Bruno Singulani: "How AI is Disrupting the Creative Industry"

In this interview, Bruno Singulani, Global Brand Identity & Design - Culinary Brands at Nestlé talks about his role, his thoughts on AI and how this is impacting the creative industry and the advice he would give to marketers nervous about AI developments.

It was great to sit down with Bruno – catch up on our conversation below!

HI BRUNO, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE.

I am proudly a Brazilian designer and I am currently the creative leader for all Global Food Brands at Nestlé. Having graduated as a product designer, my professional and academic paths have eventually converged into roles with a strong focus on branding and strategic design management.

I have been working with brands that range from Beautycare to Food&Bev. I truly believe in the essential value of anthropology and human-centric innovation to develop stronger design cultures and build long-lasting brands. During the last 8 years at Nestlé, I tried to challenge iconic global brands to reinvent themselves, while also pushing the company to empower and enable start-up-like initiatives.

HI BRUNO, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE.ADVANCEMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARE AFFECTING ALMOST ALL INDUSTRIES, MAKING IT A HOT TOPIC IN TODAY’S WORLD. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WAY AI IS CURRENTLY IMPACTING DESIGN?

I believe that AI will be a game changer for the creative industry. When it comes to design, AI is already making a big impact, and it's only gonna keep getting better. With machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, AI is helping designers automate tedious tasks like image editing and font selection. This means designers can focus on more creative and strategic work, making the whole design process faster and more cost-effective.

Not only that, but AI is also improving the accuracy and precision of design work. For example, AI-powered image recognition can identify objects and patterns in images, helping designers create more accurate mockups and prototypes.

I remember how painful used to be the simple task of tracing a image like logo… When I was a young designer, selecting a subject within a picture would take ages… Now everything is faster and simpler. And I can only imagine how much more creative juice the extra time would give me.

AI is also enabling new forms of design, like generative design. This cool new approach uses algorithms to generate and optimize designs based on specific parameters, constraints, and objectives. This can lead to some seriously unique and innovative designs that wouldn't be possible with traditional methods.

Now, all of this is great, but it's important to approach AI as a new tool, not a replacement for human creativity and expertise. Sure, AI can make the job easier, but it's up to the designer to use creative strategy to bring new ideas and inspiration to the table. So, let's embrace the power of AI, but remember that it's up to us humans to power these new tools with our creative flair. New technologies always arrive with challenges but more importantly great opportunities.

DOES NESTLÉ’S DESIGN STRATEGY CURRENTLY MAKE USE OF AI? IF NOT, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO INTRODUCE ITS USE IN THE FUTURE?

I can only say that all companies, small and big, are looking at ways to integrate AI into their ways of working. I think that the other side of the coin, the agencies, will be much more impacted by these changes. While the brands, like Nestlé, will be more careful to explore the potential impact. We saw few days ago Coca-Cola launching a collaborative platform to create assets powered by AI but coming from real consumers/users. I found that approach quite interesting… Combining ARTIFICIAL Processing POWER with HUMAN Intelligence.

FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO MARKETERS WHO ARE NERVOUS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS IN AI?

My advice to marketers who are anxious about the advancements in AI is to embrace this technology. Be curious about it… Try it yourself. Find you own way to benefit from it. AI can automate tasks, optimize campaigns, and provide valuable insights that inform marketing strategies. However, it's crucial to approach AI critically, understand its limitations and potential biases. Ask your agencies and external partners to bring new proposals including the usage of AI but also experiment yourself. Maybe start with a small campaign, measure the results, and stay updated on the latest developments. Again, AI is a tool to optimize human creativity and critical thinking.