Linel Louw, Creative Partner at Unknown Design Agency: “I’ve witnessed a complete shift in how we approach web design”

Think back to the websites you visited in 2010: static designs that didn’t work on new-fangled smartphones and all the interaction of a TV broadcast. Now put yourself in the shoes of a digital designer who has had to adapt to today, to move from Dreamweaver to an array of tools that didn’t even exist 15 years ago. Those are the shoes occupied by Linel Louw, Creative Partner at the Unknown Design Agency.

Linel and her partner set up the agency in 2014, and they weren’t building boring websites. They were helping companies to build brands to life using what Linel calls intelligent design. It’s built on each “client’s vision, the brand’s defining attributes, and both short- and long-term goals “.

And that hasn’t changed. “Design is fundamentally about problem-solving and delivering the best solutions to meet client goals,” Linel told us. “If we identify a tool that adds real value to our workflow or positively impacts our clients’ businesses, we thoughtfully consider its incorporation.”

We were particularly interested in how the Unknown Design Agency is using generative AI tools. “The rise of generative AI art tools is both exciting and somewhat intimidating,” said Linel, and “they aren’t yet a core part of our daily workflow”. From everything else Linel tells us in the full interview below, we suspect “yet” is the key word there.

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When thinking of your creative process, at what point does technology come in? What role does it play in different stages, from concept to final design?

In our creative process, technology is embedded at every stage – but the real value begins with human interaction. At the heart of each project is our commitment to understanding the client’s unique vision, the brand’s defining attributes, and both short- and long-term goals, ensuring all key stakeholders are aligned on the brief and direction from the outset. Through in-person or virtual meetings, we dive deeply into what makes their brand truly theirs, uncovering insights that shape an authentic, standout solution.

While our process always begins with this human-centred approach, we maintain regular check-ins to ensure alignment and keep the client involved at each stage. Technology is essential to making this workflow seamless from start to finish. A few years ago, most of our meetings were face to face, but as our client network has expanded across cities and countries, virtual meetings and online workshops have become central to both early-stage collaboration and ongoing feedback sessions.

From research and insight gathering to design exploration, reviews, final presentations and usability testing, technology plays an integral role in every phase. It enables us to stay connected, adaptable, and focused on delivering impactful work, no matter where our clients are based.

How has technology changed the way you collaborate at work? And in your view, has it improved or worsened navigating creative differences with clients or team members?

The way we work has transformed significantly in recent years, with technology at the heart of this shift. During the Covid-19 pandemic, our national lockdown restrictions made remote work essential, prompting us to transition from a physical office to a fully online environment – a shift that quickly became our new norm. As technology advanced, so did opportunities for seamless remote collaboration, with companies becoming more open to working with teams and suppliers across borders. Although we’d been using collaboration tools before, the range of online options has grown considerably, enhancing how we communicate and organise our workflow.

This shift has impacted our collaboration both internally and with clients. Remote work brings great convenience, and with a disciplined routine, it can save considerable time. However, we’ve learned that fully remote work doesn’t suit everyone. Within our team, it’s important to balance individual needs for in-person versus online interaction, which helps maintain a sense of connection and team culture – particularly during creative problem-solving. While digital tools are invaluable, real human connection still plays a vital role.

The same goes for our client relationships. While receiving and organising information and feedback is easier than ever, and virtual meetings are highly effective, some conversations are simply better in person. There’s a depth to human interaction that’s difficult to replicate online, and these nuances help build stronger, longer-term relationships. Face-to-face meetings can provide a fuller understanding of a client’s perspective, which is essential when navigating creative differences and feedback and reaching solutions more quickly. Striking a balance between virtual and in-person interactions is key for the type of work we do; while most work can be done efficiently online, incorporating a few in-person touchpoints enhances the collaborative experience.

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Generative AI Art has taken the graphic design space by storm – what are your views on the use of tools such as Stable Diffusion, Leonardo and Midjourney?

The rise of generative AI art tools is both exciting and somewhat intimidating, given the intricate nature of this rapidly evolving field and its interdisciplinary aspects. While we’ve started to explore some of these technologies, specifically Adobe Firefly, Midjourney and Dall-E, they aren’t yet a core part of our daily workflow. We are still figuring out how to integrate them effectively into our practices and identifying where they can genuinely add value to our work.

The fast pace of technological progress is transforming our work processes, with new functionalities constantly emerging. These tools have the potential to streamline our workflows, enhance efficiency, accelerate decision-making and inspire a more innovative approach to design. As we continue to experiment and adapt, I look forward to uncovering the opportunities these advancements can unlock for our creative process.

