NDB Imago – why we built our own AI tool
Words by Michael Grupe, Head of Strategic Communications
NDB Imago – why we built our own AI tool
Words by Michael Grupe, Head of Strategic Communications
NDB Imago – why we
built our own AI tool
Words by Michael Grupe,
Head of Strategic Communications
Does this sound familiar? Existing AI tools can do a
lot – just not quite exactly what we need. That’s why
we developed our own system, NDB Imago: driven
by a desire for independence, precision and an AI
that suits the way we work.
There are currently two common ways of talking about AI. One is euphoric: everything is becoming faster, simpler and smarter. The other is sceptical: too much hype, too many promises, too little substance. Both views are valid. Both fall short.
Because, of course, AI is already making a noticeable difference to our work today. It speeds up processes, opens up new avenues and pushes the boundaries of what is possible in a short space of time. But that is precisely why another question is becoming increasingly important: what does an AI tool actually need to be able to do to make it truly relevant to my work?
Does this sound familiar? Existing AI tools can do a lot – just not quite exactly what we need. That’s why we developed our own system, NDB Imago: driven by a desire for independence, precision and an AI that suits the way we work. There are currently two common ways of talking about AI. One is euphoric: everything is becoming faster, simpler and smarter. The other is sceptical: too much hype, too many promises, too little substance. Both views are valid. Both fall short. Because, of course, AI is already making a noticeable difference to our work today. It speeds up processes, opens up new avenues and pushes the boundaries of what is possible in
a short space of time. But that is precisely why another question is becoming increasingly important: what does an AI tool actually need to be able to do to make it truly relevant to my work?
Does this sound familiar? Existing AI tools can do a lot – just not quite exactly what we need. That’s why we developed our own system, NDB Imago: driven by a desire for independence, precision and an AI that suits the way we work. There are currently two common ways of talking about AI. One is euphoric: everything is becoming faster, simpler and smarter. The other
is sceptical: too much hype, too many promises, too little substance. Both views are valid. Both fall short. Because, of course, AI is already making a noticeable difference to our work today. It speeds up processes, opens up new avenues and pushes the boundaries of what is possible in a short space of time. But that is precisely why another question is becoming increasingly important: what does an AI tool actually need to be able to do to make it truly relevant to my work?
We have been grappling with this question intensively over the past few months. We were on the hunt for THE tool for image creation, editing and optimisation. A little cliffhanger: we didn’t find it. Not yet, anyway. But first things first: we tested, compared, discarded and rethought. Many tools could do a lot. Some could do even more. Unfortunately, however, none of them could do exactly what we had in mind – and we admit our expectations were very specific.
Tailored implementation rather than a multitude of options
We wanted a tool that suited our way of thinking and working: our blend of strategic thinking, creative development, design standards and our project requirements. We didn’t want a system that impressed us with its range of possibilities. We wanted one that would genuinely make us better at what we do on a day-to-day basis. So this search led to a fairly clear decision: if the right tool didn’t exist, we’d simply build it ourselves. That’s how NDB Imago came into being.
Unconstrained by platform-specific logic that doesn’t suit our way of working. Unconstrained by promises
of functionality that look good in a demo but prove only partially useful in day-to-day project work. And unconstrained by the notion that creative and strategic processes can simply be delegated to just any system. Because we don’t believe in that.
A working tool rather than an effects machine
We do not believe that good work is achieved simply by collecting as many tools as possible. We believe that good work is produced when tools are precisely tailored to tasks, ways of thinking and quality standards. That is why we conceived NDB Imago not as an effects machine, but as a working tool. As a system
that takes our requirements seriously. As an environment in which we can not only generate things, but also develop them further in a targeted manner, test them, refine them and translate them into concrete applications.
Yes, that may sound less spectacular than many grand AI promises. But for us, it’s far more relevant. Because ultimately, it all comes down to whether it actually does the right thing in practice. This is particularly crucial in creative work. Anyone who works with ideas, brands, content, images and communication on
a daily basis knows that not every quick solution is a good solution. Not every variation is a viable alternative. And not every result is ready for presentation straight away.
We built NDB Imago because we have a clear vision.
Have we succeeded? We are, at the very least, proud that we didn’t take the easy route, but instead invested in a solution that takes us further. As is often the case, NDB Imago isn’t finished yet. It may never be. It continues to evolve because we’re working with it ourselves. It’s getting better because our requirements are specific and we’re constantly optimising it based on our experience. Perhaps that’s precisely its greatest advantage: it doesn’t stem from abstract product logic, but from real-world practice.
NDB Imago is our own attempt to bring the hype surrounding AI tools down to earth for us. If you’d like to see how we work with it, we’d be happy to show you.
