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Episode 15 · October 20, 2026 · 1:06:16
From Designer to Creative Director: Branding in the AI Era
Guest: Kaycee Zabko
About this episode
What happens when a creative agency embraces AI? Kaycee Zabko, CEO and Creative Director of Tampa-based BayEdge Media, joins Samantha and Brittany to talk about how AI is changing branding, design, and the business of running an agency. She shares how her team combines AI-generated assets with traditional design tools, why brand personality and purpose shape better results, and why designers increasingly need to think like creative directors. Plus, a moving story about creating an illustrated children's book with AI after losing the family dog.
Chapters
- Meet Kaycee Zabko and BayEdge Media (0:20)
- From AI Skeptic to Hands-On Experimentation (1:57)
- Why Design Experience Still Matters (4:54)
- Brand DNA: Giving AI More Than Colors and a Logo (6:07)
- When AI-Generated Client Briefs Create More Work (7:41)
- How AI Is Changing Agency Pricing (13:03)
- Keeping Designs Editable: Figma and Adobe (16:20)
- Tool Fatigue, Testing, and Training a Creative Team (18:14)
- Building in Pieces: Combining AI with Design Tools (23:30)
- Does AI Save Time or Lead to Bigger Ideas? (28:41)
- Spotting AI-Generated Images (31:33)
- Why Designers Need to Become Creative Directors (32:45)
- Hiring Designers in the AI Era (41:38)
- AI Video, Higgsfield, and Planning Before Generating (46:32)
- AI Policies, Sensitive Data, and Financial Boundaries (51:29)
- BayEdge Media's Brand BIOS Approach (56:27)
- A Personal Story: Creating a Book After Losing a Family Dog (1:01:55)
- Where to Find Kaycee and Closing Thoughts (1:04:59)
#AIForBusiness #Branding #GraphicDesign #CreativeDirector #IntelligenceResources