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The best prompt I wrote wasn't a prompt. It was a sketch.
For the Contra × Envato Human by Design Challenge, I wanted to explore what happens when human creativity leads and AI follows.
I started with a Moodboard, explored countless AI generations, and realized something:
They had the substance but they didn't have the heart.
AI helped refine the artwork, but the vision, personality, and decisions behind Nocti were always human.
Meet Nocti. My submission for the Contra × Envato Human by Design Challenge. 🌙✨
envatochallengehumanbydesigncreativeprocessCreative Design Creative WritingCanvaEnvatoPrompt Writing
Love the idea that the sketch came first. Starting with your own thinking instead of a prompt makes the final piece feel much more intentional.
"They had the substance but they didn't have the heart" is such a clean way to describe the gap in pure AI generations. Nocti turned out really cohesive across all those iterations, how many rounds did it take before she felt like a finished character rather than just a good image?
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
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What if you could go from brand assets to a full ad set in under 5 minutes?
I tested Canva Grow 2.0 from a client's perspective, using the brand identity and website we built for Dulce Oro, a premium agave spirits brand, as the foundation.
The idea was simple: could a client take their existing brand assets and spin up social ad creative without starting from scratch every time?
The output was honestly impressive. On-brand visuals, solid layouts, a full ad set in minutes. For a freelancer, this is the kind of tool that could genuinely expand what you offer clients without adding hours to your workflow.
But here's where I think it still needs work:
The website link sharing didn't pull any context for the AI. PDFs can't be uploaded, so I had to work with images instead. Also, it would have been just the perfect system within canva if they could upload custom fonts, so that brand-specific typography won't get lost in translation.
For clients with strong brand identities, these gaps can be filled to make Canva Grow the ultimate choice. Because the creative is only as good as the brand inputs it's working with.
The walkthrough is in the video above, including where it surprised me and where I had to work around it.
Are you building ad creative for clients inside a single tool yet, or are you still juggling five different platforms to get there?
GREAT pointers Chhavi! If Canva gets the upload fonts feature, it would be a game changer.
due to my love for Cat's, and after exploring the vast Envato Stock assets, different designs, and creative ideas,. i decided to go with a Social Post - Instagram Reel Post of Cute Cat and it's Owner.
i sourced for this cute Cat in Envato Toolkit Assets (NO Secondary Tools or Assets were used in making this)
i made multiple "Human by Design" choices, multiple moments where i directed the idea, refined the output, changed course, and rejected what wasn’t working, until i was satisfied.
(attached is my Reel video, and my key creative decisions process video)
you will be able to see how i created this entirely in Envato
i explored the Graphics, Graphics template, VideoGen, ImageGen, etc.
Accepted into the Contra Labs Network as a Brand Designer.
Contra Labs connects top creatives with AI teams training models. As a member, I'll be working on paid projects evaluating and shaping AI-powered creative tools.
congrats
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