Teams that create marketing visuals with AI still need the same production discipline they would apply to photography, illustration, or design. The model can make a draft, but it cannot decide whether the message is accurate, the product is represented correctly, or the asset meets campaign and legal requirements.
The most useful starting point is a one-page brief. It prevents a prompt from becoming a disconnected style experiment and gives each reviewer a shared definition of success.
1. Write the campaign decision in one sentence
Complete this sentence: “We need a visual for audience that communicates one message in one placement and encourages one next action.” If the sentence contains several audiences, messages, or actions, split the work into separate assets.
Worked planning example
We need a wide article header for first-time shop owners that communicates “product photography needs a repeatable shot list” and encourages readers to open a planning guide.
This is a hypothetical brief used to show the method. It is not a customer case study or evidence of generated-image performance.
2. Turn brand rules into visible constraints
Do not ask for a vague “on-brand” image. List the parts a reviewer can see: allowed palette, subject treatment, background, level of contrast, material, amount of empty space, and prohibited marks. If an exact logo or product package matters, use an approved production process and human review rather than expecting generated text and symbols to be reliable.
For the planning example, visible constraints might be warm off-white paper, natural wood, one muted yellow accent, no people, no logos, no readable text, and open space in the left third. Those choices can be checked at a glance.
3. Plan one master composition and its crops
A single image rarely fits every channel without changes. Decide which object must survive each crop and where interface overlays or copy will sit. A landscape web hero, square feed card, and vertical story need different safe areas.
| Placement | Composition need | Review at final size |
|---|---|---|
| Website hero | Wide frame, clear focal point, headline-safe area. | Navigation and copy do not cover the subject. |
| Square social card | Central subject with room for a short caption outside the image. | The idea remains clear on a small screen. |
| Vertical story | Important details kept away from top and bottom overlays. | Platform controls do not hide the message. |
| Email header | Simple composition and modest visual detail. | The crop works when images are narrow or blocked. |
4. Build the prompt from the approved brief
Use this order: placement and format, subject, composition, environment, lighting, palette, material, and constraints. Keep final marketing copy out of the generated image when spelling and typography must be exact. Ask for clean space, then add approved copy in a layout tool.
Representative prompt
“Create a 16:9 editorial photograph for an article header. Show an overhead desk with a blank shot-list sheet, three plain product-photo cards, a pencil, and a small light meter. Keep the objects in the right two-thirds and leave a calm warm-white area on the left for a headline. Use soft north-window light, natural oak, cream paper, and one muted yellow accent. No people, logos, readable text, duplicate cards, or watermark.”
This prompt is a planning example only. Try Nano Banana has not generated or published an output for it.
5. Review the asset with named owners
Assign review responsibility before generation. The campaign owner checks message and placement. A brand reviewer checks palette, product treatment, trademarks, and visual identity. A rights or safety owner checks references, likeness, prohibited content, and publishing risk. An accessibility reviewer checks contrast, crop behavior, and the alternative text needed in context.
- Does the visual support the approved message without adding a false claim?
- Are the product, package, interface, location, and factual details accurate?
- Did any unwanted person, logo, signature-like mark, or readable text appear?
- Do all input files have documented permission and an acceptable data path?
- Does the asset work in every real crop, including mobile?
- Can a reviewer explain why this version was accepted?
6. Measure the action, not only visual preference
Connect the final asset to the action named in the brief. For a website image, compare qualified visits, tool starts, sign-ups, downloads, or another implemented event that reflects the job. Do not treat impressions or an internal “looks good” vote as proof that the image improved the campaign.
Keep comparisons fair. Change the visual while holding audience, offer, placement, and surrounding copy steady when possible. Record the version, dates, placement, and decision rule. If the asset does not improve the intended action, revise or retire it.
Questions about AI marketing visuals
Should I generate text inside an ad image?
Reserve space and add final copy in a design tool when spelling, typography, pricing, or legal wording matters. If you test generated text, verify every character and never publish a claim that was not approved.
Can I upload a competitor’s ad as a style reference?
Do not assume public visibility grants reuse rights. Describe permitted high-level visual qualities in words and use only source material you are authorized to submit.
How many variants should a team make?
Set a small test plan based on the decision you need to make. More variants create more review work and can hide which change mattered. Start with one master brief and a few controlled differences.
Can an AI image go straight into a campaign?
No automated output should bypass human review. Check accuracy, rights, privacy, safety, brand fit, accessibility, and the destination platform’s rules before publication.
Turn the brief into a prompt
Use the browser-only preview to draft the request, then follow the full review checklist before any future submission.
Open the image workflow