AI web design. Build a website with the best AI tools - AI website builders, ChatGPT and Midjourney
AI has taken the world by storm, no industry seems to be safe from its influence. The world of web design seems to be especially charmed by the AI abilities.
When I first wrote this article in February 2023, the closest I could get to creating a website with AI was to use ChatGPT and Midjourney. You can watch the video of how it went.
But we don't live in a vacuum and in a year a lot has changed. AI website builders, in example WebWave AI Website Builder, came into the picture. So let's sum it up and see what is the state of AI web design
Evolution of how to use AI to build a website
As I mentioned, in the beginning, no AI tool was dedicated to website design. However, the features of generative AI solutions like ChatGPT and Midjourney allow you to create a website either way. You just had to be a bit creative. But more about that later.
The growing interest in AI design tools encouraged tech companies to explore this field. First, traditional website builders started offering features for generating website copy - AI writers. Then, the idea of an AI-generated website became a reality thanks to AI website builders.
With AI-powered website builders, you can generate an entire website. We can be all already certain, that this approach to web design will be developed in the future and will take the center spot in the website-creating stage.
AI website builders - generate your website in minutes
Generating a website with AI has become one more way to make a website with a website builder right next to customizing a template and building it from scratch.
To create a website using AI website maker, you have to provide a prompt. It can be in the form of a description or a quick quiz about your website. After that, the AI website builder will generate your site. Usually, you can watch as AI works on your website in real-time.
AI takes care of both the design and content. It generates a layout reflecting your website type. Adds colors, copy, images, interactive elements - everything you need to have a fully functional website.
Once the website is generated you can customize it to your liking. That's how you bet the best of both worlds. Your website is generated in minutes saving you time, but you can still have control over the final result and keep working on it if you want.
Using AI is a great way to simplify the website creation process and create a stunning website easily.
The best AI website generators
Currently, there are two types of AI website creators - traditional website builders that added the AI features to their offer (WebWave, Wix, Framer) and solely AI website builders (Durable, Hocoos, AppyPie).
Tools from each group work relatively similarly. The main difference is that traditional builders that added AI solutions have more established software with more design and business features that can be useful.
This can be important in the process of editing and customizing your AI website. To put it simply, they usually offer more options.
If you're interested in the topic, check out my comprehensive overview of the best AI website builders.
WebWave AI Writer
Generate your website copy with just one click.
WebWave AI Writer
Generate your website copy with just one click.
Creating a website with ChatGPT and Midjourney - a case study
Even though AI website builders are the most optimal AI web design tool, let's not ignore ChatGPT and AI image generators like Midjourney or Dall-e.
Those tools are still very useful in the process of website creation, especially if you want to be a hands-on creator of your site or want to redesign or retouch your already existing website.
I took up the challenge of creating a website with ChatGPT and Midjourney to see these tools' capabilities in site design.
ChatGPT
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a chatbot launched by OpenAI in late November 2022. Itâs a chatbot that was created to mimic a human interlocutor. To achieve this goal it was trained using supervised and reinforced learning. The results were satisfying enough for The New York Times to call ChatGPT âthe best artificial intelligence chatbot ever released to the general publicâ. The ChatGPT quickly became extremely popular with over 1 million users gathered in just 5 days.
Encouraged by the numbers and very enthusiastic feedback from public opinion, I decided to give it a try.
How ChatGPT works
ChatGPT doesnât require much to get started. Once you sign up, youâre ready to start a conversation with your new AI-powered friend. The UI is simple and easy to navigate.
You can have multiple separate conversations with the bot, each on a different topic. ChatGPT remembers everything that was said previously in the course of the exchange. It makes you feel like you are talking to a real human being.
I was skeptical when I read all the pean about how human-like ChatGPT is but I had to let go of my doubts quickly. Using it was a very pleasant experience.
ChatGPT has limitations. It possessed the knowledge before 2021 and sometimes can give you an answer that doesnât make much sense. However, even with its limitations, ChatGPT is an impressive tool.
How to use ChatGPT to create a website
Considering that you can talk with ChatGPT about almost anything, I decided to give it a try and ask it to come up with a name for my app. It quickly gave me a list of 10 names, and, to be completely honest with you, some of them were pretty good.
If you are in a creative process and need some ideas quickly, donât hesitate and go to ChatGPT. You will at least be inspired.
But back to my website.
After the chatbot helped me to name my plant care app - I went with Bloomify - I asked it to create a content outline for a website. It's an excellent facilitator.
At the first attempt, it proposed the site's structure. Each section was specified with two bullet points explaining what kind of information should be included. Because I wanted to create a homepage for this website, I kept typing prompts directly referencing it. Knowing that I will need a hero section with a headline, a tagline, and a call to action button, I asked specifically to provide such content. Otherwise, I would still be getting rather general answers.
Eventually, I got the content that I could put into my website.
I can already tell, that ChatGPT can be great when youâre creating website templates or a portfolio as a beginner web designer. Unlike in the process of working with clients, when they usually already know what their website must contain, youâre starting from scratch.
