5 scary things hiding in your (or AI’s) designs

Let’s face it – Canva and AI tools are amazing, but your designs might still be the reason clients are ghosting you.

And it’s not because you’re bad at design (you’re not!).
And it’s not because AI doesn’t work (it totally can).

It’s because the same spooky design mistakes keep creeping in – whether you’re designing from scratch or letting AI do the heavy lifting. And unless you learn to spot and fix them, they’ll keep haunting your brand.

I’ve been a designer for over 30 years – long before Canva or AI were even a thing. And I’m telling you, even with all this tech, the same old design gremlins still pop up.

Clients show me their AI-generated posts and proudly ask, “Isn’t this amazing?”
And I think… hmm. It’s kind of… generic. A bit cheesy. And it doesn’t feel like them at all.

AI can create fast – but it can’t create on-brand without your direction.
So let’s talk about the 5 mistakes that are scaring off your customers – and how to fix them.

1. The Franken-font monster

AI and humans both love going wild with fonts – but using too many turns your design into a stitched-together mess.

Every heading looks different. The body copy feels off. And suddenly your brand vibe has completely vanished.

🎯 Fix it: Choose 2–3 fonts max and stick to them everywhere.
And when prompting AI? Tell it exactly what fonts to use. That’s how you stop your design from looking like Frankenstein’s scrapbook.

2. The colour cauldron

AI loves to throw in bright pops of colour. But it often gets it so wrong – clashing hues, neon overload, muddy tones.

It’s messy. It’s confusing. It’s not professional.

🎯 Fix it: Limit yourself to 2–3 brand colours.
Use tints and tones of those colours, yes – but keep it tight. And don’t forget to include your exact hex codes in your AI prompts.

Pro tip: Save your hex codes in a Notes app so you can copy-paste them into every prompt like a boss.

3. The cursed layout

No breathing room. No margins. Just everything crammed edge to edge like a visual panic attack.

This is one of the biggest giveaways that a design is either AI-generated or created without any real training.

🎯 Fix it: Embrace white space.
Use margins. Align your content. Let your designs breathe. Trust me, your visuals (and your viewers’ eyeballs) will thank you.

4. The ghost of consistency past

If every graphic you (or AI) create looks totally different… your brand is basically in witness protection.

Fonts change. Colours change. Image styles change. The result? Zero brand recognition.

🎯 Fix it: Use your brand kit every single time.
Upload it to Canva. Refer to it in your AI prompts. And make sure you feed your brand vibe words into everything you create.

Consistency isn’t boring. It’s powerful.

5. The overdone demon

Glows. Gradients. Shadows. Stickers. Icons. Fancy bits stacked on more fancy bits.

This one’s tricky because it feels like you’re making it better… but you’re actually overwhelming your viewer.

🎯 Fix it: Simplify.
Design with purpose, not panic. Your graphics should have one clear message. Don’t let effects and fluff bury the thing you’re trying to say.

The AI prompt ingredient that changes everything

In every AI prompt, include your 3–5 brand vibe words.

Don’t just say “make a social post”. Say:

“Create a fun, bold, energetic graphic for a kids brand…”

Or:

“Design a calm, feminine, friendly post for a wellness coach…”

Those words are like a compass – they guide AI (and you) to create visuals that actually feel like your brand.

Need help choosing your brand vibe words?
🎲 Play my free Brand Personality Word Game here – it’s fun, fast & super useful.

Ready to ditch the design drama?

If this hit home and you’re sick of Canva chaos, inconsistent graphics, or spending hours trying to make something that still looks ‘meh’…

🎓 Come join me inside Design Your Brand Academy – my step-by-step system to:

• Define your brand vibe

• Discover your visual identity

• Create all the assets you need to show up professionally, proudly, and on-brand.

You don’t need to design like a pro – you just need the right system.

🔗 Click here to join the Academy now – I’d love to help you finally create a brand that feels like you.