We Let AI Co-Create An Identity System... Here’s What Actually Worked

The Challenge: Make AI Tangible and Not Boring

When Elevate Ventures tapped us to brand their sold-out AI Workshop, the brief was simple: make it smart, make it sharp, and whatever you do, don’t make it feel like a PowerPoint with a fancy jacket.

Oh, and we had less than two weeks. So, sleep? Cute idea.

But this wasn’t just another event. Elevate Ventures plays a pivotal role in Indiana’s startup ecosystem. They’re part matchmaker, part mentor, part investor, and possibly part caffeine. They’ve backed two of our previous startups that successfully exited, so this partnership was both personal and full circle. They’ve supported hundreds of other early-stage companies and helped shape the state’s innovation economy. When they host something, it’s not just Indianapolis that notices. The entire region pays attention.

This was their moment to show that AI isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a real tool for real builders. And the identity had to reflect that. No brain icons. No technicolor spaghetti gradients. Just a system that felt useful, credible, and actually cool.

Midjourney: Like Brainstorming With a Really Weird Coworker

We opened Midjourney and started tossing it prompts that matched Elevate’s tone. Deep greens, soft gradients, neural textures. Think slight sci-fi vibes, but the kind that would still say "hi" at a Midwest cookout.

The first outputs? A hot mess. Like a lava lamp having a panic attack. Generative tools aren’t supposed to hand you diamonds. They hand you chaos. It’s your job to dig through and find the parts that don’t scream "graphic design is my passion."

Post-lava lamp takeaway… context and feedback fuel better AI. This was our next prompt:

Let's add in more elevate green (#3BB588) and crop out everything but the jellyfish looking geometric looking shape. I really like that. Let's generate 6-9 more all subtly different using this palette: Elevate Green (#3BB588), Elevate Black (#25242B), Elevate Forest (#002925), and secondary colors like Violet (#8963A6) and Coral (#F38BA2). To complement this, let's add: 🔹 A deeper, electric purple → #6D4D9F 🔸 A more vivid AI-inspired pink → #FF6F9E

Somewhere around version fifteen, something landed. Fractal shapes that looked like they were thinking. Organic, intelligent, a little alien but not in a "call the Pentagon" way. That became our core graphic.

The rest came fast. Signage. Keynote slides. Swag. Everything pulled from the same visual thread. Not because we forced it, but because the system held together.

Human Eyes Still Matter (Especially the Tired Ones)

Midjourney gave us a head start. But the polish, the usability, the brand integrity—that was all human.

AI can throw out ideas, but it doesn’t care if your header text fits in the layout or if the keynote file crashes the AV system. We do. So we trimmed, refined, and made sure every asset could survive a last-minute panic edit.

And beyond the visuals, we delivered the full GTM layer: conversion-optimized landing pages and email sequences that drove registrations and filled the room. The brand didn’t just look good. It did its job.

A Word From Elevate

"Marketing is about creating core memories that drive action. Design is the only way to succeed at creating those sticky moments of joy. Well thought-out design. Scalable design. A thorough understanding of what humans need to engage. This hit all of those notes and more while blending creativity with technology and raising the bar for what an AI event should look like."
– Muhammad Yasin, VP of Marketing at Elevate Ventures

If You’re a Founder, Here’s the Playbook

Using generative AI in branding isn’t magic. It’s more like having a very enthusiastic assistant who’s read every design book but doesn’t understand your client.

Here’s what helped:

• Start with strategy. If you don’t know what you’re saying, AI isn’t going to guess right.

• Use AI for exploration. Let it broaden your ideas, not make your final calls.

• Be ruthless in the edit. Taste still belongs to humans. Thankfully.

Think of AI like a talkative intern. Most of it’s noise. Occasionally, it’s a goldmine.

What Happened Next

The Elevate Ventures AI Workshop launched to a packed house. A room full of actual builders.

It looked cohesive. Sharp. Surprisingly thoughtful for something that started with prompts and a two-week timeline. Not because AI made it easy, but because we showed up and did the work.

Video Credit: Keith Baker