Turn to ChatGPT for website outline and content ideas and focus on website creation and showcasing your design skills. Imagine how much time you can save when you donât have to think about the copy.
Of course, ChatGPT in web design can be used in many more ways. This a very versatile tool that can play different roles in the process of creating website and learning web design in general.
Midjourney
What is Midjourney and how to use it?
Midjourney is a popular AI web image generator. Images are created from text descriptions - prompts. Currently, 4 versions of Midjourney are available, with the latest released in an alpha version in November 2022.
You can access Midjourney via their official Discord and the artwork is generated by Discord bots. Once you type in /imagine command and then your prompt, you get 4 propositions of your artwork. You can keep generating another 4 versions of each image or render them in higher resolution and download them.
You get to generate 25 images for free.
Midjourney is easy to use, however, it takes some time to generate the artwork, so you have to be patient. There are a lot o users in each newbie's room and new art will come up on your feed all the time. At first, I felt a bit overwhelmed by it, but once I got used to the way it works and how much I have to wait for an image to generate, the whole experience was better.
How to use Midjourney in web design
As predictable as it is, I wanted to use artwork created in Midjourney on my website as design elements. I decided to choose a similar approach that I had to ChatGPT and first write a general prompt asking to create a layout for a plant care app website.
Inspired by the results, I opted for a hero section with a mock-up of the said app. I started working on it by typing various prompts. With each artwork created, I was getting more and more specific, adding details about the color palette or even including a monstera leaf in the design.
The right prompt is the key to success in working with Midjourney. Writing the precise description requires a trial-and-error method. Changing just one word can invert the final result. In my case, it took me 17 attempts to generate the art I was satisfied with. I chose my final images from 48 unique artworks.
Just think how much time it would take to create all of that by yourself!
AI, once again, helps you work faster and more efficiently. Midjourney in web design is especially useful when youâre creating a website prototype or want to create custom images for your project.
Creating a plant care app website with AI tools
After I generated all the content and necessary materials, it was finally time to build a website. I picked two illustrations created in Midjourney and removed the background from them so that I could use them in my project. I created quickly a logo for my app and picked the right fonts for a website. I used the imagery that I created as a guide for all my styling choices. The color palette for my website was also picked out from the AI art.
Equipped with everything that I might have needed I opened WebWave and started the final stage of my creative work. WebWave was great for recreating a layout from an image, because itâs a drag and drop website builder, meaning I can position elements wherever I want. I didnât have to worry about fitting into tables or grids like in Wix or other website editors.
The flexibility of my website builder lets me build the homepage quickly. All I had to do was put elements in the right place. I used pre-built elements like the menu and buttons but could modify them to my liking effortlessly. I copied all the text from ChatGPT and then just added images from Midjourney. In just a few clicks my ai-powered website was ready.
Is the AI website worth it?
Generally speaking, my experience with AI web design is positive. At a very low cost and saving lots of time, I manage to create a good-looking, modern website with unique designs. I didnât have to think about the copy or look for fitting images online or create them by myself. I want to once again emphasize how time-effective that is.
If you want to design and sell website templates, donât hesitate and start implementing AI solutions into your creative process. Work smart, not hard, and just use AI web design. You can also use artificial intelligence to improve your already existing website templates. It's worth giving it a try.
Same thing, if you work in a digital agency or a marketing agency. In your case, ChatGPT seems to be especially helpful. It can accelerate your brainstorming process or help you deal with a creative block. Seeing how well it managed to create a content outline for a website, I imagine it might be as convenient for an article synopsis. It might change the way the content is produced. I haven't checked AI-generated text SEO performance. If it turns out to be good, I can see Chat GPT becoming an integral part of digital marketing.
If you create custom websites as a freelance web designer or as an agency, you can also implement artificial intelligence into your workflow. But it might not be great for custom, specific designs, like ecommerce sites. Just look again at the smartphone image that I used in my project. Itâs not customized to my made-up app Bloomify. I was trying prompts that included the app name, but not surprisingly, I wasnât able to get this highly-personalized image.
However, you can still use AI in the early stages of working with clients, to create prototypes. Because it will help you work faster, you will be able to build better relationships with clients and enhance the image of your brand. Your prototypes will look more professional and help you create a better user experience.
A website with artificial intelligence is great for capturing ideas that might be hard to imagine for clients. It builds website fundaments that you can later work on, personalize, and also customize. AI tools might not be essential in your field, but have a lot of potential to be extremely beneficial.
The main disadvantages I can see are in Midjourney. For now, those images still look rather fresh and new, but they definitely have a certain style. No matter what prompt you will type in, the image you will get looks like something created by AI.
They are not very versatile and can soon look all the same. I am pretty positive that this tool will be developed and improved. In a few years will be able to generate even better stuff, but for now, itâs not something groundbreaking aesthetically. In my opinion, AI art won't be the right fit for creating a custom website for a small business. It might fail at emulating anticipated online presence.
Are AI tools going to replace web designers?
The answer is a firm no. Those tools are here to help and they will be great at doing it. They are not autonomic solutions that can create comprehensive creations.
