Thinking with Images

I really wanted to share this book in English, but it doesn’t have a translation. The reason I always carry this book with me is that, for people who work creating images, it offers a way of analyzing and thinking about the act of production that is simple, practical, and always opens up the imagination.

Each of the 60 images includes an analysis and an exercise so you can practice the concepts presented; it’s a way of training ourselves visually. But I’d like to circle around the topic a bit before getting to the point.

Nowadays, image generation services have eliminated almost every technical limitation (though I say this with some reservation). While this has opened the field to many amateurs, it is also true that these new images often leave much to be desired when it comes to conceptual grounding or offering an innovative element characteristic of creatives who approach a campaign or project and generate a completely new image.

This is where thinking with images can help us, as creators, stay one step ahead: by helping us understand how to construct meaning and organize visual elements, we can distill a unique graphic message, whether for illustrations, photography, documentaries, or film.

An interpretation of Alzheimer’s by Krea.ai

his book explores how images can be used to express ideas. Before flipping through it, try the following exercise: think about how you would represent Alzheimer’s disease with a single image.

Now, you can turn the page.

As you can see from the example above, the book challenges you from start to finish. You may be tempted to turn to AI and prompt it for an image — you may want to immediately see the result — but the idea is that you are forced to do it yourself first.

I believe that in this day and age, coming up with a fully developed image — whether an illustration, photograph, or video — can take too much time. Therefore, I suggest first writing your ideas down. Any method will do: brainstorming, making lists, jotting down thoughts, creating a collage or mood board — you name it.

After that, you can turn to AI for refinement or simply explore what ideas emerge from prompting it. This way, you remain more in control of the outcome and more in tune with the visual production itself, even if the final image is ultimately generated by AI.

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