A lot of people asked how we got AI to judge estate agent signs and create the redesigns in our Watford experiment.
So here is the complete, transparent, replicable process.
Types of SEO covered in this guide:
STEP 1 — Collecting the Signboard Images
We visited streets across Watford and captured clear, front-facing photos of each sign.
You can also find some online, but consistency matters.
Our criteria:
- Straight-on angle (no tilting)
- Good lighting
- Entire sign visible
- No background distractions if possible
We photographed signs for:
Benjamin Stevens, Churchills, Browns, Purple Bricks and Connells.
Tip:
Crop all images to a consistent size.
We used a square 1:1 ratio for fairness.
STEP 2 — Standardising the Images
Before sending anything to AI, we cleaned the images.
What we adjusted:
- Cropped tightly to the sign’s edges
- Increased clarity (no blur)
- Equalised brightness/contrast
- Removed unwanted background elements
This ensures the AI judges the sign itself, not the environment around it.
Tools used:
Figma or Canva (either works perfectly).
STEP 3 — Defining the Rating Criteria
We wanted consistency, so we defined four categories for AI to evaluate:
⭐ Visibility: Can someone notice and read this quickly from a distance?
⭐ Layout: Is the sign organised logically? Does the eye know where to go?
⭐ Memorability: Would someone remember this sign after walking/driving past?
⭐ Design: Typography, colour choices, balance and overall aesthetic feel.
We wrote these exact definitions into the prompts to avoid AI drifting off.
STEP 4 — Feeding the Signs to AI for Scoring
PROMPT 1 — AI Rating Request
“Please analyse the attached estate agent sign and rate it on the following criteria using a 1–5 star scale for each: Visibility, Layout, Memorability and Design. Provide a short explanation for each rating. Use clear, simple language.”We repeated this same prompt for each sign. Why this matters: If the prompt changes, the AI’s scoring logic changes. Keeping it identical ensures fairness. Tip: Run each sign twice and compare results. AI sometimes gets inconsistent — we averaged the two scores.
STEP 5 — Comparing AI Ratings vs Human Intuition
Once we had the AI scores, we made our own notes.
This helped us see where AI aligned with humans… and where it absolutely didn’t.
Patterns we noticed:
- AI prioritises contrast more than humans
- AI undervalues subtle/fine design
- AI overvalues bold colours
- Humans remember personality, AI doesn’t
- AI loves symmetry way more than necessary
This contrast became the narrative framework for the social series.
STEP 6 — Choosing the “Lowest Rated” Sign for Redesign
AI chose the lowest cumulative score.
If you follow our process, you’ll end up at:
Connells
Strong visibility, weak memorability and design cohesion.
STEP 7 — Generating the AI Redesign
This is the fun part.
Here’s the exact prompt we used to redesign the sign:
PROMPT 2 — Redesign Request
“Create a modernised redesign of this estate agent sign.
Keep the core brand colours, but improve spacing, visibility, balance and visual hierarchy.
Make the sign clearer, more contemporary and more memorable.
Do not alter the business name.
Provide clean, professional output suitable for signage.”
We generated 5–12 variations per sign and picked the best.
Things AI struggled with:
- Warping text
- Over-styling colours
- Adding unnecessary gradients
- Random box shadows
- Changing fonts inconsistently
We discarded anything visually unstable and chose the closest to “usable.”
STEP 8 — Preparing the Final Redesign Visual
We exported the final chosen version and dropped it into a layout template alongside the:
- Original
- Ratings
- New design
- Caption summary
That became the final “reveal” in the series.
Fill in the form below and we’ll handle the rest.
Click the “Inquire Now” button to fill the form. Our team will contact you as soon as possible.
Closing Thoughts
Here’s the twist:
Yes, someone could follow this process manually.
But most won’t.
Because it’s time-consuming, repetitive, and requires a combination of:
- branding knowledge
- design intuition
- technical prompt skills
- UX judgment
- local market understanding
Which is exactly the gap Cranberry Marketing fills.
AI can rate design.
AI can generate design.
But AI cannot choose good design.
Only humans can do that.
For now at least…
Curious to know how AI would rate your business?
Get your own AI Brand Visibility Report for FREE.
Once submitted, you’ll receive:
- Your AI star ratings
- A breakdown of why you scored the way you did
- A set of quick, practical improvement tips
- An AI-generated redesign preview
Expert Human insight from Cranberry Marketing
Curious to know how AI would rate your business?
Get your own AI Brand Visibility Report for FREE. Once submitted, you’ll receive:
- Your AI star ratings
- A breakdown of why you scored the way you did
- A set of quick, practical improvement tips
- An AI-generated redesign preview
- Expert Human insight from Cranberry Marketing
Fill in the form below and we’ll handle the rest.
Click the “Inquire Now” button to fill the form. Our team will contact you as soon as possible.