How AI Is Changing ELT Book Design

AI has quickly entered almost every aspect of the creative process, and book design is no exception. In the world of educational publishing and ELT (English Language Teaching), we’re seeing AI become part of conversations around briefs, visual development, image-making, content and production.

Rather than offering a list of dos and don’ts, we wanted to share our experience of using AI in the studio so far, and how it’s changing the way we work as book and ELT designers.

Using AI to Explore Ideas and Develop Briefs

AI seems to be increasingly used for developing briefs, sparking ideas and exploring visual styles. We’ve found that clients sometimes use tools such as Adobe Firefly to develop a brief or mood board before handing a project over to us. In some cases, this can be a useful way of exploring alternative approaches, particularly when a project involves ideas from multiple departments or stakeholders.

Turning lots of thoughts into something visual can help everyone understand the direction more quickly. Sometimes, having an image to respond to is much more useful than staring at a dreaded blank page.

A picture really can be worth a thousand words.

For ELT book design, this can be especially useful at the early stages of a project. A visual reference can help establish the tone, age group, characters, illustration style, colour palette or overall feel of a coursebook or workbook before the design process begins. But there is an important distinction between using AI to explore an idea and using it to create the final artwork.

The Reality of AI-Generated Images in Book Production

AI-generated images can create unrealistic expectations around production. An image that looks convincing on screen isn’t necessarily a usable asset for a published book. AI-generated images aren’t usually layered, editable or created to the high-resolution and technical specifications required for professional book production. They may also contain details that are difficult to reproduce, edit or correct.

This matters particularly in educational publishing, where images often need to work alongside text, diagrams, exercises and other page elements. They may need to be adapted for different editions, formats or age groups, or adjusted to meet a publisher’s production requirements.

There is also the question of how long it would take to recreate the AI-generated idea properly. An AI image might suggest a beautifully complex scene, but recreating that concept as a finished illustration, photograph or designed page could take far longer than the budget allows.

For now, there’s still no magic “make book” button! This is where we feel our experience and creative judgement remain important.

Why Human Judgement Still Matters in Book Design

Good book design isn’t simply about making something look appealing. A designer needs to understand the reader, the audience, the content and the purpose of the page. In ELT and educational book design, visual decisions also need to support learning. An image might need to introduce vocabulary, explain an idea, establish a context or help a learner navigate an activity.

Knowing what will work for the reader and knowing what to edit, simplify or move away from, is still a big part of what we do. AI can generate possibilities very quickly, but it doesn’t replace the experience needed to judge those possibilities.

In our experience, AI currently works best as a tool for brainstorming, visual exploration and developing possibilities, rather than as a finished design solution.

AI, Copyright and Ethics in Educational Publishing

We are now more vigilant and acutely aware of copyright, ethics and authenticity. Our clients and publishing partners have their own policies around AI-generated material, some more restrictive than others. For designers working in educational and ELT publishing, understanding these policies is becoming an increasingly important part of the job.

AI has made it much easier to manipulate photography, too. This means we have to think carefully about what is acceptable and where the boundaries sit. Adobe Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool, for example, can be incredibly powerful. There are situations where we might previously have manually extended a background to create space for type, or made small adjustments to clothing for cultural sensitivities.

We’ve been wary of using generative tools automatically in these situations. In our experience, we’ve often had to go back into the file afterwards and make further adjustments to ensure the result looks realistic and appropriate.

There is also a wider question around authenticity. When an image has been generated or significantly altered using AI, should the client, publisher or reader know? Different organisations have different answers, but being transparent about when and how AI has been used is becoming an increasingly important part of the creative process.

AI generated content

We’ve seen a similar shift in written content. Some of the manuscripts and exercises we’ve been asked to typeset have clearly been AI-generated. For ELT materials, this raises particular questions because language needs to be accurate, appropriate for the learner’s level and suitable for the educational context.

Editors and proofreaders are still essential, but checking, correcting and reworking content has become even more important. AI might produce a version, but it still needs a human eye. We have also seen illustrators use AI for first concepts and roughs which has been frustrating, especially when we are asking for bespoke illustration for a space. We have had to be diplomatic in addressing this and navigating what we feel is acceptable.

The same principle applies to design. AI can produce an image, suggest a layout or generate a visual direction, but someone still needs to decide whether it communicates the right thing, works for the intended audience and can actually be produced.

AI as Another Tool in the ELT Book Design Toolkit

Currently, we think we’ve simply been given different tools. The challenge is to stay curious while maintaining our creative judgement. AI can help us explore more possibilities, particularly when budgets and timelines are tight. It can help turn an initial thought into something visual, provide alternative directions and give clients and designers something to discuss.

But good ELT book design involves much more than generating an attractive image. It involves understanding the learner, the content, the publisher, the production process and the purpose of the design. It means knowing when an idea needs simplifying, when an image isn’t working, when a layout needs changing and when an AI-generated solution simply isn’t the right answer.

For us, AI isn’t about producing the final answer. It’s about knowing how to use it, when to step back from it, and knowing that an experienced designer is still needed in the project.