prompting for logos, make sure to include the main elements things like the icon that
you want, for example, a leaf or a bread symbol, the style you're aiming for, whether it's minimal,
bold or something that's retro and the color palette that you want, these three different pieces are
your foundation for getting something that feels polished and on brand for your specific company.
Now, to take this one step further, if we want to add a tagline to our logo, we can use a prompt
like add the tagline fresh, plant based, delicious underneath the logo in a clean sans serif font.
Now we have a full logo with a tagline ready to go.
So remember here that being precise, adding details like modern minimal pastel or transparent background
help you to get something polished and usable right away.
Now, one thing I did want to mention is that while ChatGPT handles text images really well, some tools
still struggle with text clarity.
So if you're using another platform, you might need to add text manually after generating the image.
Now let's make a set of app icons.
So let's say you're building a finance app and you need clean icons, which would be a dollar sign,
a piggy bank, a credit card, a bar chart, and a wallet.
Here's the prompt that you could potentially use.
Create a set of five Simple flat design icons for a finance app.
A dollar sign.
A piggy bank.
A credit card.
A bar chart and a wallet.
Use a blue color scheme and a minimal style.
And as you can see, we got exactly what we asked for, which is perfect for a website, an app, or
even a slide deck presentation.
Now let's try tweaking our prompt a little bit.
Let's say make the same icons in outline style with thin, sharp lines.
Now this gives us a updated look that's more sleek, more sharp, but still matches the original set
that we produced.
So beyond creating new images, one of Chatgpt's coolest tricks is working with images that you upload.
This opens up a whole new set of tools that goes way beyond simple visuals.
And one thing I did want to mention that while ChatGPT makes it super smooth, not every other AI tool
handles uploads as well just yet, but the idea is the same.
You can bring in a reference image to guide and customize the final result you're looking for.
So for this example, let's imagine you upload a photo of your living room and you can prompt ChatGPT
with something like give me three design ideas to make this space feel more cozy and warm.
And then it'll give you some specific suggestions like layered textiles, warm lighting, or other different
design elements.
Or let's say you snap a photo of a plant in your garden.
You can ask, what kind of plant is this?
Or how do I take care of it?
You, of course, can get a clear answer right away.
Another really interesting use case for this is let's say that you have a lot of handwritten meeting
notes or handwritten to do lists.
You can simply just take a photo and ask ChatGPT to convert this to text and highlight the main updates
and action points.
It then scans and cleans it up instantly.
The point with this here is it's not just making a nice looking visual, it's also a practical way to
save time and make your daily task a lot easier by blending visuals with real utility.
So whether you're creating educational diagrams, illustrations, logos, or icons, the key here is
clarity.
The more precisely you describe what you want, the better the results.
And remember, you can remix, refine, and even upload your own images to push things even further.