How to Use AI to Create Images: A Practical Guide
To create images with AI, choose a tool like DALL·E, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion, create an account, then describe in text what you want to see. The tool generates the image in seconds. No drawing skills required. No Photoshop expertise needed. Just the right words.
That’s the short answer. Here’s how to do it properly.
Why a Business Leader Should Care
You need an illustration for a presentation. A visual for an HR campaign. A cover image for an annual report. Your agency wants two weeks and a significant budget.
AI generates that visual in two minutes.
This isn’t a toy for creatives. It’s an operational tool. Marketing, HR, internal communications, and sales teams are already using it. The question is no longer whether it’s useful. It’s how to avoid wasting time fumbling through it.
As I explained in my analysis on the best AI tools for businesses, tool selection depends on your use case. For image generation, the same logic applies.
The Three Tools You Need to Know
DALL·E (OpenAI)
Built directly into ChatGPT. If you already have a ChatGPT Plus subscription, you have access. Describe the image in French or English, and the tool generates several variations. Simple interface, clean results, ideal for sober professional visuals.
Key strength: accessible with no technical setup.
Midjourney
The tool that produces the most aesthetically refined images on the market. It runs through Discord, which is confusing at first. But once you get the hang of it, the visual quality is hard to match for creative visuals, brand illustrations, or atmospheric images.
Key strength: superior artistic quality.
Stable Diffusion
The option for those who want more control. Open source, locally installable, customizable. More technical, but more flexible. Relevant if your organization has confidentiality constraints around the visuals you produce.
Key strength: data sovereignty, advanced customization.
Concrete Steps to Get Started
Step 1: Choose Your Tool Based on Your Need
Want something simple and immediate? DALL·E via ChatGPT. Looking for high-quality creative visuals? Midjourney. Have technical or confidentiality constraints? Stable Diffusion.
Don’t try to test everything at once. Pick one tool and master it.
Step 2: Write a Precise Description
This is where most people fail. They type “an office image” and wonder why the result is generic.
A good description, called a prompt, should include:
- The main subject
- The desired visual style (photographic, illustrative, minimalist, etc.)
- The mood or lighting
- The format if needed (landscape, square, portrait)
Weak example: “a team meeting”
Effective example: “A team meeting in a modern open-plan office, natural light, professional photographic style, collaborative atmosphere, landscape format”
The precision of your text determines the quality of the image. This is the core skill to develop.
Step 3: Iterate Quickly
The first generation is rarely perfect. That’s normal. Adjust the description, relaunch. In three or four iterations, you get what you’re looking for.
Don’t spend an hour crafting the perfect description before launching. Launch, observe, adjust.
Step 4: Check Usage Rights
This is the point business leaders consistently overlook. Each tool has its own commercial usage terms. DALL·E allows commercial use of generated images. Midjourney does too, under a paid subscription. Stable Diffusion depends on the model used.
Before publishing an AI-generated visual in official communications, check the tool’s terms. This isn’t a formality. It’s a matter of compliance.
I’ve built a diagnostic framework to evaluate which AI tools fit your organization given your real constraints. Download the AI Board Pack 2026.
Step 5: Integrate Into Existing Workflows
The classic mistake: using AI sporadically, without integrating it into workflows. The result: every team member experiments independently, with no visual consistency and no brand guidelines.
Define a reference style for your brand. Create two or three template descriptions your teams can reuse. Centralize generated images in a shared folder.
That’s what separates amateur use from professional use.
Pitfalls to Avoid
First pitfall: believing AI replaces a creative director. It doesn’t replace creative judgment. It accelerates execution.
Second pitfall: neglecting brand consistency. Images generated without a framework produce incoherent visual communications. Your brand guidelines must inform your descriptions.
Third pitfall: ignoring visual bias. Image generation tools reproduce stereotypes present in their training data. Verify that your visuals accurately represent the diversity of your teams and markets.
Fourth pitfall: using generated images without checking them. Count the fingers on hands. Look at backgrounds. Tools are improving, but anomalies still exist.
What This Changes in Practice
Teams that integrate AI image generation into their workflows significantly reduce their dependence on agencies for routine visuals. Internal content production timelines shrink. Presentations, HR materials, and internal communications gain visual quality without budget increases.
This isn’t an abstract promise. It’s what I observe with clients who have structured their approach, as I describe in my guide on AI benefits for SMEs.
The skills development curve on these tools is fast. Half a day is enough for a non-technical team member to become autonomous on DALL·E. The real investment is defining the usage framework, not the technical training.
If you want to structure AI tool integration across your organization, request a free diagnostic.
FAQ
Do I need to know how to draw to use these tools?
No. These tools work from text descriptions. The required skill is knowing how to precisely describe what you want, not mastering drawing or design.
What’s the difference between DALL·E and Midjourney?
DALL·E is integrated into ChatGPT, more accessible and oriented toward clean, professional visuals. Midjourney produces images with more refined aesthetics, often preferred for creative or brand use. Both allow commercial use under paid subscriptions.
Can these images be used in official communications?
Yes, with conditions. Check each tool’s terms of use. Most allow commercial use under paid subscriptions. Consult your legal team for sensitive communications or large-scale advertising campaigns.
How long does it take to generate an image?
Between a few seconds and one minute depending on the tool and the complexity of the request. Iteration to refine the result typically takes ten to twenty minutes for a beginner.
Are these tools accessible from Morocco?
Yes. DALL·E via ChatGPT and Midjourney are accessible from Morocco. Several Moroccan media outlets have reported a rapprochement between Morocco and OpenAI, a signal worth monitoring for organizations structuring their AI approach.