AI Slop Bingo: Is Your Graphic Annoying Your Customers?

You know the look. Giant outlined letters. A glowing arrow. Six fonts fighting for attention. And somewhere behind the headline, a random paint swash... EVERY TIME!

We’ve seen that paint swash on craft posts, software ads and YouTube thumbnails about laser machines. Apparently every business now owns an invisible paintbrush.

People are sick of seeing the same graphic formula in post after post in my social media scroll. It's hard to tell an ad for a coffee brand from a post from one of the artists or small businesses we follow trying to showcase one of their new products. Everyone is using the same Graphic Designer (ChatGPT).

So we made AI Slop Bingo. It’s a joke, but it’s also a useful check before you publish your next graphic.

Play before you post

Look at a graphic you’ve made recently. How many squares can you mark?

One square doesn’t mean your graphic is bad. Sometimes an arrow is helpful. Sometimes a paint swash actually belongs there. But if you’re getting BINGO, take another look before your customers do.

Why does it matter?

Your customers follow you. They want to see what you made, how you made it and what they’ll actually get.

If you sell a laser cut door hanger, a beautiful image of a door hanger that can’t physically be assembled creates confusion. If every post uses the same glowing text and floating craft supplies, people may struggle to recognize your work in their feed. And if they need to zoom in to find the workshop date, the graphic isn’t doing its job.

AI can help you brainstorm a layout, remove a background or build a scene. It can also cheerfully add seventeen paint swashes because you asked it to “make it exciting.” That’s where your judgment comes in.

How to clean up a graphic

Start with the point. What’s the one thing someone needs to understand while scrolling? Make that the headline. Put the extra details in the caption or on the page you’re linking to.

Show the real thing. Use a photo of your actual product whenever you can. For makers, the real wood grain, paint texture and little details are part of the appeal.

Give everything room to breathe. You don’t need to fill every corner. Empty space helps people see what matters.

Choose a couple of fonts and stick with them. If one word is bold, outlined, tilted, glowing and sitting on a paint swash, it may be trying a little too hard.

Check it at phone size. Shrink the graphic until it looks like it will in a feed. Can you still read the important words? Is the product easy to recognize?

Look closely before publishing. Check spelling, hands, tools, product construction, shadows and any detail AI may have invented. If the image shows something you couldn’t make or sell, change it.

Try these ChatGPT prompts before you post

You don’t have to stop using AI. Give it better direction, then check the result with your own eyes. Copy these prompts and replace the words in brackets.

1. Get a design plan before generating anything

I’m making a [Facebook graphic/YouTube thumbnail] for [product or topic]. My audience is [who it’s for]. The one thing they need to understand is [main message]. My brand uses [colors] and feels [three words that describe your brand].

Suggest three simple layouts. Each should have one focal point, one short headline and room for a real photo of my [product/me]. Keep the ideas distinct from common AI graphics. No paint swashes, glowing outlines, floating decorations or arrows unless an arrow explains something useful. Do not generate an image yet.

2. Use a real product photo

I’m attaching a photo of the actual product I sell. Help me plan a graphic around this photo. The product must remain accurate: do not change its shape, materials, colors, layers or construction.

Suggest a background, headline placement and crop that will make the real product easy to see on a phone. If generating a complete graphic might alter the product, suggest a background I can use behind the original photo instead.

Show me.

A quick reality check: Even with clear instructions, an image generator can change details in an uploaded product photo. Compare the result to the original before using it to sell something.

3. Ask ChatGPT to find the clutter

Review this graphic as if you were a customer scrolling on a phone. What do you notice first? Can you tell what I’m offering within two seconds? Identify anything that is hard to read, looks unrealistic, distracts from the product or makes the graphic feel generic.

Give me the five most useful edits, in order. Be specific about what to remove.

4. Run the AI Slop Bingo check

Review my graphic using this AI Slop Bingo checklist: random paint swash, too many fonts, giant outlined text, unnecessary arrow, floating decorations, tiny text, multiple headlines, fake-looking product, mismatched lighting, excessive glow, generic marketing phrase and no clear focal point.

Tell me which squares apply and why. Then suggest a cleaner version that still gets attention and feels like my brand. Be honest. You will not hurt the graphic’s feelings.

5. Get better words for the graphic

I’m promoting [product, class or video] to [audience]. The main benefit is [benefit]. Write 10 headline options of no more than five words each. Use a natural, specific tone. Avoid “game changer,” “you won’t believe,” “unlock,” “elevate” and other generic marketing phrases. Do not invent claims about my product.

You can let ChatGPT suggest the layout, critique the clutter and help with the headline. Then bring in your real product, your taste and your final approval. The robot is allowed to help. It is not allowed to put a paint swash behind “Tuesday” for no reason.

The final test

Cover your logo and ask:

Would my customers know this came from me?

If the answer is no, bring more of yourself back into it. Use your photos, your colors, your sense of humor and the way you actually talk to your customers.

There’s no prize for winning AI Slop Bingo. The goal is to catch it while you can still hit Edit.

Now go check your last graphic. And yes, the random paint swash counts.