If you’re a game developer, novelist, artist, or any other kind of storyteller, you know that getting started is one of the hardest parts of any creative project. That’s where Microsoft Designer’s Image Creator really shines. With its ability to visualize ideas quickly and introduce new possibilities, Image Creator helps creative souls brainstorm, share ideas, and get their projects off the ground like never before.
Today, we'll show you how Image Creator can help you create one-of-a-kind AI characters for stories, games and artwork. In the spirit of showing rather than telling, we’ve created ten characters we love using Image Creator.
Feel free to borrow any of the prompts below or use them as a jumping-off point for your own creative ideas.
Character inspiration: Highly uncommon careers
Not sure where to start? A tried-and-true formula is to pick a career and give it a twist. A few directions you go include:
- Modern twists on classic roles—Perhaps a holographic teacher or a molecular gastronomy chef.
- Fantastical jobs—Try a memory collector, a dream weaver, or a cosmic energy harmonizer.
1. The time-traveling detective
The results:
2. The superhero with unconventional powers
Prompt: A male superhero who can communicate with plants and trees. Include organic, natural elements.
The results:
Character inspiration: Genre mashups
Genre mashups offer endless possibilities for creating memorable characters with delightful contrast. A few ideas include:
- Familiar archetype, unexpected elements—Like a cyberpunk samurai in a neon-lit metropolis or a post-apocalyptic Renaissance artist.
- Classic character types in contemporary settings—Like a modern-day oracle who deciphers big data, or an urban druid who tends to rooftop gardens.
3. The modern-day Trickster
The results:
4. The steampunk inventor
The results:
Inspiration: Elemental spirits
Bringing abstract concepts to life through character design can lead to fascinating and conceptually rich results. Some ideas to inspire you include:
- Personify natural phenomena or cosmic events—Like a spirit embodying a hurricane or supernova.
- Give form to intangible ideas—Picture Creativity as a shape-shifting entity or Time as an ever-changing figure.
5. Aurora Borealis
The results:
6. The tsunami architect
The results:
Character inspiration: Mythical creature fusion
Mix and match features from different mythical creatures to create a one-of-a-kind being.
- Combine animals or mythical beasts—Like a phoenix crossed with a griffin, or a cat crossed with a dog.
- Human-animal hybrids—A human crossed with any animal or mythical creature is sure to lead to interesting results.
7. The warrior’s best friend
Prompt: A regal dragon/wolf hybrid.
The results:
8. Queen of the woods
Prompt: A forest-dwelling human/deer hybrid.
The results:
Character inspiration: Futuristic flair
Speculating about the future can be a great way to mix up familiar concepts with wild possibilities. Consider the following ideas:
- AI and robots—Like an android with a fashion sense or a soft and cuddly AI assistant.
- Friends from outer space—Like a futuristic astronaut or an alien creature with unique abilities.
9. Peace, love and robots
The results:
10. The visitor
The results:
Bring your characters to life with Image Creator
The characters in this post are just the beginning. Use the prompts as a springboard and refine them with your own twists and artistic touches, or let them inspire an entirely new direction. The beauty of Image Creator is that you can try, explore, and iterate on as many concepts as you want, helping you find that perfect visual representation of your character.
Whether you're crafting a cast for your next novel, designing NPCs for a video game, or simply flexing your creative muscles, Image Creator helps you visualize your ideas in seconds.
So, open Image Creator and start dreaming up new personalities today! Your next unforgettable character could be just a prompt away.