Business Perspectives: How AI is changing conversations with clients

Artificial intelligence has moved from industry speculation to everyday reality—but has it actually changed the conversations designers have with their clients? From questions over intellectual property and pricing to shifting expectations around speed, transparency and trust, the impact of AI on client relationships varies widely from studio to studio.

We asked RGD business owners how AI has changed the way they talk with clients—and how they are navigating expectations around transparency, value and the role of human creativity.

Léo Breton-Allaire RGD, Partner and Creative Director at Caserne

AI has changed the conversation with clients more than it has changed the fundamentals of design itself. While AI can generate images, concepts and variations at an unprecedented speed, the real value still lies in the designer's ability to critically evaluate those outputs and transform them into meaningful, context-specific solutions.

From a pricing perspective, I don't believe the value of design should be measured by the time required to produce visuals or explore ideas. Clients invest in vision, strategy, expertise and judgment. AI may accelerate certain executional tasks, but those core contributions remain deeply human and continue to define the value of our work.

Client expectations have also evolved. AI has expanded their perception of what is technically possible, but it has simultaneously highlighted the importance of discernment and taste. Generating hundreds of options is relatively easy today; identifying the right answer for a specific audience, brand or challenge remains the designer's most valuable role.

Meggan van Harten RGD, Co-CEO at Design de Plume

AI has shifted expectations around transparency and trust. We're seeing more clients ask for sources and clearer attribution, likely in response to the rise of AI-generated content. In turn, we've strengthened our emphasis on research-backed work and clear documentation. While we don't rely on AI to solve design problems or generate insights, we are upfront about our process and where information comes from. This clarity reinforces credibility and helps clients feel confident in the work's integrity.

Gillian Hickie RGD and Chris Wharton RGD, Principal/Creative Directors at GOOD Company

As a business, we're always looking for ways to improve efficiency and embrace innovation where it adds value. In that sense, exploring AI is a natural step. The human expertise behind our work remains essential— we still rely on experienced writers, front-end developers and photographers to tell our clients' stories, and we feel our clients' expectations still align with this approach.

However, we have begun to explore how we can use AI to help us prototype high-fidelity digital solutions more quickly. This allows us to offer our smaller and more budget-conscious clients a quicker, more cost-effective route to a finished product than before.

And yet, there's another side to the conversation. The environmental cost of AI is significant. The computing power, energy consumption and data centre infrastructure required to support these technologies raise legitimate concerns. As a company committed to giving people and the planet equal weight alongside profit, we believe it's important to consider not only what AI makes possible, but also what it costs.

All this to say that we are happy to engage in this conversation with our clients, be upfront about if and how we use AI and to let them know that our approach is to stay engaged and informed: curious about the opportunities, thoughtful about the trade-offs and intentional about how and where we use these tools.

Jim Hopkins RGD, Principal Creative at Baytek

I would love to say it has had an impact, but other than the odd comment about hands with seven fingers, I can't say AI has come up in conversation with potential or existing clients regarding IP, pricing or expectations. That is not to say they may not be thinking about it, but I have not experienced anything in a direct way. I think it is still in an early phase, and the discourse on social media seems to change on a daily basis. At some point, it will settle down, and expectations will become clearer as it matures and the real-world use cases become more established.

Roman Lifshitz RGD, Founding Partner and Creative at Co-Effect Creative Inc.

To be honest, it hasn't. We push back on the narrative that "AI is inevitable"—especially when it comes to creative work. Sure, AI has made some admin work more efficient, but we have taken a firm stance that it has no role in our creative process or outputs, and we set that expectation clearly with our clients. We can confidently say that our clients are relieved that we don't.

Strauss Zelnick said, "AI is data, and data can only look backwards. Creativity looks forward." We're firmly rooted in the non-profit space, and we work with communities whose experiences are still unfolding—often their stories haven't even yet been told. Design that is rooted in the human experience, especially of those in the margins, can't come from what already exists.

So for us, AI will never be inevitable because the human experience is still being lived.

The use of AI in our industry is constantly evolving. If you have a different perspective on this topic, please reach out so we can include your perspective here.