If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that Shakespeare (a.k.a. The Bard) is one of my regular sources of inspiration. Not a big surprise, honestly, given that I was an English major in college. In January of this year, I wrote about the "To thine own self be true" quote from Hamlet. Today I'm sharing my experience with Google's Bard, an AI program.
There's been a lot of chatter online about whether artificial intelligence (AI) programs are good or bad for artists, authors, and other creative types. You might have seen the person who used AI to win a photography contest or the authors suing against an AI software corporation for copyright infringement. While I'm not interested in using AI to generate art or stories (Why would I outsource fun activities to a computer?), I was a little curious whether a system could help me with some of the more mundane tasks that come with selling art online. Small business owners are always told to "work smarter, not harder"--could this be a way to do that? I felt curious, but cautious.
Getting Started
Spoonflower is a print-on-demand site that requires that you buy proofs or samples of your designs before listing them for sale. (The idea is that you'll be able to check the colors and the repeats and correct any errors.) With my last order, it took nearly three weeks for my fabric samples to arrive. I decided to use that time to set up my new fabric listings with a short description and keywords which are used to help potential customers find your items. This way, once the fabric arrived, I could have the text ready to go and in theory, get my listings up more quickly.
I chose to use Google Bard in part because I already had a Gmail account and wouldn't need to set up a new account. It also meant that my previous chats with Google Bard were saved in my Google account, making them easy to access if I wanted to look back at my previous work. This sounded potentially useful because generating keywords is not something I do every day, so it would be helpful to get quickly caught up on what did or did not work. The description for Google Bard also made it seem like it was a good match for the task of coming up with keywords: "Collaborate with Bard to brainstorm ideas, spark creativity, and accelerate productivity."
Here's what the screen looks like once you're logged in:
You type your question in the box at the bottom and the response will appear below. Your previous conversations are on the left side of the screen.
Three Keyword Queries
I've always found it challenging to come up with the number of keywords required for listing items for sale in online shops. This is one of those tasks that is easier if you design items that feature solid objects rather than abstract or geometric designs. In other words, it's easier to come up with lots of words to describe a fabric with dolphins on it, but much harder for one that is made with abstract paintbrush strokes. I decided I'd try to solicit some keywords for three fabric designs: one with a Christmas ornament print, one with polka dots, and one with abstract paintbrush strokes.
Note: I'm going to share the Bard's responses in full in most cases so you know what to expect if you try this experiment yourself. This means this will be a very long blog post, but there's no reason to read every single keyword suggestion. Feel free to skip ahead!
Ocean Wave Christmas Ornaments
I designed this ocean-inspired ornament pattern for those who like non-traditional Christmas designs. I imagined someone in a beautiful beach house at the holidays. Sure, you could still decorate with snowflakes and snowmen, but why not highlight your sunny surroundings?
Ocean Ornaments Keyword List
Here's my first attempt to get relevant keywords for my ornament pattern:
Me: i need to generate a list of keywords that might be used by customers looking for ocean inspired fabric to decorate their house at christmas
Bard: Here is a list of keywords that might be used by customers looking for ocean inspired fabric to decorate their house at Christmas:
- ocean christmas fabric
- beach christmas fabric
- coastal christmas fabric
- nautical christmas fabric
- marine christmas fabric
- mermaid christmas fabric
- seashell christmas fabric
- fish christmas fabric
- coral christmas fabric
- starfish christmas fabric
- seahorse christmas fabric
- dolphin christmas fabric
- whale christmas fabric
- turtle christmas fabric
- underwater christmas fabric
- reef christmas fabric
- beach scene christmas fabric
- lighthouse christmas fabric
- sailfish christmas fabric
- fishing christmas fabric
- boating christmas fabric
- surfing christmas fabric
- Santa beach christmas fabric
- snowman beach christmas fabric
- reindeer beach christmas fabric
You can also use more specific keywords to describe the type of fabric you are looking for, such as cotton, flannel, fleece, or velvet. You can also use keywords to describe the color of the fabric, such as blue, white, green, or red.
For example, you could use the following keywords:
- blue ocean christmas fabric
- white beach christmas fabric
- green coastal christmas fabric
- red nautical christmas fabric
- cotton mermaid christmas fabric
- flannel seashell christmas fabric
You can also use keywords to describe the specific type of decoration you are looking to make, such as a Christmas tree skirt, stockings, or table runner. For example, you could use the following keywords:
- ocean christmas tree skirt fabric
- beach christmas stocking fabric
- coastal christmas table runner fabric
I hope this list of keywords is helpful!
