You have just seconds to capture your audience’s attention online, yet crafting polished commercial graphics often takes more time than you have. Good news, with AI tools like Midjourney plus a handful of proven design principles, you can produce on-brand visuals in minutes while freeing up hours each week.
By mastering targeted AI prompts and core graphic techniques, you’ll deliver images that stand out, reinforce your brand, and drive engagement.
Choose the right prompts
Your final image starts with your prompt. A clear, goal-driven prompt saves time and cuts out guesswork.
Define clear objectives
Begin by stating what you need (for example, a Facebook ad banner or Instagram story). Mention your brand mood—friendly, bold, minimalist—and any required elements (logo placement, color palette).
Use descriptive language
Swap vague phrases like “nice background” for precise descriptors such as “warm golden sunrise with soft gradients.” The more specific you are, the closer Midjourney will get to your vision.
Tweak styles and parameters
Experiment with style keywords (for example, “flat design,” “realistic,” “vector art”) and adjust aspect ratios (--ar) to match each platform. Run several variations, then up-res or refine your favorite option.
Apply design fundamentals
Even with AI, solid design rules ensure your graphics look professional.
Harness color theory
Limit your palette to two or three complementary hues. Use contrast (light vs dark) to draw the eye toward your call to action (button, headline, logo).
Balance composition and hierarchy
Group related elements together. Position your main message at the top or center. White space isn’t wasted space—it helps focus attention.
Pick readable typography
Choose fonts that match your brand personality. Pair a bold headline font with a simple body font. Always check legibility at the smallest size you’ll use.
Maintain consistent branding
Consistency builds trust and recognition (research suggests people form a brand impression in under a second).
Use a style guide
Document your logo variations, color codes (for example, HEX or Pantone), approved fonts, and image examples. Treat it as your north star for every design.
Reuse templates and assets
Save your favorite Midjourney prompts, layouts, and exported files. A simple template for social posts or email headers can cut design time by up to 70 percent (in our experience).
Optimize for each channel
Different platforms demand different specs. Optimizing ensures your graphics look crisp everywhere.
Size and format guidelines
- Instagram feed: square 1080×1080 px, JPG or PNG
- Facebook banner: 820×312 px, PNG for sharp text
- Email header: 600×200 px, optimized JPG under 200 KB
Compress and export settings
Use tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh to reduce file size without losing quality. Faster load times can boost engagement, especially on mobile.
Accessibility considerations
Add alt text that describes your image succinctly (“blue startup logo over white background”). High-contrast colors help viewers with low vision.
Legal and usage tips
Even AI-generated art can have licensing rules. For a full rundown, see our guide to ai art for commercial use.
- Check Midjourney’s terms for commercial rights
- Avoid prompts that reference trademarked characters
- Keep records of your prompts and generation dates
Quick recap and next step
- Clarify your design goal and craft precise prompts.
- Apply color, composition, and typography basics.
- Stick to your brand style guide and reuse templates.
- Match image specs and compress files for each channel.
- Verify licensing for worry-free commercial use.
Pick one technique to try today—perhaps building a simple template in Midjourney. You’ll be amazed how fast you can captivate your audience and reclaim your time. You’ve got this.
