Good-enough graphics, in-house

Social graphics, simple thumbnails, product shots: AI drafts options, you pick and crop.

3 stops to the frontier. Next stop: Captioned, transcribed, voiced.

The frontier is the furthest stop small businesses run reliably with AI today. Frontier last checked Sep 22, 2026.

01Your one move this week

Next graphic you need, generate 3 options with AI, pick one and crop it. Don't hire it out.

One run, by hand, this week. Keep what works.

02Starter prompt

I need a [graphic / thumbnail / product shot] for [use]. Generate 3 distinct options in different styles, describe each so I can choose, then I'll crop.

03Tools for this stop

S is the top pick, then A.

SCanva ProCategory-defining at $15/mo; drafts multiple on-brand options plus templates and crop in one place.AAdobe ExpressFirefly-powered and commercially safe; workable free tier; thinner template library than Canva.AMidjourneyHigher-end product shots when quality beats speed; cost and learning curve are the tradeoff.

3 stops to the frontier: The edit pipeline.

The frontier is the furthest stop small businesses run reliably with AI today.

Frontier last checked Sep 22, 2026

04The fine print: where this stop sits on the map

L2 CheckerA1 Draft

How you work with AI · L2 Checker

You cross-check answers, you write real prompts with context, you use voice, you've caught AI being confidently wrong and know what that smells like.

How much AI carries · A1 Draft

AI makes the first version; you finish and send.

Find your own coordinate How to read the map