Analysis of Ocean Ornaments Keyword List
With my first question, I can see that I was too general, as many of the keywords don't apply. However, if I was looking to develop a line of ocean-inspired fabric, this would give me many ideas of things to draw: turtle, mermaids, boats, etc. That said, I did find some words and phrases I hadn't considered like "coastal" and "beach scene." I also thought the reminders about fabric type were potentially helpful reminders for those shops selling finished fabric items.
I didn't include colors in my prompt, so it was interesting to see a few listed in some of the responses. That said, the color choices seemed very basic (blue, white, green, red) and I wondered if they were the result of male-oriented programming or bias. (I'm thinking of articles like "Men and Women See Things Differently" from the Smithsonian which talk about the different vocabularies men and women typically have regarding colors.)
I also forget to mention a key item in my query: ornaments! If I were to redo this query, I'd definitely include this information. It's so easy to feed information into this system that I forgot a basic computer science tenet: GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). If you want good responses from a computer system, you need to put in good information!
The last bulleted list that mentioned tree skirts, stockings, and table runners makes me think that this tool might be better suited for generating possible product ideas rather than describing products that are already made.
Pink and Purple Polka Dots
I designed this pink and purple polka dot fabric as a coordinating print to go also with my ice cream summer pattern. A coordinating print has some of the same colors as the main print, but it's generally simpler. It could be used as the reverse side of a kitchen towel, for example, or maybe for pillowcases that go with a bedspread that has a more complex design. I love polka dots and probably design too many patterns with them, which means it can be difficult for me to come up with new ways to describe each one.
Polka Dot Keyword List 1
For this prompt, I decided to be a little more specific about why someone would buy this patterned fabric.
Me: what keywords or adjectives might a customer use if they were looking for pink and purple polka dot fabric to make their own clothing
Bard: Here are some keywords and adjectives that a customer might use if they were looking for pink and purple polka dot fabric to make their own clothing:
Keywords:
- pink and purple polka dot fabric
- purple and pink polka dot fabric
- polka dot fabric
- pink polka dot fabric
- purple polka dot fabric
- cotton polka dot fabric
- polyester polka dot fabric
- spandex polka dot fabric
- stretch polka dot fabric
- quilting fabric
- apparel fabric
- dressmaking fabric
- sewing fabric
Adjectives:
- pink
- purple
- polka dot
- spotted
- playful
- feminine
- fun
- quirky
- unique
- stylish
- trendy
- vibrant
- colorful
- bright
Customers might also use more specific keywords to describe the type of clothing they want to make, such as a dress, skirt, blouse, or shirt. For example, they might use the following keywords:
- pink and purple polka dot dress fabric
- purple and pink polka dot skirt fabric
- polka dot blouse fabric
- polka dot shirt fabric
Customers might also use keywords to describe the occasion for which they are making the clothing, such as a party, wedding, or everyday wear. For example, they might use the following keywords:
- pink and purple polka dot party dress fabric
- purple and pink polka dot wedding skirt fabric
- polka dot everyday blouse fabric
- polka dot everyday shirt fabric
I hope this list of keywords and adjectives is helpful!
Analysis of Polka Dot Keyword List 1
This response strongly focused on the type of fabric (cotton, quilting, etc) and its potential use (party dress, everyday blouse). It's interesting that the system doesn't seem to know anything about color, as the "pink" and "purple" that I put in my query were the only colors mentioned. A color thesaurus would give you lots of other synonyms to consider such as rose, grape, or lavender, not to mention the general ideas of pastels or brights. I also thought it interesting that the only synonym for "polka dot" was "spotted." There was not mention of circles (the shape of a dot) or variations like dotted. Finally, I found the adjectives like "playful" and "fun" to be the most useful as potential search terms although they might work better in a descriptive paragraph.
Polka Dot Keyword List 2
I decided to try again for a list of keywords related to the polka dot pattern. Here was my second query:
Me: what keywords might a customer type into a search engine to find pink and purple polka dot fabric
Bard:
Analysis of Polka Dot Keyword List 2
This response completely surprised me! But I guess if I say "type into a search engine" as part of my question then I should expect the image results from Google. I did like that it at least identified where the image came from, although with a website like Zazzle (the first result) that is an individual artist's design and that individual is not identified. That does not make me happy as an artist! How long before I see my own work listed?
