A personal story from the inside
When AI tools started gaining traction in design and marketing, I was curious – but cautious. As someone who deeply values meaningful branding, storytelling, and the nuances of user experience, I couldn’t see how automated systems could ever get it. Could they support a creative process built on intuition, dialogue, and emotional connection? Would using AI turn a personal brand into something generic?
To find out, I decided to experiment – on a real project, with real constraints.
I set out to complete an entire brand and website for a client in the health and wellness space within three weeks. In the past, this would’ve taken closer to three months, especially since I was doing everything myself: branding, web design, copywriting, UX research, and content strategy. The goal was to see how AI could support, accelerate, or even challenge my process – without compromising the core identity of the brand.
Here’s what happened – and what small businesses can learn from it.
The challenge: Speed up without slipping into shortcuts
I knew that if I simply plugged prompts into ChatGPT and asked it to create a full brand identity, I’d end up with something bland. That wasn’t the point. Instead, I approached AI as a thinking partner – something to bounce ideas off of, test language with, and clear up mental space so I could focus on decisions that matter.
One of the first steps was naming. We began with an in-depth brand discovery session: identifying the target audience, values, emotional tone, and what made this business different. From that, I wrote down a few initial directions – names that felt aligned, some more poetic, others more practical.
Here’s where AI came in. I gave ChatGPT my notes, descriptions of the business, and examples of names I liked. It didn’t give me the perfect name, but it generated clusters of ideas I could refine. It helped me see patterns in language, tone, and even cultural references. That input gave me clarity on what not to name the brand – and helped me land on a final name that felt authentic and distinct.
Copywriting: saving time, not sacrificing tone
Writing content for websites is time-consuming. It involves capturing the voice of a brand, simplifying complex ideas, and guiding users to take action – all while sounding professional, but also relaxed and confident. Normally, I write everything myself from scratch, and I revisit sections multiple times over several weeks.
This time, I changed the approach.
I wrote a rough draft of each section of the site – home, about, services, contact. Then, I used ChatGPT to suggest variations, rewrite parts in a softer tone, or translate ideas into more action-driven language. Some of the outputs were unusable, others sparked better phrasing I wouldn’t have thought of.
I still edited every line. I still applied the emotional tone of the brand. But I estimate this cut writing time by at least 40%, especially for sections like service descriptions and SEO-friendly snippets that don’t need as much storytelling as, say, the About page.
Design process: keeping soul, moving faster
Design is where I was most hesitant. There’s no AI tool that can replicate the kind of visual storytelling I aim for. But what it can do is help with structure and flow.
I used layout suggestion tools and AI-enhanced plugins in Figma to quickly mock up wireframes. Instead of staring at a blank screen, I had five layout options in front of me within minutes. From there, I could adapt the structure to reflect the emotional arc I wanted users to feel.
In parallel, I used Notion AI to summarize feedback and structure project phases, which helped with managing client communication and documentation. This reduced the administration load and allowed me to stay in the creative zone longer – something that’s often difficult when you’re managing everything solo.
The numbers: what actually changed?
This wasn’t a huge project – but it was complete. Branding, copy, UX strategy, design, website – all delivered within three weeks. In my old process, this would’ve taken closer to 10–12 weeks, depending on scope and how much feedback was involved.
AI didn’t replace me. It didn’t deliver polished work. But it gave me momentum, helped break creative blocks, and provided usable structures to build upon.
Here’s what I saved:
- Time: ~25% faster overall process
- Writing effort: ~40% less time spent drafting and rewriting
- Admin work: ~50% fewer hours spent on documentation and task management
- Costs: If billed hourly, this would translate to ~20% in saved project hours – without reducing quality or skipping steps
But more than that, I saved energy. I was able to move through the process with focus and clarity, rather than overwhelm and fatigue.
What this means for small businesses
If you’re running a small business, you may be asking: Can I use AI without making my brand feel soulless or templated?
The answer is yes – if you stay intentional.
Start with a clear foundation: know who you are, who you serve, and what your brand stands for. Then, use AI tools to support your process:
- Use them for brainstorming, not for decisions
- Let them offer structure, not identity
- Use automation to save time, not to replace connection
And most importantly: you remain the editor.
AI should never have the final word on what your brand says or how it shows up in the world.
Final thoughts
This experiment changed the way I think about my work. It didn’t make the process impersonal, it made it more focused. I had more time to spend on storytelling, visual meaning, and emotional connection, because I wasn’t spending hours on rewriting descriptions for the fifth time.
AI can be a support system for small businesses – but only if we stay in control of the narrative.
Done right, it helps us move faster without losing ourselves in the process.
If you’re curious how AI can support your brand without watering it down, I’m happy to share more of what I’ve learned. This is just the beginning of a new kind of creative workflow – one where human vision leads, and AI follows with purpose.