Who is actually responsible for how a brand looks in visuals?

Who is actually responsible for how a brand looks in visuals? The AI creator? The designer? The brand manager? “The one who presses the button”? 

 The truth is: visual content always has two sides of responsibility. 

1. The brand is responsible for the direction. 

 In a classic structure, the visual image of the brand is shaped by a creative/art director, brand manager or marketing team: they define the boundaries, tone, DNA, approve key decisions and carry responsibility for how the brand presents itself publicly. 

Even if a company doesn’t have these loud titles, there is always someone inside who gives the final “yes” or “no”. And that “yes” belongs to the brand — not the creator. 

2. The AI creator is responsible for execution. 

 A reference is not an instruction — it’s only a direction. Everything else is assembled by the creator: form, lighting, materials, angles, atmosphere and final quality. 

The creator’s responsibility is not shifting blame with “but you sent the references” — it is to: 

 • accurately execute the task within the brand’s DNA; 

 • warn when the visual drifts into a different aesthetic; 

 • avoid delivering anything that harms how the product is perceived. 

3. Company size changes the workflow, but not the essence. 

 In large brands, the path looks like: strategy → creative direction → creator/agency → internal approval. In small businesses, there may be no art director or brand manager — and the AI creator often carries part of that direction on their shoulders. But even then, the final decision always stays with the brand: it chooses whether this visual will represent it or not. 

In short: 

 • The AI creator is responsible for how it’s made. 

 • The brand is responsible for what this visual communicates to the world. 

 And the clearer these roles are defined from the start, the fewer questions arise about the final result — and the stronger the visual becomes.