Taste > AI Tools

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About the Episode:

In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Tracey Halvorsen of Adeo and Yianni Mathioudakis of Deeo to explore how top creative agencies are baking artificial intelligence (AI) into their workflows—not as shortcuts, but as accelerators of curiosity, strategy, and creative clarity. From mood boards to brand worlds, these leaders share how AI is being woven into agency culture, not just tech stacks, to amplify good taste and push bold ideas forward.

If you’re a higher ed marketer looking to demystify the practical applications of AI across design, content creation, and branding, this episode offers a refreshing, grounded look at how to do it without losing your humanity in the process.

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Key Takeaways

• AI in higher education marketing is best used as a creative amplifier, not a replacement for human taste and strategy.
• Top creative agencies are building AI co-creation loops—where AI helps ideate, iterate, and refine—but humans make the final calls.
• Tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, Figma, Descript, Lovable, and Opus Clips are redefining speed and efficiency in agency workflows.
• AI allows for faster prototyping and collaborative iteration, reducing timelines from months to weeks without sacrificing quality.
• Creative taste and strategic thinking remain key differentiators—especially in an age of “AI slop” and surface-level output.
• Institutions can use AI to empower student content creators, differentiate social channels, and get more authentic messaging into discovery platforms like Reddit and YouTube.
• AI creates capacity for small teams—perfect for those in higher ed marketing managing big goals with limited resources.
• The biggest strategic opportunity? Rethink content production and brand governance across distributed digital touchpoints.

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Episode Summary: Frequently Asked Questions (and Powerful Answers)

How are creative agencies actually using AI in their day-to-day work?

Both Adeo and Deeo are deeply integrating AI into creative and operational workflows. Tracey Halvorsen describes AI as a collaborator that helps her team amplify curiosity, compress complexity, and accelerate clarity. It’s used to map out brand frameworks, synthesize focus group data, generate counterpoints, and even create content systems from podcasts.

Yianni Mathioudakis explains his “co-creation loop” in which AI becomes a collaborative partner within the design process. Using tools like Figma, MidJourney, and Otter, he explores ideas iteratively—letting AI accelerate early exploration but always returning to the question: is this aligned with the vision? The result? A human-led creative loop where AI helps push ideas faster but doesn’t make final decisions.

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What is “vibe prototyping” and why does it matter?

“Vibe prototyping,” a term coined playfully but seriously by Tracey, is about getting early creative ideas in front of clients quickly—not to finalize them, but to capture a feeling. Using tools like Lovable, she can mock up interactive quizzes or visual experiences without having to write full code. This gets everyone—clients included—reacting to tangible experiences sooner, accelerating alignment and creativity.

Yianni echoes this, using Framer and other no-code builders to get early prototypes in front of clients. This approach removes the guesswork and allows design discussions to center on real interactions and visual direction, rather than abstract strategy decks.

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What’s the real role of “taste” in an AI-enhanced workflow?

In a world where AI can generate nearly anything, the real differentiator becomes taste. Both guests emphasized that while AI can mimic outputs, it can’t replace nuanced judgment, intentionality, and cultural context. “AI slop” happens when teams accept the first output without critique.

Tracey and Yianni both hire and train with this in mind. Their teams are built around strong strategic and creative thinking—not technical specialization alone. They’re teaching their teams how to ask better questions of AI, and how to filter, refine, and challenge what’s generated.

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Doesn’t all this speed come at the cost of depth?

Not necessarily. While AI speeds up the creation of prototypes and early-stage concepts, both leaders stress that meaningful conversations, strategic exploration, and human collaboration remain non-negotiable. In fact, these are the parts of the process that deserve more time—while AI handles the busywork.

Interestingly, most client pushback isn’t about timelines being too short, but about needing more time to review. As Tracey puts it, "the days of taking nine months to do something that could be done in one month are over."

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How are these agencies rethinking billing models in light of AI?

With AI enabling faster work, traditional time-based pricing models are becoming obsolete. Instead, Adeo and Deeo are moving toward value-based pricing, where clients are paying for creative thinking and strategic problem-solving—not the number of hours something takes. As Tracey shares, “We want clients to hire us for our taste, ideas, and collaboration, not our time.”

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What specific AI tools are they using—and loving?

• MidJourney: For visual inspiration and ideation.
• Figma + plugins: To create prototypes and explore UI quickly.
• Lovable: A tool for building interactive experiences using natural language (great for “vibe prototyping”).
• Descript, Granola, and Otter: For transcriptions, meeting notes, and content repurposing.
• Opus Clips: For short-form video editing and clip generation.
• Framer: A no-code web builder that helps bring motion and interaction ideas to life.

Yianni’s pick for a “desert island” AI tool? CREA—a multi-tool platform that combines image, video, and text generation. Tracey’s favorites? Granola for note-taking and Lovable for quickly prototyping interactive web experiences.

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What’s the biggest strategic opportunity for higher ed marketers using AI?

Tracey and Yianni both emphasize the expansion of creative capacity—especially for small teams. Higher ed institutions should be using AI to empower student creators, tailor content for specific platforms (Reddit, YouTube, Instagram), and rethink brand governance that’s traditionally been locked down.

It’s time to move beyond “one brand, one voice” thinking. Different platforms demand different vibes. With the help of AI, even teams of one can start scaling authentic content that connects.

Tracey points to student ambassador programs as a ripe opportunity. Use AI to help students write better, faster, and more on-brand. Mallory suggests creating custom GPTs that support student creators directly. Not only does this expand reach—it feeds the discovery loop in AI tools that increasingly answer prospective students’ search queries.

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Connect With Our Host:

Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

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About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.

Enrollify is produced by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.