Hello Gamma Team, First, I would like to thank PaulY for his responsiveness, professionalism, and willingness to genuinely investigate the issues I was experiencing. His intervention was thoughtful, fast, and ultimately the most productive part of my experience using Gamma. I wanted to share some broader feedback because I believe Gamma has tremendous potential, but there are important gaps between what visually sophisticated users are asking for creatively and what the AI is currently delivering. For context, I used Gamma to develop a major presentation for United Airlines tied to my television series Born to Explore and my work with The Explorers Club. The project incorporated: • my own expedition photography • existing PowerPoint decks • AI-generated concept material • extensive written creative direction • strong editorial and cinematic references The overall creative direction was actually very simple: full-resolution cinematic photography with restrained typography and elegant editorial layouts. In practice, however, I spent many hours fighting against the AI system rather than collaborating with it. The recurring issues were remarkably consistent: The AI repeatedly muted or degraded premium imagery Gamma frequently applied heavy overlays, opacity masks, beige washes, or dark filters over high-quality expedition photography, even after repeated instructions not to do so. The emotional power of exploration imagery depends on color, contrast, atmosphere, and realism. Many of the generated layouts flattened or diminished that impact. Ironically, once Paul explained that some of these were overlay settings, one of the core problems was solved almost immediately. In hindsight, this feels like something the system itself should have recognized or suggested much earlier. Text placement often ignored image composition The AI frequently placed text directly over bright skies, sunlight, or visually busy areas where readability became nearly impossible. A human designer instinctively understands negative space, focal points, and visual balance. The AI often appeared unaware of these fundamentals, even when explicitly instructed to prioritize readability and photographic integrity. The AI consistently drifted toward incorrect visual styles Despite very detailed prompts, Gamma repeatedly steered toward: • luxury-tech aesthetics • sci-fi styling • metallic/casino visual language • startup pitch deck formatting • over-designed corporate templates The references I provided were much more restrained: • Rolex expedition advertising • National Geographic editorial photography • The Explorers Club archives • premium documentary storytelling • understated luxury and realism In many cases, I spent more time undoing design choices than refining the actual presentation. The AI struggled with restraint Great editorial storytelling often requires silence, breathing room, emotional pauses, large imagery, and minimal typography. The AI continually attempted to “fill” slides with information or effects rather than trusting the imagery to carry emotional weight. Ultimately, after many hours of iteration, I rebuilt much of the presentation manually in PowerPoint because I could not consistently achieve the look and pacing I wanted inside Gamma. That said, I have not given up on Gamma. I still believe the platform has enormous promise, which is why I selected it in the first place. I am not a professional graphic designer, but I do work extensively in visual narrative, television production, exploration media, and presentation development. I generally know very clearly the emotional tone, pacing, hierarchy, and editorial feel I want. What I hoped Gamma would do was elevate and refine those instincts visually — not repeatedly redirect the aesthetic. I’ve attached the finished PowerPoint deck because I believe this project may actually represent a useful case study for your product and design teams. There is a growing category of users like me: people who are visually sophisticated and creatively opinionated, but not formally trained designers. If Gamma can truly bridge that gap while preserving photographic integrity, editorial restraint, and cinematic storytelling, I think it could become an extraordinary platform. Again, thank you to Paul for his professionalism and help throughout this process.