With the rise of AI and automation in design, how do you see the role of a graphic designer evolving in the next few years?

As service providers, time is our most valuable asset, and the rise of AI and automation is profoundly transforming how we utilise that time. Currently, these technological advancements are streamlining repetitive tasks that, while important, often don’t contribute significantly to our creative output. This shift allows designers to dedicate more energy to strategy, ideation, and expansive visual exploration.

Looking ahead, it’s clear that AI will become a staple across all companies, intensifying competition within our industry. As designers, we must identify where we can add real value and discover how to leverage technology in inventive ways that give us a competitive edge. This involves not just adopting the latest tools but also understanding how these technologies can enhance our problem-solving skills.

AI has the potential to make us smarter, more creative and ultimately more satisfied in our roles. Enhancing our decision-making and streamlining our workflows, encourages designers to venture into a broader array of projects while being more thoughtful and intentional in our approaches. While anyone can harness AI, creating distinctive and impactful designs demands critical thinking and a fresh perspective on problem-solving. In this rapidly changing landscape, it is our unique ability to merge technology with creativity that will truly distinguish us.

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What tools or software do you find indispensable in your daily work, and why?

Having to balance the roles of both designer and business owner, I rely on a variety of tools that enhance both my creative and operational workflows, always seeking options that I genuinely enjoy using. As a small business, we’re mindful of our subscriptions, aiming to streamline costs by consolidating tools where possible and ensuring each one adds significant value to our processes.

I prefer WorkflowMax for billing and job management, especially for its customizable invoice and report styling options, along with its seamless integration with Xero.

We utilise Google Workspace for its suite of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools. It helps us collaborate internally and with clients, from personalised emails to organising, storing and sharing information, scheduling online meetings, and more.

For design, we rely on the Adobe Suite, which supports our work across both print and digital media, along with occasional video editing and 2D animation needs. Adobe Firefly has also become a valuable addition, offering a comprehensive, industry-standard package that keeps our workflow streamlined and versatile.

In website creation, we use builders like Elementor and Shopify, allowing us to easily craft beautiful websites in-house without additional development resources. We occasionally also use these tools to create interactive wireframe prototypes, offering clients a clear overview of the content we need from them and streamlining the entire process.

ChatGPT has become invaluable for formatting and drafting text for emails, proposals, and other copy in a specific tone. While it doesn’t fully automate the process and requires clear direction and refinement, it saves considerable time on repetitive, admin-heavy tasks, allowing us to focus more on the creative work itself.

For certain projects, we turn to MiroBoard for interactive brainstorming and participation during sessions, enhancing collaboration and creativity.

Over the course of your career, what is one technological shift you’ve witnessed in graphic design that really stuck with you? 

One of the most significant shifts I’ve experienced in graphic design is the transformation of the digital landscape – and, consequently, how we design for it. Early in my career, digital design began embracing responsive and mobile-first approaches, responding to the growing prevalence of smartphones and tablets. Initially, we often created relatively static layouts, but as technology progressed and interfaces evolved to include touchscreens, smartwatches, virtual reality and augmented reality, information design became increasingly fluid and adaptable, demanding new ways of thinking and problem-solving.

The rise of emerging platforms such as social media, alongside the rapid expansion of the internet, introduced a diverse array of formats and interactions that simply didn’t exist before. This evolution has not only changed how we present information but also how we engage users, making adaptability and user experience central to our design process.

The tools we use have also evolved dramatically. Tasks that once required hours of meticulous work, like deep etching in Photoshop or creating realistic mockups, now take a fraction of the time thanks to AI-driven features. Automation and integration have transformed design workflows, with tools now built for a more collaborative and streamlined process.

Reflecting on my journey in digital design, I’ve witnessed a complete shift in how we approach web design. Previously, we would hand over static assets to developers, who would interpret and build them – a time-intensive process that often required extensive fine-tuning. Today, web-building technologies empower designers to broaden their skill sets and create websites independently, without relying on external help.

How do you stay updated on the latest design technologies and software advancements, and how do you decide when to integrate new tools into your workflow?

To stay updated on the latest design technologies and software advancements, I subscribe to several specialised newsletters and conduct research on topics of interest, especially when developing brand strategies. While keeping abreast of trends is essential, we only integrate new tools after thorough research and testing to ensure they genuinely enhance our processes or benefit our clients.

Design is fundamentally about problem-solving and delivering the best solutions to meet client goals. If we identify a tool that adds real value to our workflow or positively impacts our clients’ businesses, we thoughtfully consider its incorporation.