A Fool with a Tool Is Still a Fool –
Our Recap of Digital Design Days Milan 2026

Some of the most interesting examples weren't about fully AI-generated campaigns – they were about hybrid workflows. One case showed how large agencies are combining traditional production with AI-assisted post-production in a way that actually makes sense. For a campaign for Lyft, they still used real photoshoots with real people, because authenticity in the human subjects matters deeply to the brand. But does a team really need to film Times Square for the 127th time just to get a background plate? Probably not. That's where AI becomes incredibly practical – not as a replacement for the core creative work, but as a smart production layer that removes repetitive, expensive, low-value tasks while preserving creative control and brand integrity.

Another recurring conversation was around billing. Because if AI makes parts of execution significantly faster, what happens to hourly billing? Speed alone has never been the true value of design. If a creative team can now test more concepts, visualize ideas faster, unlock more ambitious directions, or bring a campaign to life more efficiently, the client is often receiving more value – not less. Less time spent does not automatically mean less strategic or creative value delivered. It probably just means our pricing models need to evolve.

Our biggest takeaway? AI is absolutely becoming part of modern creative workflows – and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Research, ideation, coding support, mockups, iteration, production workflows, visual experimentation: there's enormous potential. But creatives are still in control. The interesting part now is figuring out how these workflows should actually look. Which tasks benefit from automation? Which ones should remain deeply human? Where does AI accelerate quality, and where does it flatten it? That's the exploration phase we're in right now. And honestly, that feels exciting.