80% Faster Creatives: How We Use Glif to Batch-Generate Validation Assets

Most founders get stuck on 'we need 10 ad variants' and spend days in Canva. We batch-generate creatives in hours.

Here's a bottleneck that killed my validation velocity for years: creative generation.

I'd complete discovery (NICHE-INTEL, PAIN-SIGNALS, JTBD—all done in 8 hours using Manus + ChatGPT). I'd write the validation plan (tests, thresholds, timeline—2 hours). I was ready to execute.

Then I hit the creative wall:

Landing page needs a hero image
Facebook ads need 10 variants (different hooks, visuals, CTAs)
Social posts need 5 different graphics
Email campaign needs header images

Suddenly I was in Canva for 12 hours, trying different layouts, struggling with design principles I don't understand, getting frustrated because everything looked amateur.

The strategy took 10 hours. The creative execution took 15 hours.

And the worst part? Most of those creatives didn't even get used. I'd test 10 ad variants, 2 would perform well, 8 were wasted effort.

We've flipped this: use Glif to batch-generate 20-50 rough concepts in minutes, test them, refine the winners in Midjourney/Canva, and ship.

Creative generation went from bottleneck to accelerator.

In this article, I'll show you exactly how we use Glif for creative batching, the types of assets we generate, how we integrate it with Midjourney for polish, and how we document prompts for reproducibility.

The Problem: Creative Work Doesn't Scale

Let's start with why creative generation is such a pain point.

The Manual Creative Workflow

Step 1: Define Requirements (1 hour)

Landing page: Hero image, feature visuals, CTA graphics
Ads: 10 variants (different hooks, visuals, CTAs)
Social: 5 graphics for different platforms
Email: Header image, inline graphics

Step 2: Design Drafts (12-15 hours)

Open Canva or Figma
Try different layouts, fonts, colors
Struggle with design principles (hierarchy, contrast, whitespace)
Iterate on each concept (5-10 versions before something looks decent)
Get frustrated when things look amateur

Step 3: Export and Organize (1 hour)

Export PNGs/JPGs
Name files consistently (hero-v1.png, ad-variant-03.png)
Organize in folders
Update docs with file paths

Step 4: Test and Iterate (varies)

Run ads/tests
80% of variants perform poorly
Go back to Canva, create new versions
Repeat

Total time per validation: 15-20 hours on creatives

Why This Fails

Design Skills Required: Not every founder is a designer. Most of us struggle with visual hierarchy, color theory, typography.

Iteration is Slow: Each concept takes 30-60 minutes. Want to try 20 different directions? That's 10-20 hours.

High Waste Rate: 80% of creatives never get used (test performance is poor, or you pick favorites before testing).

Context Switching: Founders are strategists, not designers. Spending hours in Canva is a context switch from high-value work.

Bottleneck: Creative generation becomes the bottleneck that delays validation execution.

The Result: Founders Skip Creatives or Ship Mediocre Assets

Most founders either:

Skip validation tests that require creatives ("too much work")
Ship with mediocre assets (low-effort Canva templates that don't convert)
Pay a designer ($500-2,000 per project)

All three options slow down validation or reduce quality.

The Solution: Glif for Batch Generation + Midjourney for Polish

Our approach (Rule 085: 085-glif-integration.mdc) separates quantity from quality and draft from final.

The Core Principles

1. Glif for Quantity (Draft Stage)

Purpose: Generate 20-50 rough concepts fast (minutes, not hours)

Use cases:

Landing page hero image concepts
Ad creative variants (different hooks, visuals, layouts)
Social media graphics
Email header options
UI mockup explorations

Workflow:

1. Define inputs (niche, pain, persona, visual style)
2. Run Glif workflow (generates 20-50 drafts in 2-5 minutes)
3. Review outputs, select top 5-10 concepts
4. Refine selected concepts (Midjourney or Canva)
5. Ship finals

Key insight: Glif generates drafts, not finals. Speed over polish.

