DALL-E 2 vs Midjourney: Which AI Image Generator is Better?

Artificial intelligence tools are changing how we create images. With simple text prompts, you can now generate detailed pictures in minutes. This post compares two popular options: DALL-E 2 and Midjourney. We tested both with the same prompts to see how they perform. We'll also look at what this means for designers.

How AI is Changing Design Work

AI already helps designers with simple but time-consuming tasks. Removing backgrounds from images using tools like Remove.bg used to take a designer 10-30 minutes. Now, AI can do it in seconds. This saves designers a lot of time they used to spend in software like Photoshop.

Some fear AI like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney might replace designers entirely. For designers who only focus on creating graphics or pushing pixels without doing deeper work, this is possible. If a designer just copies ideas from a few existing designs to create a new layout, AI can do this much faster and with inspiration from millions of images.

Why Designers Aren't Fully Replaceable (Yet)

However, AI cannot replace designers who do more than just create visuals. Important parts of design involve understanding people and business goals. This includes:

• Market research: Understanding who the users are and what they need.

• User experience (UX) research: Learning how users behave, think, and feel.

• User interviews: Talking to people to get insights.

• Solving real problems: Designing solutions that meet specific needs, not just looking good.

AI is not currently able to truly understand human feelings, thoughts, and motivations. It can track data like clicks (quantitative research) but struggles with understanding the deeper 'why' through interviews and qualitative research. Designers who focus on these areas are less likely to be replaced by AI anytime soon.

Comparing DALL-E 2 and Midjourney with Prompts

To see how DALL-E 2 and Midjourney compare, we gave both tools five different text prompts. DALL-E 2 is accessed through its website (requires applying for access), while Midjourney is used via Discord (generally easier to access). We looked at the detail and how well they understood the prompt.

Prompt 1: Astronaut Exploring a Heavenly Planet

We started simple: "astronaut exploring heavenly planet."

DALL-E 2 gave four variations. The results were very realistic and showed a good composition, although some faces weren't perfect. One image with an astronaut and another planet looked particularly amazing with great light and shadow.

Midjourney's results were cool but less realistic or photorealistic compared to DALL-E 2 in this round. DALL-E 2 won this first round for its realism and composition.

Prompt 2: Royal Palace at Night

Next, we added more detail: "royal gigantic palace with small lights inside in front of gigantic moon ultra realistic and 4k."

DALL-E 2 again provided four images. The details were great: a gigantic moon, a royal palace, and small lights inside were all present. The fourth image showed impressive moon detail.

Midjourney’s results were also very detailed. It offered options to upscale images for higher resolution. When upscaled, the palace looked fabulous, and the moon was clear. The overall detail and accuracy in Midjourney's images put it ahead of DALL-E 2 in this round. Midjourney won round two.

Creating these detailed images can take time, even with AI. Consider automating parts of your workflow. The Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT can help streamline your process and get more out of Midjourney.

Prompt 3: Magical Potion in the Desert

For the third prompt, we tried something conceptual: "magical neon potion in a transparent glass in the desert hyper realistic quality."

DALL-E 2 delivered images showing a desert, a glass, a potion, and neon lights. The results were decent and fit the description well.

Midjourney provided results with a nice neon effect but didn't match the prompt's vision as closely. Some images showed the desert *inside* a glass, which wasn't the goal. DALL-E 2 understood the prompt better and won this round.

Prompt 4: Golden City of Atlantis

The fourth prompt was: "huge gigantic city of atlantis covered with gold."

DALL-E 2 produced images of a large, gold city of Atlantis, some appearing on the sea. The realism was good, and the details were nice.

Midjourney's results were stunning. The detail was fabulous, especially in the gold color and reflections on the water. Upscaling Midjourney’s best result showed incredible detail with golden skies and shadow reflections. Midjourney was far ahead in detail and interpretation for this fantasy concept. Midjourney won round four.

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Prompt 5: Company Logo

Finally, a tricky prompt: "logo for shoes company called J S N vibrant color." We kept it simple to see how creative the AI could be.

DALL-E 2 attempted the task. One image cleverly tried to combine the letter 'J' or 'JNS' with a shoe shape. While text handling was blurry, it showed an interesting design idea. It offered good inspiration for a logo concept.

Midjourney completely failed this task. Its results were nowhere near a usable logo concept.

In this round, DALL-E 2 won by providing some relevant ideas, even if the execution wasn't perfect for an actual logo.

Conclusion: Which AI is Better and What it Means

Based on these tests, Midjourney seems better for creating hyper-realistic or fantasy-based images with high detail and creative interpretations, especially when upscaled. DALL-E 2 performed well with more grounded concepts, understood the prompts accurately, and even showed promise for initial design ideas like logos.

Both tools are improving quickly. For designers, this means AI is a powerful tool for generating ideas, creating mockups, and handling simple visual tasks. However, the value of a designer who understands user needs, conducts research, and solves problems remains secure for now.

To stay relevant, designers should learn about these new AI tools and integrate them into their workflow while focusing on the human-centered aspects of design that AI cannot replicate.

Explore how AI can help with your creative process. Products like the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT can enhance your capabilities. What do you think about AI's role in the design industry? Let us know! Learn more at https://www.titanxt.io/midjourneyautomator.