Editorial Imagery
Applying creative exploration into brand direction
GRAPHIC DESIGN
VISUAL SYSTEMS
CREAETIVE PROCESS
BRAND STEWARSHIP
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
Overview
Editorial imagery was one of the most consistent creative demands on the team — 7–10 article thumbnails per week, per designer, produced alongside full product responsibilities. Each image had one job: stop someone mid-scroll. At that volume, the temptation is to systematize your way to passable. The challenge is staying accountable to good.
Shaping the System
When I joined, the system was functional but flat — solid color backgrounds, stock imagery dropped in without much integration. I introduced gradient usage into the brand palette through a methodical process of color experimentation, building combinations, converting them to swatches, and evaluating each against the existing system. I also found more intentional applications for existing shape elements to add depth without breaking consistency. The goal wasn't to redesign the system — it was to expand what it was capable of. What started as personal exploration became the new team baseline.
AI Exploration
As AI tools matured, we integrated them selectively — compressing early-stage concepting and sourcing to free up time for craft and brand judgment. Used that way, it elevated the work. Then the conversation shifted: could a model be trained to generate editorial images end-to-end, from ticket to final output?
I pushed back. Not because the output wasn't impressive, but the proposal optimized for volume over value. Twenty images a day sounds efficient until you account for what disappears: empathettic concepts, brand judgment, the specificity that makes an image earn a click. AI at that stage produced work that was technically passable and creatively generic. My position wasn't anti-AI. It was pro-craft. A smaller number of thoughtfully executed images, where a human is accountable for the idea, will outperform volume every time. It's simply our craft to own.
ROLE
PRODUCT DESIGNER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
COMPANY
BANKRATE
TOOLS
FIGMA
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
CHATGPT