2. Midjourney/Canva for Quality (Polish Stage)

Purpose: Refine selected concepts to production quality

When to use:

Landing page hero (final version)
Brand-defining visuals (mascot, logo)
Marketing site assets (high-quality, on-brand)

Workflow:

1. Select top 3 concepts from Glif
2. Expand prompts for Midjourney (more detailed, specific style)
3. Generate 10-20 Midjourney variants per concept
4. Pick best, export high-res
5. Save to /docs/validation/assets/<slug>/

3. Modular Workflows (Single-Purpose, Variable-Driven)

Glif workflow design:

Modular: One workflow = one task (hero image generator, ad variant generator, social graphic generator)
Variable-driven: Accept inputs (niche, pain, persona, style)
Reusable: Same workflow for multiple ideas (just change variables)

Example workflow: "Landing Hero Generator"

Inputs: Niche (habit tracker), pain (productivity guilt), persona (burned-out remote worker), style (calming, minimal)
Outputs: 20 hero image concepts with different compositions, colors, metaphors

4. Documentation for Reproducibility

Every Glif workflow includes:

Prompt used: Exact text input (for reproducibility)
Workflow diagram: Blocks, connections, logic
Variables: What inputs are required
Outputs: Example results (screenshots)
Refinement notes: Which concepts were selected, why

Saved in: /docs/validation/CREATIVE-BATCH-<slug>.md

Why it matters: Six months later, you can regenerate similar concepts or iterate on what worked.

The Glif Workflow: Step-by-Step

Here's exactly how we use Glif for creative batching.

Step 1: Define Creative Requirements

From validation plan:

What assets do you need? (Landing hero, ad variants, social graphics)
How many variants? (10 ad concepts, 5 social posts, 3 hero options)
What's the visual direction? (From brand system blueprint: tone, colors, style)

Example (habit tracker validation):

Landing hero: 3 options (explore different metaphors: growth, calm, balance)
Ad variants: 10 concepts (different hooks: "guilt-free habits," "adaptive tracking," "no broken streaks")
Social graphics: 5 posts (educational content, testimonials, feature previews)

Step 2: Create Glif Workflows (or Use Templates)

Option A: Build custom workflow

In Glif, create new workflow
Add blocks: Text input (prompt), image generation (DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion), output
Define variables: {niche}, {pain}, {persona}, {style}
Test workflow (run with example inputs)
Save and name (e.g., "Landing Hero Generator v1")

Option B: Use existing templates

Browse Glif template library
Find relevant workflow (e.g., "Ad Creative Generator")
Fork and customize (adjust prompts, add variables)
Test and save

Time to build: 15-30 minutes per workflow (one-time investment, reusable)

Step 3: Run Glif Workflows (Batch Generation)

Input variables:

Niche: Habit tracker for burned-out remote workers
Pain: Productivity guilt from breaking streaks
Persona: 30-40 year-olds, knowledge workers, struggle with consistency
Style: Calming, minimal, warm neutrals and soft greens

Workflow execution:

Enter variables in Glif workflow
Click "Run"
Wait 2-5 minutes
Review 20-50 outputs

Example outputs (landing hero concepts):

Tortoise with sprout on shell (slow growth metaphor)
Winding path through forest (journey, not destination)
Calm water with gentle ripples (peaceful progress)
Plant growing in stages (habit formation over time)
Hands holding seedling (nurture, not force) ... (15 more concepts)

Time: 5 minutes (vs. 6-8 hours in Canva)

Step 4: Review and Select Top Concepts

Criteria:

Aligns with brand: Does it match the tone (calming, non-judgmental)?
Clear metaphor: Is the visual concept easy to understand?
Emotionally resonant: Does it evoke the right feeling (calm, hopeful, supportive)?
Testable hypothesis: Does this concept address a specific hook or pain point?

