The Problem
Vibe is a community interest company delivering wellbeing workshops for young people with a limited budget. They want a series of large-format comics that facilitators can use in face-to-face sessions.
The solution needed to work without technology. Every comic has to be clear when printed at A1, engaging for mixed reading abilities, and affordable enough to produce within a CIC budget.
Context
Traditional comic production would have required a professional illustrator or many days of original artwork, making the project financially unrealistic. At the same time, a purely AI-generated comic would not have met the project's educational or ethical requirements; the stories needed to reflect real workshop experiences while supporting meaningful discussion
Constraints
Budget Professional illustration was beyond the project's budget; the production process had to remain financially viable for a community organisation.
Accessibility The comics needed to communicate visually first, with text supporting rather than carrying the story.
Print-first Every page had to remain legible and engaging when printed at A1 and viewed by groups.
Editorial control AI could accelerate production, but every story, panel and visual decision required human oversight to ensure accuracy, tone and consistency. to ensure accuracy, tone and consistency throughout the project
Design Strategy
Workshop scripts are supplied by Vibe. I translate each script into a visual narrative, using AI to accelerate artwork production while retaining control over visual direction, character consistency, layout, accessibility and print design.
The result is a workflow that dramatically reduces production costs, allowing bespoke educational comics to be created within the budget of a community interest company.
Design Process
Each comic follows a structured production workflow.
Workshop script supplied by Vibe
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Visual planning and page layout
↓
AI-assisted artwork generation
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Design refinement
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Review and feedback with Vibe
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Iteration and refinement
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Final artwork and A1 print preparation
The Solution
A growing library of printable comics that combine visual storytelling with structured wellbeing conversations.
Each comic is designed to work in multiple settings, from one-to-one mentoring to whole-group workshops, allowing facilitators to introduce difficult topics through characters and stories rather than direct questioning.
"A comic lets you talk about the character instead of yourself, until you're ready to talk about yourself."
Impact
The hybrid workflow has reduced the time and cost associated with producing original comic resources, making the project achievable within the budget of a community interest company. The first comics are scheduled for workshop delivery in September 2026, with the library continuing to grow.
Design Artefacts
Looking Ahead
This project reinforced my view that AI is most valuable as a design partner rather than a replacement for expertise. The stories, learning objectives and editorial decisions remain human; AI simply removes production barriers that would otherwise prevent organisations with limited resources from creating bespoke learning materials