When creating visual content for a brand, we often come across competitor designs that immediately catch our attention—not because we want to copy their content, but because the overall visual direction feels effective.

If you questions are:-

1. How can I recreate an image idea with ChatGPT without copying the original?
2. What ChatGPT prompt can I use to create a similar image with different content?
3. How do I turn an existing image into a new image concept using ChatGPT?
4. Can ChatGPT analyze an image and help me create a new version of it?
5. How do I write a prompt based on an image I found online?
6. How can I change the subject, background, colors, and text while keeping the same concept?
7. What details should I include in a ChatGPT image prompt?
8. How do I make an AI-generated image look original instead of copied?
9. How can I change an image composition without losing the main idea?
10. What should I tell ChatGPT when I want a completely new version of an image?
11. Can I upload an image to ChatGPT and ask for a different version?
12. How do I create multiple variations of the same image concept?
13. How can I use ChatGPT to improve an image prompt?
14. What should I avoid when recreating an image with AI?
15. Is it legal to recreate an image with AI if I change the content?

Then you are at right place.

The challenge is to understand what makes the image work visually and then recreate that design language in a completely original way.

In this case study, I explore a practical approach to analysing a reference image and extracting its visual characteristics without reproducing its actual content. The objective is not to copy the competitor’s message, photography, illustrations, or creative concept. Instead, the focus is on identifying the underlying visual system: colour palette, colour codes, composition, layout structure, typography style, spacing, hierarchy, shapes, visual balance, lighting, and overall design mood.

The reference image becomes a design reference, not a content template.

For example, if a competitor’s image uses a dark navy background, bright orange accents, a large headline on the left, a product visual on the right, generous negative space, and a bold modern aesthetic, we can identify those characteristics and use them to create a completely different image with our own subject, message, imagery, and brand identity.

This approach allows us to answer an important question:

How can we learn from the visual structure of an existing design without copying the design itself?

The following steps explain how this can be done systematically—from analysing the reference image and extracting its visual properties to translating those properties into a new, original creative direction.

Reference Image Analysis Prompt

Analyse the attached reference image only for its visual design characteristics. Do not reproduce or describe its actual creative content.

Extract the following visual properties:

1. Colour palette
   • Identify the dominant, secondary, and accent colours.
   • Provide approximate HEX colour codes where possible.
   • Describe how the colours are distributed across the composition.
2. Composition
   • Explain how the image is visually structured.
   • Identify the approximate position of major elements.
   • Describe the balance between text, imagery, shapes, and negative space.
3. Layout
   • Identify the overall layout pattern.
   • Describe alignment, margins, spacing, columns, grids, and hierarchy.
   • Explain which elements appear visually dominant.
4. Typography
   • Describe the apparent font category and personality, such as bold sans-serif, editorial serif, geometric, condensed, minimalist, etc.
   • Analyse approximate font weights, sizes, alignment, and hierarchy.
   • Do not reproduce the exact wording from the reference.
5. Visual elements
   • Identify general shapes, borders, cards, gradients, shadows, lines, icons, patterns, textures, or other graphic treatments.
   • Describe their visual function rather than copying their specific design.
6. Image treatment
   • Describe the general photography or illustration style.
   • Analyse lighting, contrast, saturation, depth, cropping, perspective, and background treatment.
   • Do not recreate the specific people, products, objects, or scenes from the reference.
7. Design mood
   • Describe the overall visual personality using terms such as premium, minimal, editorial, energetic, corporate, futuristic, playful, sophisticated, etc.
8. Design system
   • Summarise the visual rules that appear to make the reference cohesive.
   • Identify the key characteristics that could be translated into a new design.

Originality Requirement

After analysing the reference, create a new visual direction using only the extracted design principles.

Do not copy:

• The original text
• The original subject
• The original product
• The original people
• The original illustrations
• The original photography
• Logos or brand assets
• Unique creative concepts
• Distinctive artwork or other protected expressive elements

The final concept should communicate a completely different message and contain original visual content while retaining only the general visual characteristics and design principles identified from the reference.

Return the result in two sections:

A. Visual DNA of the reference
A concise description of the colour, composition, typography, spacing, imagery treatment, and overall design system.

B. New original creative direction
A completely new image concept that applies those general visual principles to different content.

Prompt to Copy Image Style and Design

“Use the attached image as the visual design reference. Analyze and follow its visual language for the new image:

use the same or closely matching color palette and color combinations
maintain the same font family/typeface style, weight, and typography character
follow the same text hierarchy, spacing, alignment, and proportions
maintain the same visual style, composition, shapes, borders, shadows, textures, and overall mood
keep the new image original; do not copy the exact content or layout, only use the reference as a design-system reference.

Create the new image with [YOUR NEW CONTENT/DESIGN].
The reference image should be treated as the primary style guide.”

2nd Prompt to Copy Image

“Treat the attached image as a strict visual style reference. Extract its design system and apply it to the new image.
Preserve the reference’s color palette, dominant/background/accent colors, typography style
and font characteristics, font weights, text hierarchy, spacing, alignment, border treatment, shapes, and overall visual tone.
Do not introduce unrelated colors or typography. If an exact font cannot be identified,
use the closest available font with the same visual characteristics.
Keep the new content and composition original while maintaining the same visual identity.”