Why Creative Repertoire Beats AI Prompt Courses
Renato analyzes AI's impact on graphic design, the utility of prompt courses, and the enduring value of creative repertoire.
The rise of artificial intelligence has reshaped visual production and software development. In a conversation with Bruno Gimenes, Renato explains why cultural repertoire and business-focused thinking easily outweigh prepackaged prompt engineering.
Renato joined Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on creative work, the design industry, and business operations. The discussion ranged from the rise of micro-automations to the practical rollout of AI-generated assets in physical retail.
In the video above, the conversation details how technical shifts are impacting agencies, franchisees, and creative professionals. The analysis contrasts the hype surrounding no-code tools with the harsh infrastructure realities required to keep live operations running.
The Illusion of Vibe Coding and Infrastructure Risks
The rise of tools promising to turn anyone into a programmer mirrors patterns seen in past tech cycles. Renato points out that building surface-level interfaces is very different from maintaining systems at scale: "Someone starts selling something that looks great in cloud code because cloud code does amazing, wonderful things, but when you look under the hood, it's just not working."
The same dynamic affects creators of AI chatbots and messaging integrations. Independent developers building standalone solutions face direct competition from platform owners, alongside steep operational costs if they lack official partnerships. The landscape closely resembles previous digital market bubbles, where few models proved sustainable over the long haul.
Artificial Intelligence in Retail and Point-of-Sale
In physical retail, AI-generated imagery has already become commonplace in point-of-sale materials such as pharmacy flyers and promotional posters. While technical designers often criticize visual flaws in fonts and textures, Renato notes that retail prioritizes quick, clear messaging and driving immediate sales above all else.
The decentralization of brand communication across franchise networks also accelerates this trend. Franchise operations like Arcos Dourados, which manages McDonald's franchises, maintain a dedicated marketing fund—amounting to 4.3% of revenue, according to Times Brasil—to ensure national brand consistency. Lacking centralized teams or massive budgets, small businesses and local franchisees turn to AI to meet urgent, short-term promotional demands.
The Designer as a Business Problem Solver
Addressing industry pushback against new AI tools, Renato draws a parallel to the shift from manual ink and photolithography to software like Photoshop and Illustrator, a transition he experienced firsthand in 1998 when taking over as agency creative director. Technology changed the medium of execution, but not the core mission of design.
"Designers build business solutions. That's what this is really about, right?" Renato emphasizes, drawing a clear line between fine art and applied design. For creative professionals navigating automation, the goal is leveraging technology to unblock business hurdles faster: "How do we use AI as a tool—just like a new Photoshop, a new Illustrator, another tool in our kit to get things done?"
Why Cultural Repertoire Outweighs Prompt Courses
When asked about courses focused solely on prompt writing, Renato argues that standardized prompting tips have become obsolete as language models evolve. As tools get better at interpreting context, output quality depends almost entirely on the cultural and theoretical background of the person directing the machine.
"A prompt course is just going to teach you basic patterns that everyone else already knows," Renato argues. In his view, a firm grasp of historical references like the Bauhaus movement, communication theory, broad life experience, and foundational frameworks like marketing's 4 Ps provide the strategic direction AI needs. Without that foundation, the output remains generic: "To stay in control, you need knowledge—you need repertoire. When you use AI today, you have to act like a creative director."