Abstract Brushstrokes
This white abstract brushstrokes is the kind of print I love for clothing, but is so hard to describe! This is a great example of something that might do very well in a shop where a customer is browsing, but might languish online simply because the customer cannot find it.
Me: please list keywords that potential customers might use to find a teal and white abstract piece of art
Bard: Here is a list of keywords that potential customers might use to find a teal and white abstract piece of art:
- Teal abstract art
- White abstract art
- Teal and white abstract art
- Teal abstract painting
- White abstract painting
- Teal and white abstract painting
- Teal abstract wall art
- White abstract wall art
- Teal and white abstract wall art
- Teal abstract canvas
- White abstract canvas
- Teal and white abstract canvas
- Teal abstract print
- White abstract print
- Teal and white abstract print
- Modern abstract art
- Contemporary abstract art
- Minimalist abstract art
- Geometric abstract art
- Organic abstract art
- Fluid abstract art
- Acrylic abstract art
- Oil abstract art
- Watercolor abstract art
- Mixed media abstract art
- Large abstract art
- Small abstract art
- Oversize abstract art
- Framed abstract art
- Unframed abstract art
- Teal abstract art for living room
- Teal abstract art for bedroom
- Teal abstract art for office
- Teal abstract art for bathroom
- Teal abstract art for kitchen
- Teal abstract art for hallway
- Teal abstract art for nursery
- Teal abstract art for kids' room
- Teal abstract art for gift
You can also use more specific keywords to describe the style of the abstract art, such as:
- Fluid art
- Pour painting
- Alcohol ink art
- Resin art
- Geometric art
- Organic art
- Minimalist art
- Modern art
- Contemporary art
You can also use keywords to describe the mood or feeling of the abstract art, such as:
- Serene
- Tranquility
- Peaceful
- Calming
- Relaxing
- Uplifting
- Energetic
- Exciting
- Playful
- Whimsical
- Ethereal
- Dreamlike
By using a variety of keywords, you can help potential customers find your teal and white abstract art.
Analysis of Abstract Brushstrokes Keyword List
It seems like the word "art" was heavily weighted in the responses with references to types of substrates (canvas), materials (acrylic paint), how the art is presented (framed), and places to hang the artwork (bedroom). As with the polka dot search, I found the adjectives the most interesting, although I don't know if they would necessarily result in more people finding this abstract design. Possibly "modern" and "contemporary" might be useful. And again, as mentioned earlier, the colors teal and white were repeated without any suggestions of alternatives.
It might be more helpful to ask the system to analyze each part separately ("list synonyms for the color teal", "list keywords related to abstract art", etc.) to get more focused suggestions.
Final Thoughts
My final thoughts on using Google Bard for this experiment:
- If you're new to selling online or if English is not your first language, you might find a tool like Google Bard helpful for generating basic descriptive text or keywords. For me, the keywords felt too broad and general to be useful. (They're the kind of words I could easily come up with myself!) A thesaurus would be more valuable, particularly one that is subject-focused and contains niche or specialized language such as a color thesaurus.
- For me, Google Bard seemed best for basic brainstorming, especially since its answers were so wide-ranging. (The long responses to my queries reminded me of a student taking a written exam and hoping that by filling the pages with as many sentences as possible they might accidentally hit the right answer!) If you're looking for product ideas or want to start to narrow down a broad subject (like ocean), it might make sense to try a few queries.
- Overall, this version of the software is not helpful enough that I'd change my current workflow. It seems like it would require many hours of tweaking and practice on my part to figure out the exact best way to pose my questions in order to get the most relevant results. I'd still have to edit the responses down to something useful. Frankly, that doesn't seem to be the best use of my limited time. Not only is it faster for me to write my own keywords, but the words I choose would likely be much more targeted and accurate.
Finally, the biggest issue for me was the troubling use of images and other media in the responses, given that proper attribution is not given. It's the same old problem that artists have been dealing with forever online--customers saying that they got some cool handmade item "from Etsy" or "from Instagram" or "from Amazon" and not from you, the artist. The technology may be changing, but the mindset about individual artists and the value of their work clearly has not.