How brand designer Gizem Akdağ gets from inspiration to execution
In this series, we’re exploring how artists across industries are using Firefly Boards to enhance their creative workflows right at the very start of a project. Each article puts the spotlight on a different discipline — from industrial design to filmmaking.
Ever-shortening deadlines and a relentless demand for fresh content have turned the creative process into a race against time. The challenge isn’t just about generating innovative ideas quickly — it’s about aligning on a cohesive creative vision before diving into production.
This is where Firefly Boards comes in, a transformative ideation tool that empowers creatives to quickly visualize standout ideas using a generative AI-first approach to developing concepts.
Firefly Boards has become indispensable for Gizem Akdağ, a forward-thinking brand designer and creative director based in Turkey. She uses Boards in the early stages of her projects to rapidly build moodboards, explore diverse design directions, and develop compelling brand identities that resonate with her clients.
A new era in brand design
Akdağ’s exploration of AI in branding began more than a year ago, when she started integrating it into her workflow to streamline the creative process.
“For me, AI feels like a creative partner,” she explained. “It helps speed up ideation, generate visuals fast, and give me more time to refine concepts and make strategic decisions. It’s not about replacing creativity but amplifying it in new and exciting ways.”
With Firefly Boards, Akdağ found an essential tool that not only accelerates concept development but also helps maintain a high level of quality and cohesion in her designs.
“The more I incorporate AI into my branding projects, the more I realize its potential to revolutionize the creative process. AI opens up endless opportunities for experimentation.”
- Gizem Akdağ
Initially, Akdağ used AI to generate visuals for icon sets, album covers, packaging, and social media campaigns. It allowed her to explore ideas that might otherwise be too time-consuming, freeing her up to focus more on the creative side of a project.
For a coffee shop branding project, Akdağ started with the client brief before using Firefly Boards to explore directions that aligned with the aesthetic she had in mind.
Accelerate ideation into execution
One of Firefly Board’s strengths lies in its ability to transition seamlessly from ideation to execution. In a recent branding project for a new coffee shop, Akdağ began with a clear client brief and conducted in-depth research to identify the aesthetic that would best capture the brand’s essence. She then turned to Firefly Boards to explore multiple design directions.
Using the all-in-one tool, Akdağ crafted detailed moodboards that combined a mix of handpicked images, AI-generated visuals, and inspirational references. As her ideas evolved, she began to experiment with different colors, textures, and moods. This iterative process allowed her to try out minimalist designs alongside more playful, bold concepts.
“What I love most about Firefly Boards is how it streamlines the process of crafting cohesive moodboards and transforming those styles into polished visuals. It’s intuitive and flexible, bringing together tools for ideation, visualization, and refinement — all in one place.”
- Gizem Akdağ
As a final step, Akdağ used Firefly Boards to refine the brand guideline for the direction she settled on and generate a variety of images.
“I can prototype concepts quickly and test various approaches without disrupting my creative flow,” Akdağ pointed out. “By allowing me to create and modify images easily, the composition reference feature in particular has significantly sped up decision-making during projects.”
Once Akdağ finalized the direction, she used Firefly Boards to create mockups, visuals for social media, and elements for the brand guidelines. Beyond the design process itself, Firefly Boards has transformed the way Gizem interacts with her clients. The tool’s capacity to generate high-quality, ready-to-present visuals ensures she can meet clients’ expectations, making client meetings more structured and effective.
Akdağ was able to remix and iterate on different ideas with Firefly Boards, while out and about.
Looking ahead: The future of creative ideation
As Firefly Boards continues to evolve, Akdağ is excited about the potential for even deeper integration of AI in her creative process.
“Firefly Boards streamlines workflows by bringing different tools together in one platform, making it easier to iterate and turn abstract ideas into clear visuals,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how new features will further connect brainstorming with fully developed designs.”
The Firefly Boards beta is currently open. Try it out and help us build the future of ideation and moodboarding in the age of AI.