Web designers and artists in general create work that is original and has a specific context that makes it valuable. Even if Midjourney gives you unlimited variants of one image, it has no capability of making it truly significant. This factor is necessary to create something that will be speaking to people and will be able to connect with them. Maybe in the future, the human role in a creative process will be reduced to supervision, and AI tools will take over the execution. Thatâs very much possible, especially in the world of digital art. But Iâm not going to get carried away with my predictions.
I donât think creators should look at AI tools as a threat. Itâs better to treat it as an opportunity to be better and more efficient.
The factor of streamlining your work is the reason why AI website builders are becoming more popular. If you can do something in 2 minutes instead of 30, of course, you're going to take a shortcut. Web design and web development are constantly changing and now it's time to test AI in the process of building your website. We will see which solutions will stick with us.
FAQ.
What is AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. AI is a broad term that refers to the ability of computing systems to learn, reason, and self-correct based on data. AI systems can be trained to recognize patterns, draw conclusions, and provide insights that would be too complex or time-consuming for humans to detect. AI is used in many different industries, such as healthcare (for example EMR software in the medical industry), finance, and robotics. AI is not just a text generator. You can also use it to generate ideas and support various areas in the field of website development.
What are the types of AI?
Currently, there are 4 types of AI: Reactive, Limited Memory, Theory of Mind, and Self-Aware. Reactive AI is the most basic type. It is programmed to provide predictable answers to the input. It will always respond in the same way to the same input because it can't learn or perceive the past or future. It's the baseline for every other type of AI. Limited memory AI, on the other hand, can learn from the past and synthesize prior knowledge with new observations. Thanks to that, it's able to handle more complex tasks. Theory of Mind AI is a more humanoid type of AI. It has emotional intelligence, can recognize emotions, and have human-like conversations. The last type of AI - Self-aware - is the most advanced one. It can be aware of its own emotions and states.
What is an AI tool?
AI tool is a tool powered by artificial intelligence. They will usually use reactive or limited memory types of AI, however, the Theory of Mind type of AI is becoming more and more popular due to technological progress. AI tools are widely accessible both as a part of other solutions or as separate software. ChatGPT might be one of the most talked about examples of AI tools at the moment, with MidJourney following its steps. However AI-powered technology finds its way to storm software development for manufacturing, smart homes, cities, and infrastructure, as well as e-commerce, advertising, image recognition, and linguistic fields with AI subtitle generators or translators.
What are AI website builders?
AI website builders are a new generation of tools that use AI to help users build websites quickly and easily. With the help of AI, these tools can automatically generate code, create content, and provide design recommendations based on user input. This makes it easier for users to create functional websites without having to know any coding or design skills. AI website builders are a great way for businesses to get their website up and running in no time, as well as save time and money by automating the process.
Web page builders fall into two categories such as those that use AI to create content for pages and those that create a page after asking the user a few questions. By completing the text, you can generate ideas for content on the site and its structure.
Automatic page creation allows you to change text, fonts, colors, or graphics on your site. You can also add pages or widgets and integrate applications to fully personalize your site. You can start creating a site from scratch, use templates, or have AI create and complete a new site. The setup will only take a few minutes.
AI generators offer a wide range of features, driven by artificial intelligence. This is what sets them apart from other website creators. Tools, driven by AI are a company name generator, a slogan generator, or a logo creator.
What types of websites can you create with AI?
All types of websites can be created with AI. The variety of tools offers a range of applications. Every website can be enhanced by an AI-generated logo, headline, tagline, body content, imagery, etc. It is possible to create websites that are interactive, engaging, and personalized. AI technology can be used to build a wide range of websites from simple landing pages to complex e-commerce stores. AI can also be used to create websites that are optimized for search engines and have advanced features such as natural language processing. AI-driven websites can also provide customers with an enhanced user experience by providing personalized recommendations and tailored content.
How to design a website using artificial intelligence?
There are many ways how you can use AI in web design, it all depends on how much you want to do by yourself and how much has to be done by AI. Starting from the bottom, you can ask AI to teach you how to design a website, help you pick the right website builder, and then guide you through the whole process. It can create a checklist for your website so that you don't forget to make it mobile-friendly or connect a custom domain.
You can utilize it to come up with the idea for your website - from the outline, color scheme, and typography. Another tier is asking it to generate specific content for your site. It can be a headline or a body text, or even a full article. If you want, you can just use AI tools to assist you in writing SEO-optimized content. AI can also generate images for your site and make it look as unique as possible. The possibilities are constantly growing thanks to the major interest of users and investors. And remember, that you can always make changes and just use these tools for inspiration.
How to use AI in SEO?
In SEO, just like in web design, AI can do very much or very little for you. It can write an entire article, or be your assistant and make suggestions for you. How you gonna use AI in SEO depends on you and how much control over the text you want to have. The fact, that with the use of Artificial Intelligence, you can create blog posts, product descriptions, categories, or information pages for online stores, changes digital marketing and creates a real challenge for search engines. Depending on the tool, besides content generation, you will get lots of assistance in keyword and query research, as well as finding SEO opportunities and competition analysis. If you are an SEO specialist or a digital marketing agency you can make great use of it and lift your experience to another level.
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