Process:

Export all 20 outputs to folder (/docs/validation/assets/<slug>/glif-drafts/)
Review with team / accountability partner
Rate each concept (1-5 scale)
Select top 5 for refinement

Top 5 selected (habit tracker):

Tortoise with sprout (slow growth, consistent)
Winding path through forest (journey metaphor)
Hands holding seedling (nurture, care)
Progress bar growing plant (gamification + nature)
Sunrise over calm landscape (new beginnings)

Time: 15 minutes

Step 5: Refine Selected Concepts (Midjourney or Canva)

For high-quality finals (landing hero, brand assets):

Midjourney workflow:

Expand Glif prompt for Midjourney:
- Original Glif: "Tortoise with sprout, calming colors"
- Midjourney: "A small, gentle tortoise with a tiny sprout growing on its shell, soft sage green and warm cream colors, calm expression, rounded shapes, cozy illustration style, minimalist, friendly and reassuring --stylize 200 --v 6"
Generate 10-20 variants in Midjourney
Select best 2-3
Upscale to high-res
Export PNG, save to /docs/validation/assets/<slug>/finals/

For quick iterations (ads, social):

Canva workflow:

Import Glif draft to Canva
Add text overlay (headline, CTA)
Adjust colors to match brand
Export PNG

Time: 30-60 minutes for 5 refined concepts (vs. 12+ hours from scratch)

Step 6: Document Workflow and Prompts

Save in: /docs/validation/CREATIVE-BATCH-<slug>.md

Template:

# Creative Batch: Habit Tracker

## Workflow Used
- **Glif workflow**: "Landing Hero Generator v1"
- **Link**: [Glif workflow URL]

## Inputs (Variables)
- **Niche**: Habit tracker for burned-out remote workers
- **Pain**: Productivity guilt from breaking streaks
- **Persona**: 30-40 year-olds, knowledge workers
- **Style**: Calming, minimal, warm neutrals and soft greens

## Prompts

### Glif Prompt (Draft Generation)

Generate a landing page hero image for a {niche} app targeting {persona}. Visual metaphor: Slow, steady progress without pressure. Style: {style} Avoid: Aggressive imagery, neon colors, productivity-bro aesthetic


### Midjourney Prompt (Final Polish)

A small, gentle tortoise with a tiny sprout growing on its shell, soft sage green and warm cream colors, calm expression, rounded shapes, cozy illustration style, minimalist, friendly and reassuring --stylize 200 --v 6


## Outputs

### Glif Drafts (20 concepts)
- See `/docs/validation/assets/habit-tracker/glif-drafts/`

### Selected Concepts (Top 5)
1. Tortoise with sprout ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (selected for final)
2. Winding path ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Hands with seedling ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Progress bar plant ⭐⭐⭐
5. Sunrise landscape ⭐⭐⭐

### Final Assets (Midjourney-Polished)
- Landing hero: `habit-tracker-hero-tortoise.png`
- Ad variant 1: `habit-tracker-ad-01-calm.png`
- Social post: `habit-tracker-social-growth.png`

## Results
- **Time to generate**: 5 min (Glif) + 45 min (Midjourney polish) = 50 min total
- **Assets created**: 1 hero, 10 ad variants, 5 social graphics = 16 total
- **Cost**: Glif ($20/month), Midjourney ($30/month)
- **Time saved vs. manual**: 15 hours - 50 min = ~14 hours saved

Why document: Reproducibility. Six months later, you can re-run the workflow or iterate on what worked.

Real-World Example: Habit Tracker Validation Creatives

Let me walk you through a full creative batching session.

Context: Validated demand for habit tracker (scored 32/40, Opp 8.5/10). Ready to launch validation tests. Need creatives.

Step 1: Requirements

From validation plan:

Landing page: 3 hero image concepts (test which metaphor resonates)
Facebook ads: 10 variants (different hooks + visuals)
Social posts: 5 graphics (Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn)

From brand system:

Colors: Soft sage green (#6B7AA1), warm cream (#E8DCC4)
Tone: Calming, non-judgmental, thoughtful
Voice: "Thoughtful therapist, not life coach"

Step 2: Glif Workflows

Workflow 1: Landing Hero Generator

Inputs: Niche (habit tracker), pain (productivity guilt), style (calming, minimal)
Output: 20 hero image concepts

Workflow 2: Ad Variant Generator

Inputs: Hooks ("guilt-free habits," "adaptive tracking," "no broken streaks"), style (calming, minimal)
Output: 30 ad creative concepts (10 hooks × 3 visual styles)

Workflow 3: Social Graphic Generator

Inputs: Content type (educational, testimonial, feature preview), platform (Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn), style (calming, minimal)
Output: 15 social graphics (5 per platform)

