How to Use AI to Create Stunning Designs - Midjourney Tutorial

uxpeak
28 Jun 202314:35

TLDRIn this tutorial, viewers are guided through the process of using AI to create stunning designs for a meditation app. Starting with Figma, three iPhone 14 frames are created for different screens. Inspiration is gathered from platforms like Pinterest, and images are used as a reference in Midjourney, an AI tool that generates unique visuals. The generated images are then enhanced using Nightmare AI from replicate.com. The design process includes creating a splash screen, home screen, and meditation screen, with elements like a search bar, category icons, and player controls added. The tutorial concludes with the addition of an audio waveform visualization and a status bar, offering a comprehensive guide to integrating AI into the design workflow for creating visually appealing and functional mobile app interfaces.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 Use AI tools like Midjourney to create unique custom graphics for your designs, breaking free from stock images.
  • 📱 Start with Figma to create frames for different screens of your app, such as the splash screen, home screen, and meditation screen.
  • 🌅 Gather inspiration from platforms like Pinterest or Google for images that resonate with your design vision.
  • 📸 Upload reference images to Midjourney to guide the AI in generating images in the desired style.
  • 📝 Write clear prompts for Midjourney to generate images that align with your vision, adjusting the aspect ratio as needed.
  • 🔍 If initial images don't meet expectations, refine your prompt and regenerate for better results.
  • 🖼️ Upscale selected images using Midjourney to increase size and improve detail for a smoother look.
  • 🌟 Enhance image quality further with Nightmare AI from replicate.com for a professional finish.
  • 🖌️ Integrate the enhanced images into your Figma design, adjusting colors and sizing to fit the frames.
  • 📝 Add content to the screens, including a name, tagline, logo, and interactive elements like a search bar and category icons.
  • ⚙️ Create a bottom navigation with icons representing different screens of the app, adjusting colors to indicate the active screen.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of using Midjourney in the design process?

    -Midjourney is used to create unique, custom graphics with the help of artificial intelligence, allowing designers to break free from the constraints of stock images and infuse a personal touch and aesthetic beauty into their designs.

  • How can AI tools be further integrated into the design process?

    -For more integration of AI tools into the design process, one can refer to the chat GPT for UX UI design ebook, which explores how AI can enhance and streamline design workflows.

  • What is the first step in creating a meditation app design using Figma?

    -The first step is to create three iPhone 14 frames in Figma, each representing a different screen in the meditation app: the splash screen, home screen, and meditation screen.

  • How does one gather inspiration for the app design?

    -One can gather inspiration by looking around on Pinterest or Google to find images or illustrations that resonate with a peaceful theme, such as peaceful sunsets and soft orange or purple hues.

  • What is the significance of using Discord for account management with Midjourney?

    -Discord is used by Midjourney for account management because it provides a platform for users to sign up and interact with the service, which is essential for generating images based on provided prompts and references.

  • How does the aspect ratio parameter in the prompt affect the generated images?

    -The aspect ratio parameter in the prompt determines the shape of the generated images. For instance, changing the aspect ratio from the default one to one to three to two will produce images with a wider shape.

  • What is the role of Nightmare AI in enhancing the quality of images?

    -Nightmare AI is used to upscale images, which increases their size and improves the details for a smoother look, significantly enhancing the quality of the images for use in design.

  • How does the color picker tool in Figma help in creating a seamless transition between the image and the background?

    -The color picker tool allows designers to choose a color directly from the image, which can then be applied to the frames. This ensures a color match and a seamless visual transition between the image and the background of the design.

  • What is the purpose of a splash screen in an app?

    -A splash screen is the first screen seen when an app is opened. It is typically used to showcase the app's logo and branding while the app loads, providing an initial impression of the app's identity to the user.

  • How can the search bar in the home screen be made to look more subtle and inactive?

    -The search bar can be made more subtle by applying a fill and stroke that matches the background, using a magnifying glass icon, and adding a placeholder text in a less vibrant color to indicate that the field is not currently active.

  • What is the purpose of the audio waveform visualization in the meditation music screen?

    -The audio waveform visualization provides users with a graphical representation of the music's intensity and the progress of the audio playback, enhancing the interactive experience of the app.

  • How can the bottom navigation in the app be designed to reflect the current screen in use?

    -The bottom navigation can be designed by adjusting the pass-through property of the icons representing different screens. The icon with the most vibrant color signifies the current screen in use, which can be changed by duplicating and adjusting the colors as needed.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to Mid-Journey and Design Process

The video begins with an introduction to meditation, mobile apps, and the Mid-Journey tool, which uses AI to create custom graphics. The host suggests checking out an AI-focused UX UI design ebook for further insights. The design process starts in Figma, where frames for the splash screen, home screen, and meditation screen of a meditation app are created. Inspiration is gathered from platforms like Pinterest or Google, and images are downloaded for reference. Mid-Journey is used to generate images based on the uploaded reference image and a written prompt, with the option to adjust the aspect ratio. The generated images can be upscaled for better quality using nightmare AI, and then integrated into the Figma design.

