For us, AI is much more than just a technical trend. It is changing the way agencies think, design and work together. For customers, this means faster processes and more accurate results; for employees, it means new opportunities to implement ideas and take on responsibility.
An internal survey has shown that many innovations at our company originate directly from the teams. Vibe Coding, Relume and Eleven Labs came from practical experience, not from above. We review such ideas together, integrate them quickly and learn as an organisation in the process. This openness is crucial for actively shaping change.
Since the rollout of the first AI tools in 2023, these technologies have been part of our daily lives. At the agency summit in March 2024, all teams presented specific application examples – with clear advantages, but also limitations. At that time, we were working with five tools, and the results were solid but still interchangeable. Today, around a year and a half later, AI has become indispensable in every area. It is an integral part of our everyday work. We documented these initial experiences in our blog post from March 2024 (‘AI use in agencies – navigating between possibilities and limitations’). And in October 2024, Anna Benda (CD) and Raphael Berthold (AD) explored the topic in more depth in their article (‘AI in the creative industry – how we use ChatGPT and other tools’) with a focus on text and image editing.
Today, it is no longer about individual applications, but about the interaction between tools. They complement and challenge each other and redefine our work. The crucial question is no longer whether we use AI, but how it changes our agency structure and culture.
Our stance: AI makes us faster, more creative and more efficient. And in the future, it will lay the foundation for a new, collaborative way of working. To show what this transformation looks like in concrete terms, it is worth taking a look at our disciplines. From consulting to design to development, we use AI in a way that enhances our work rather than replacing it.
Management and account management/consulting: structure and depth – for relevance and clarity
Management and account management are all about combining organisation and strategy. AI supports us in this on several levels: from contracts, invoicing and planning to customer communication and strategy drafting. ChatGPT is a virtual assistant for everyday tasks – for briefings, workshops, analysis and conception. We work with master and system prompts, use project mode and our own GPTs, and share prompts across teams to pool knowledge and speed up decisions. In addition, we are currently evaluating Notebook LM in management to make larger analyses for market analyses in acquisition projects even more efficient.
The result: clearer processes, more structure and an organisation that remains capable of learning – with people who understand technology as a tool for making better decisions and doing more relevant work.
Design & Creation: Developments and diversity – for context and ideas.
These AI-supported processes also bring clear advantages for our customers, such as faster coordination loops and more precise visualisations in less time. This is where the most exciting developments are currently taking place. Our toolset for Figma and Adobe is constantly being updated with new AI add-ons. Photoshop is already running in beta with a connection to Google's Gemini Nano Banana, which takes image editing to a whole new level. Figma, on the other hand, works closely with the Relume plugin, which enables the import of sitemaps and navigation structures and significantly speeds up design processes – this is also currently being evaluated.
In addition, we use AI specifically for quick image variations, adaptations and cut-outs. AI-supported mood boards, prototypes and explorations help us to quickly test visual directions and validate design decisions. The result: more space for creative ideas, more precise implementation and noticeable efficiency throughout the entire workflow.
Audio & video: timing and new voices – for precision and impact
Eleven Labs is used to create voiceovers and spot drafts. This saves resources and expands creative freedom. We are currently satisfied with prototypes for demo commercials or concept presentations as well as for voiceovers of YouTube videos, but not yet for real commercials – here, there is still a lack of fine-tuning options in terms of intonation and voice colour. We also still enjoy working with real people. However, advances in audio AI enable us to approve audio productions and presentations more quickly.
Performance: data, funnels, efficiency – for transparent decisions
In the performance team, we use AI to analyse data on target groups, markets, competitors and channels. These results are incorporated into new funnels, channel strategies and tracking setups. AI also helps us to evaluate reports efficiently and merge them with traditional data sources to obtain a holistic picture. At the same time, we consciously control which automated processes we use and where we intervene in order to make optimal use of budgets. We use Whatagraph for reports, which creates summaries and recommendations for specific reports or tabs. It saves time when you want to quickly evaluate a lot of data – even if some additional information is missing or results are only interpreted superficially. In addition, new reports and widgets can be quickly customised, for example with filters or alternative metrics.
From SEO to GEO – for structure and visibility
SEO is evolving with AI towards GEO. Beyond classic tasks such as meta descriptions or H1 tags, we combine data from Search Console, Analytics and other tools to create integrated strategies. Schema-optimised page structure is becoming the new gold standard: content is not only found, but also optimally structured and made usable.
Development: Vibe Coding & new speed – new possibilities in implementation
This clearly shows how closely development, design and strategy work together today. AI links these disciplines more closely than ever before – from conception and prototyping to implementation. Development is one of the strongest drivers of AI. Using the vibe coding (Claude Code) approach, we create functional MVPs in the shortest possible time. This enables rapid responses to market conditions and new opportunities, as well as a time-to-market that sets new standards.
The interplay of low-code with Webflow, design with Figma, and Vibe Coding for custom code opens up enormous potential. This is precisely the combination we rely on at Achtzehn Grad. Supported by Claude Code for debugging, security, and documentation, we create processes that combine speed with quality.
Conclusion: Human-centred, AI-enhanced
It is no longer about the what or why of AI – that has long been answered. The key thing is that the best tools work together and make a real difference in everyday life. We have deliberately discarded some solutions, such as CoPilot and others. Our aim is to have a tech stack that remains lean, efficient and understandable. For us, AI is not just a tool, but a central component of an agency that combines technology with humanity, where people are at the centre and AI enhances their work. Innovation arises from the heart of the team, driven by initiative, curiosity and the joy of thinking ahead together. This is our way of combining technology with humanity – pragmatic, open and future-oriented.