Step 3: Batch Generation

Run all 3 workflows (5 minutes each = 15 minutes total):

Total outputs: 65 rough concepts (20 hero + 30 ad + 15 social)

Step 4: Review and Select

Landing hero (reviewed 20, selected 3):

Tortoise with sprout (slow growth) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Winding path through forest ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sunrise over calm landscape ⭐⭐⭐

Ads (reviewed 30, selected 10):

"Progress, not perfection" + tortoise ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Guilt-free habit tracking" + calm water ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"No broken streaks" + gentle path ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ... (7 more)

Social (reviewed 15, selected 5):

Educational: "Why streaks cause anxiety" + graph ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Feature preview: "Track habits without pressure" + screenshot ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Testimonial: User quote + calming background ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ... (2 more)

Time: 20 minutes

Step 5: Refine with Midjourney

Top 3 hero concepts → Midjourney polish:

Tortoise with sprout: 15 Midjourney variants, selected best, upscaled
Winding path: 12 variants, selected best
Sunrise landscape: 10 variants, selected best

10 ad variants → Quick Canva refinement:

Import Glif drafts
Add headline + CTA text overlay
Adjust colors to match brand
Export for Facebook ads

5 social graphics → Canva refinement:

Add text overlays
Adjust for platform specs (Twitter 1200×675, Reddit 1200×628, LinkedIn 1200×627)
Export

Time: 60 minutes

Step 6: Document

Created: /docs/validation/CREATIVE-BATCH-habit-tracker.md

Workflows used
Inputs/variables
Prompts (Glif + Midjourney)
Selected concepts + ratings
Final asset file paths

Time: 10 minutes

Total Time

Planning: 15 minutes
Glif generation: 15 minutes (3 workflows)
Review/select: 20 minutes
Midjourney/Canva polish: 60 minutes
Documentation: 10 minutes

Total: ~2 hours (vs. 15-20 hours manual)

Assets created: 3 hero images, 10 ad variants, 5 social graphics = 18 total

ROI: 13-18 hours saved × $200/hr = $2,600-3,600 value for ~$50 Glif/Midjourney cost = 50-70x return

Practical Application: How to Implement This

Here's how to add Glif creative batching to your workflow:

Step 1: Sign Up for Glif

Free tier: 100 runs/month (good for testing)
Pro tier: $20/month (unlimited runs)

Create account, explore template library

Step 2: Build or Fork Your First Workflow

Start simple: "Ad Variant Generator"

Blocks:

Text input: Variables (niche, pain, hook, style)
Image generation: DALL-E or Midjourney integration
Text overlay: Add headline text to image
Output: Export PNG

Test with example inputs, iterate on prompts

Step 3: Define Your Workflow Library

Standard workflows we use:

Landing Hero Generator (3-5 concepts per idea)
Ad Variant Generator (10-20 variants per campaign)
Social Graphic Generator (5-10 per platform)
Feature Visual Generator (UI mockup concepts)

Time to build library: 2-4 hours (one-time investment, reusable forever)

Step 4: Run Workflows for Each Validation

When validation starts:

Pull inputs from brand system (colors, tone, style)
Pull hooks/pain points from discovery docs
Run Glif workflows (5-15 minutes)
Review outputs, select top concepts (20 minutes)
Refine in Midjourney/Canva (30-60 minutes)
Save finals to /docs/validation/assets/<slug>/

Step 5: Document Workflows and Prompts

Create: /docs/validation/CREATIVE-BATCH-<slug>.md

Include:

Workflow names + links
Input variables used
Prompts (Glif + Midjourney)
Selected concepts + ratings
Final asset file paths

Purpose: Reproducibility + learning (what concepts worked?)

Step 6: Integrate with Validation Tests

Use creatives in:

Landing page (hero image)
Facebook/Twitter ads (variants for A/B testing)
Social posts (graphics for Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn)
Email campaigns (header images)

Track performance (ad CTR, landing conversion, social engagement)

Learn: Which concepts resonated? Document in RESULTS doc.

