A New Dimension in Digital Design: Midjourney
Midjourney, described by its founders as “an independent research lab exploring new thinking environments and expanding the creative powers of the human species”, is an AI-powered platform that creates images from text.
To access the popular AI platform, which is in open beta, you first need to open a Discord account. Then, it is enough to follow a few steps to produce images on this platform, which is very simple to use.
How to use MidJourney?
- Select one of the #newbies channels from the sidebar.
- Use the /imagine command.
- Type your prompt, a description of the image you want the AI to create, and press Enter.
- Wait while the Midjourney bot processes your request.
- Upgrade your image or create variations.
- Save your image.
Only 25 free images can be created through the Discord-based program without a subscription. A paid subscription is required to create more content.
Rules of behavior within the platform
- Do not use our tools to create provocative, shocking or inappropriate images.
- Be respectful of other people and the team.
The Midjourney team is led by David Holz, co-founder of Leap Motion.
There are other artificial intelligence platforms similar to Midjourney, such as DALL-E 2 and Disco Diffusion, which create images from text. These artificial intelligence applications, which are becoming more and more involved in our lives day by day, have different features. Midjourney stands out from other platforms with its more aesthetically pleasing products. What they all have in common is that they use the datasets of billions of existing images shared on the web.
By providing detailed color, material, environment, mood, appearance, lighting, aspect ratio and even style information while preparing an image through the application, surprisingly convincing results can be achieved. Moreover, it is possible to change the commands typed to get different results and versions.
There are differences of opinion among architects and designers about Midjourney and other AI-powered platforms. There are debates about whether a new generation of AI that opens up new possibilities for design: whether it can replace humans and their work, and how it will change architecture. While some believe that these platforms are killing creativity, others see this change in creative disciplines as normal and beneficial.
Kory Bieg writes in The Architect’s Newspaper, “AI is already deeply embedded in our lives (targeted marketing, self-driving cars, facial recognition), so its impact on architecture was only a matter of time. It might seem that such ready access could lead to a devaluation of expertise that affects many professions, including architecture, but I don’t think so. AI is surprisingly good at creating and cross-referencing a complex network of architectural movements, styles and contexts.”
Artificial intelligence can produce products by mimicking the way designers think in different areas of architecture such as architectural planning, interior design, façade design, but the question of how these tools will be integrated into the design process remains unclear.
If you are interested in exploring Midjourney and producing creative visuals, you can access it here and read the detailed getting started guide here.