05:01

📱 Designing the Meditation App Screens

The video continues with the design of a meditation app's splash screen, home screen, and meditation screen. For the splash screen, a name and tagline for the app are created, along with a logo. The home screen includes a search bar with a magnifying glass icon, categories represented by icons and names, and an auto layout for even spacing. The meditation screen involves generating three images using Mid-Journey and nightmare AI, and adding text layers for information about mindfulness sessions. A bottom navigation bar is created with icons representing different app screens, and the pass-through property is adjusted to indicate the current active screen. The design concludes with the addition of player controls and a status bar at the top of the screens.

10:01

🎶 Final Touches and Interactive Elements

The final part of the video focuses on adding interactive elements to the meditation app design. An audio waveform visualization is created to represent the music's intensity and playback progress, using lines of varying lengths colored to indicate the track's progress. Player controls are sourced from icon libraries and added to the design, with the option to adjust their colors. A status bar is placed at the top of the screens to complete the mobile app design. The host encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content on leveraging technology in the design process.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Midjourney

Midjourney is a tool that utilizes artificial intelligence to assist in creating unique and custom graphics. In the context of the video, it serves as a means to generate visuals for a meditation app, offering a personalized and aesthetic touch beyond the limitations of stock images. It is likened to having an artist in your pocket, ready to produce beautiful and distinctive images on command.

💡AI (Artificial Intelligence)

AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the video, AI is harnessed through Midjourney to automate the design process, allowing for the creation of custom graphics tailored to the user's specifications, thus enhancing the efficiency and personalization of the design workflow.

💡Figma

Figma is a collaborative interface design tool that allows for the creation and manipulation of designs in a web-based environment. In the video, Figma is used as the starting point to design the user interface for an iPhone 14 meditation app, including frames for different screens such as the splash screen, home screen, and meditation screen.

💡Stock Images

Stock images are pre-created images that are available for purchase and use in various designs and projects. The video emphasizes moving beyond stock images by using AI to infuse a personal aesthetic into the design, which can lead to more original and customized outcomes.

💡Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and the height of an image or screen. In the video, the default aspect ratio used by Midjourney is one to one, but it can be adjusted according to the requirements of the design, such as a three to two ratio for a general generation or a two to three ratio for a vertically oriented splash screen.

💡Upscaling

Upscaling refers to the process of increasing the size of an image while maintaining or enhancing its quality. In the context of the video, upscaling is used to improve the details of the generated images, making them suitable for use in the app design.

💡Nightmare AI

Nightmare AI is a tool from replicate.com that is used to enhance the quality of images. After an image is generated and upscaled through Midjourney, Nightmare AI is applied to further improve the sharpness and overall quality, resulting in a higher resolution image that is ready for use in the design.

💡Auto Layout

Auto Layout is a feature in Figma that allows for the automatic arrangement and resizing of interface elements to fit different screen sizes and orientations. In the video, Auto Layout is used to structure the search bar, category icons, and other elements within the app design, ensuring a consistent and organized layout.

💡Tagline

A tagline is a catchy phrase or slogan that encapsulates a brand's message, mission, or a key feature of a product. In the video, a tagline is added beneath the name of the meditation app on the splash screen to quickly communicate the app's purpose or value proposition to users.

💡Search Bar

A search bar is a user interface element that allows users to search for content within an application. In the video, a search bar is created for the meditation app's home screen, complete with a magnifying glass icon to symbolize the search function, providing users with a way to find specific meditation sessions or music.

💡Bottom Navigation

Bottom navigation refers to a set of icons located at the bottom of a mobile app screen, which provide quick access to different sections or features of the app. In the video, bottom navigation is added to the app design to allow users to easily navigate between the app's various screens, such as the home screen, meditation screen, and others.

Highlights

Midjourney is a tool that uses artificial intelligence to create unique custom graphics.

It offers a way to break free from stock images and infuse personal touch and aesthetic beauty into design.

The tutorial recommends checking out a chat GPT for UX UI design ebook to enhance design workflow with AI.

The starting point is Figma, where three iPhone 14 frames are created for different screens of a meditation app.

Gathering inspiration from platforms like Pinterest or Google is suggested for finding images that resonate with the app's theme.

Midjourney generates images with a default aspect ratio of 1:1, but this can be changed with a parameter in the prompt.

If initial images aren't satisfactory, prompts can be adjusted for more specificity and new images generated.

Upscaling with Midjourney improves image size and details for a smoother look.

Nightmare AI from replicate.com is used to significantly enhance the quality of images.

The color of frames in Figma is adjusted to match the image for a seamless transition.

A splash screen is the first screen seen in an app, often used to showcase the app's logo and branding.

A search bar is created with a magnifying glass icon, a universal symbol for search functions.

Auto layout frames are used to structure the search bar and ensure elements are subtle and placeholders are clear.

Five different icons represent categories within the app, sourced from Google Icons or Figma files.

Category names are added below the icons with an auto layout ensuring even spacing.

Midjourney is used again to generate three images for a section of the home screen.

Nightmare AI is used to upscale the images for a high-quality finish.

A bottom navigation with four icons is added, representing different screens of the app.

The pass-through property of icons is adjusted to indicate the current active screen.

An audio waveform visualization is created to provide a graphical representation of music's intensity and progress.

Player controls are added, sourced from Google Icons or Figma files, with colors adjusted to fit the design.

A status bar is added at the top of the screens to complete the mobile app design.