Glif Use Cases (Beyond Ads)

Here are other ways we use Glif:

1. UI Mockup Exploration

Use case: Want to explore 10 different dashboard layouts before building

Glif workflow:

Input: Feature list, user type, aesthetic (minimal, data-dense, colorful)
Output: 20 UI mockup concepts

Benefit: Explore directions before committing to Figma designs

2. Persona Avatar Generation

Use case: Need visual representations of target personas

Glif workflow:

Input: Persona description (age, job, style)
Output: 10 avatar options

Benefit: Makes personas more tangible for team/stakeholders

3. Value Prop Visualization

Use case: Want to visualize abstract concepts (e.g., "data moat," "network effects")

Glif workflow:

Input: Concept description, style (infographic, metaphor, diagram)
Output: 15 visualization concepts

Benefit: Helps explain strategy to non-technical stakeholders

4. Brand Mascot Exploration

Use case: Want to explore 20 different mascot concepts before refining in Midjourney

Glif workflow:

Input: Animal type, industry tone, color palette
Output: 20 mascot concepts

Benefit: Quickly explore directions before expensive Midjourney iterations

Real-World Results

Since implementing Glif creative batching (6 months ago):

Efficiency:

Creative generation time: 2 hours (was 15-20 hours)
Assets per validation: 15-20 (was 5-10)
Can validate 3-4 ideas simultaneously (creatives no longer bottleneck)

Quality:

More variants tested (10-20 ad concepts vs. 3-5 before)
Better performance (test multiple directions, pick winners)
Faster iteration (regenerate in minutes if performance is poor)

Cost:

Glif: $20/month
Midjourney: $30/month
Total: $50/month for unlimited creative generation
ROI: ~60 hours saved/month × $200/hr = $12,000 value for $50 cost = 240x return

Trade-Offs and Limitations

Glif creative batching isn't perfect:

Glif Outputs are Drafts:

Quality is lower than Midjourney or professional designer
Need to refine selected concepts (Glif → Midjourney → polish)

Learning Curve:

Building workflows takes 15-30 minutes per workflow
Need to understand prompt engineering (what inputs produce good outputs)
Debugging workflows can be tricky

Not Suitable for Brand-Defining Assets:

Use Midjourney (or hire designer) for logos, mascots, brand photography
Glif is for batch generation, not precision craftsmanship

API Costs Can Add Up:

If using paid image generation APIs (DALL-E, Midjourney), costs scale with usage
Monitor usage to stay within budget

Doesn't Replace Human Judgment:

AI generates options, humans still pick winners
Need design eye to select best concepts
Can't fully automate creative work

When to Skip It

Don't use Glif if:

You only need 1-2 creatives (manual Canva is fine)
You have a designer on team (they can batch-generate faster)
Your validation doesn't require visual assets (e.g., API product, developer tools)

But if you're a solo founder validating multiple ideas with visual tests (ads, landing pages, social), Glif is transformative.

Takeaways

Here's what to remember about Glif creative batching:

Glif for Quantity, Midjourney for Quality: Glif generates 20-50 drafts, Midjourney polishes top 3-5 to finals.
Modular Workflows: Build reusable workflows (single-purpose, variable-driven). Reuse across ideas.
Document Everything: Save prompts, workflows, selected concepts in CREATIVE-BATCH docs. Reproducibility matters.
Batch → Test → Refine: Generate many concepts, test performance, refine winners. Don't perfect everything upfront.
Time Saved is Massive: 2 hours (with Glif) vs. 15-20 hours (manual) = 13-18 hours saved per validation.
ROI is 50-240x: $50/month cost, $12,000+/month value (time saved). Immediate payback.
Creative is No Longer Bottleneck: Can validate 3-4 ideas simultaneously. Creatives accelerate validation.

What's Next?

We're continuing to refine Glif usage:

Automated workflow triggering: When validation plan is created, auto-run Glif workflows
Performance tracking: Which concepts drove best ad CTR / landing conversion?
Template library: Share reusable workflows with community

Most founders get stuck on 'we need 10 ad variants' and spend days in Canva. We batch-generate creatives in hours.

If you're running validation tests that need creatives, use Glif for batch generation. Build modular workflows, generate 20-50 drafts, test, refine winners with Midjourney/Canva.

What if creative generation was a 2-hour task instead of a 2-day bottleneck? That's the promise of AI-powered creative batching.