When I first opened Midjourney, I wasn’t looking to replace anything—I just wanted to explore faster ways to express creative concepts. Budgets were tight, timelines tighter, and I was hunting for a tool that could help me show clients the potential of a direction—visually, quickly, and with impact.

What I found was more than speed. It was possibility.

Faster Isn’t the Point—It’s Better Ideas, Faster

Like a lot of people, I started with complex prompts, hoping more words would yield better results. Eventually, I pivoted. I began layering in simple prompts with deep digital reference, leaning heavily on Midjourney’s SREF system and moodboard-based workflows. That was the unlock: treating Midjourney less like a generator and more like a creative partner.

One of my biggest “a-ha” moments came when I realized I could use it to sell ideas. Not just decorate decks. It gave form to concepts in a way that felt rich, expressive, and sometimes awe-inspiring.

Embracing the Weird, Building Consistency

Midjourney isn’t always predictable—and that’s part of the fun. When wild or abstract results popped up, I didn’t dismiss them. I studied them. Tried to recreate them. Like any creative tool, the happy accidents are often the most memorable.

To create consistency, I began combining moodboards and sharing personalization codes with colleagues to help them achieve similar results. I haven’t formalized a prompt library yet, but I’ve found ways to build a recognizable style through experimentation.

Know the Limits, Push the Edges

Of course, Midjourney has limitations. Typography is still clunky. Resolution used to be a problem (and is quickly improving). But for early-stage design thinking, it’s become a core part of how I work. It’s not a crutch—it’s a creative accelerant.

And no, I don’t think it’s “too good.” It still requires human taste, intuition, and storytelling. That’s what brings it to life.

Not Just Midjourney: What Other Models Bring to the Table

While Midjourney has been my go-to for stylized, art-directed visuals, it’s not the only player in the space. Each model brings its own strengths—and understanding the differences helps you pick the right tool for the job.

• Midjourney is great for vibe-driven, artistic, and highly stylized outputs. It excels at moody lighting, surreal compositions, and concept exploration—especially when paired with SREF codes and visual references.
  
  
• DALL·E (from OpenAI) shines in more literal image construction. It handles typography and structured compositions better, which makes it useful for product mockups or editorial-style graphics. Its inpainting and editing capabilities are also strong for refining existing images.
  
  
• Stable Diffusion is open-source and ultra-flexible. It’s popular with developers and advanced users who want more control under the hood. With custom models and fine-tuned training, it’s great for consistency at scale—but it comes with a steeper learning curve.
  
  
• Adobe Firefly integrates well into design workflows, especially for content-aware fills and background generation within Photoshop. It’s less expressive than Midjourney but more practical for polished production work.

As creative tooling evolves, I’ve found value in blending models—starting with Midjourney for ideation, refining in Photoshop, and using tools like DALL·E or Firefly for specific tweaks. It’s not about choosing one. It’s about understanding how they complement each other.

A Tool Worth Exploring

I’d recommend Midjourney to any designer—as long as you’re open to learning. It rewards curiosity, not control. My advice? Don’t just prompt it. Play with it. Explore. Make mistakes. And most importantly, use it to shape ideas, not just aesthetics.

AI won’t replace creativity—but it’s becoming an incredible way to amplify it.

About Us

Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) is a Seattle-based startup studio and venture capital fund. We partner with exceptional founders to build the next generation of world-changing companies, combining innovative ideas, expert guidance, and investment capital. PSL operates through two primary arms: PSL Studio, which focuses on creating new startups from scratch, and PSL Ventures, which invests in early-stage companies. Our mission is to drive innovation and growth by providing the necessary resources and support to turn big ideas into successful, impactful businesses. If you have a groundbreaking vision, connect with us hello@psl.com, and let’s build something extraordinary.