A comment I received on a forum made me think: I'm not a designer, and the designs I was making with AI assistance might not appeal to everyone. It wasn't said unkindly, but it touched a doubt I already had.
The test
I hired three designers to make three t-shirts. I'm happy with the result — genuinely. The work is better, more polished, more cohesive than what I could produce alone.
What it didn't change
There was no increase in sales. Not a visible one, anyway. And it left me with a question I still haven't resolved: was the design really the problem to begin with? Or is it my whole approach to the brand — the visibility, the market, the way I present things — that's keeping people from buying?
Why I'd rather say it than hide it
It would have been easier to present the new designs as the obvious fix to an identified problem. That wouldn't be honest. I don't know yet what the real cause is, and I'd rather say that clearly than sell a ready-made explanation. It's an open question, not a lesson I've already drawn.
Designed in Switzerland by an independent brand. Small batch — limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide. Made to order to reduce textile waste.