We have been grappling with this question intensively over the past few months. We were on the hunt for THE tool for image creation, editing and optimisation. A little cliffhanger: we didn’t find it. Not yet, anyway. But first things first: we tested, compared, discarded and rethought. Many tools could do a lot. Some could do even more. Unfortunately, however, none of them could do exactly what we had in mind – and we admit our expectations were very specific.
Tailored implementation rather than a multitude of options
We wanted a tool that suited our way of thinking and working: our blend of strategic thinking, creative development, design standards and our project requirements. We didn’t want a system that impressed us with its range of possibilities. We wanted one that would genuinely make us better at what we do on a day-to-day basis. So this search led to a fairly clear decision: if the right tool didn’t exist, we’d simply build it ourselves. That’s how NDB Imago came into being.
Unconstrained by platform-specific logic that doesn’t suit our way of working. Unconstrained by promises of functionality that look good in a demo but prove only partially useful in day-to-day project work. And unconstrained by the notion that creative and strategic processes can simply be delegated to just any system. Because we don’t believe in that.
A working tool rather than an effects machine
We do not believe that good work is achieved simply by collecting as many tools as possible. We believe that good work is produced
when tools are precisely tailored to tasks, ways of thinking and quality standards. That is why we conceived NDB Imago not as an effects machine, but as a working tool. As a system that takes our requirements seriously. As an environment in which we can not only generate things, but also develop them further in a targeted manner, test them, refine them and translate them into concrete applications.
Yes, that may sound less spectacular than many grand AI promises. But for us, it’s far more relevant. Because ultimately, it all comes down
to whether it actually does the right thing in practice. This is particularly crucial in creative work. Anyone who works with ideas, brands, content, images and communication on a daily basis knows that not every quick solution is a good solution. Not every variation is a viable alternative. And not every result is ready for presentation straight away.
We built NDB Imago because we have a clear vision.
Have we succeeded? We are, at the very least, proud that we didn’t take the easy route, but instead invested in a solution that takes us further. As is often the case, NDB Imago isn’t finished yet. It may never be. It continues to evolve because we’re working with it ourselves. It’s getting better because our requirements are specific and we’re constantly optimising it based on our experience. Perhaps that’s precisely its greatest advantage: it doesn’t stem from abstract product logic, but from real-world practice.
NDB Imago is our own attempt to bring the hype surrounding AI tools down to earth for us. If you’d like to see how we work with it, we’d be happy to show you.
We have been grappling with this question intensively over the past few months. We were on the hunt for THE tool for image creation, editing and optimisation. A little cliffhanger: we didn’t find it. Not yet, anyway. But first things first: we tested, compared, discarded and rethought. Many tools could do a lot. Some could do even more. Unfortunately, however, none of them could do exactly what we had in mind – and we admit our expectations were very specific.
Tailored implementation rather than a multitude of options
We wanted a tool that suited our way of thinking and working: our blend of strategic thinking, creative development, design standards and our project requirements. We didn’t want a system that impressed us with its range of possibilities. We wanted one that would genuinely make us better at what we do on a day-to-day basis.
So this search led to a fairly clear decision: if the right tool didn’t exist, we’d simply build it ourselves. That’s how NDB Imago came into being.
Unconstrained by platform-specific logic that doesn’t suit our way of working. Unconstrained by promises of functionality that look good in a demo but prove only partially useful in day-to-day project work. And unconstrained by the notion that creative and strategic processes can simply be delegated to just any system. Because we don’t believe in that.
A working tool rather than an effects machine
We do not believe that good work is achieved simply by collecting as many tools as possible. We believe that good work is produced when tools are precisely tailored to tasks, ways of thinking and quality standards. That is why we conceived NDB Imago not as an effects machine, but as a working tool. As a system that takes
our requirements seriously. As an environment
in which we can not only generate things, but also develop them further in a targeted manner, test them, refine them and translate them into concrete applications.
Yes, that may sound less spectacular than many grand AI promises. But for us, it’s far more relevant. Because ultimately, it all comes down to whether it actually does the right thing in practice. This is particularly crucial in creative work. Anyone who works with ideas, brands, content, images and communication on a daily basis knows that not every quick solution is a good solution. Not every variation is a viable alternative. And not every result is ready for presentation straight away.
We built NDB Imago because we have a
clear vision.
Have we succeeded? We are, at the very least, proud that we didn’t take the easy route, but instead invested in a solution that takes us further. As is often the case, NDB Imago isn’t finished yet. It may never be. It continues to evolve because we’re working with it ourselves. It’s getting better because our requirements are specific and we’re constantly optimising it based on our experience. Perhaps that’s precisely its greatest advantage: it doesn’t stem from abstract product logic, but from real-world practice.
NDB Imago is our own attempt to bring the hype surrounding AI tools down to earth for us. If you’d like to see how we work with it, we’d be happy to show you.
