When your professor says your AI composition lacks 'intention,' this is the 60-second workflow you use to prove them wrong.
This technique uses Microsoft Copilot (Designer), which is free and uses DALL-E 3, to give you absolute control over your layout.
The Framework:
Draft the Guide: In Figma or Canva, use simple colored shapes to create a compositional guide for your layout. Export it as a PNG.
Upload the Guide: Go to Microsoft Copilot. Click the image icon next to the prompt box and upload your guide.
Prompt the Scene: In the same prompt box, write a command telling the AI to follow your guide, then describe the scene. For example:
Using the exact same composition as the uploaded image, create: A photorealistic shot of a modern speaker on a green marble table...
Troubleshooting:
Prompt vs. Guide Conflict: Ensure your prompt and guide are in agreement (e.g., don't prompt for a horizontal car if your guide is a vertical shape).
Guide Complexity: Use clean, filled-in shapes. Noisy sketches confuse the AI.
Pixel's Toolbox 🧰
Best AI for: Creating stunning, high-res color palettes from a single prompt.
The Tool: Huemint.com
The Gist: A free, AI-powered color palette generator. What makes it special is that you can lock certain colors and let the AI find others that match, making it perfect for real-world brand work. It even shows you the palette on mockups.
That’s how you control composition. Next week, I’ll show you a workflow for getting any specific color you want from an AI—down to the exact hex code.
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