Brand, Not Bland — Why AI Can’t Replace Good Design

Ingroup enjoyed another productive Friday morning session, with 18 members around the table, nine referrals passed and over £2,700 of business generated from previous referrals. We were also delighted to formally welcome our newest members, Joe and Rob of WHG Structural Engineers.

The 10-minute slot went to Neil of Burnett Design, who talked the group through brochures, websites, search engine optimisation and the growing role of AI in design.

Neil began with a printed brochure passed around the room — a project developed over several years for a long-standing client whose brand had grown organically alongside the business. The challenge was pulling everything together: new photography, new copy and a look that matched the existing website, so the brand is instantly recognisable whether it appears on a van, a business card or a brochure. Print, he argued, still earns its keep: a brochure left on a client’s desk stays there for years, while an emailed PDF disappears into the inbox.

He then turned to Google. Most of Burnett Design’s work arrives by word of mouth, but Neil encouraged members to search for what they do rather than who they are — “solicitors Cumbria” rather than a company name. Position one on page one attracts around 43% of clicks; slip to position twelve and that falls to roughly 1%. Regular case studies, testimonials and blog posts, he said, are what keep a site climbing.

Finally, AI. Neil shared examples of AI-generated website designs that looked perfectly competent but stripped out every trace of the businesses’ branding, leaving something generic and forgettable. AI can produce a website, he concluded, but it can’t understand why a brand matters — much as it might design a house without grasping light, flow or how people actually live in it.

Ingroup meets every Friday, 8–9am, in Kendal.