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Avoiding the AI pitfall of uniformity

Can astrology help?

TLDR: Will giving AI an astrological birth chart make it style a website differently? Jump to conclusion.

Recently, I made a homepage for Reaction Count. I thought that if I gave detailed context to AI about its audience, it would produce the best fitting look and feel.

It presented a few options, and I picked its top recommendation. The next day, while browsing X, I saw an ad for some new AI service. It looked almost exactly like my website. I realized then that AI really does lead to uniformity. I had given it a very specific user avatar and value proposition, yet it applied the same style to my site as it did to another website whose users are very different.

Creativity

What can unlock creativity in us? What can unlock it in AI? Perhaps:

  • Make the AI build a style gallery of hundreds of different labelled styles.
  • Give it the current moon phase, day of week, time of day, etc. to add some entropy to its results.
  • Ask it to behave like a designer of a given zodiac sign.

The zodiac option is worth a shot. We’ll use the Chinese four pillars system. Each of the pillar has an element and an animal. In total, it leads to almost 13 million different personalities for our AI designer.

Testing whether the same personality leads to same results

Prompt given to Opus 4.8 (low):

Act like a professional website designer whose BaZi pillars are: wood rooster, wood snake, water snake, fire horse.
Define font(s), color palette and overall artistic theme you would recommended for a privacy-first free service for blog owners.

Output terse JSON only, with parts for fonts, palette (color names not hex), theme
Show 4 retry results 
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Inter",
    "headings": "Space Grotesk",
    "mono": "IBM Plex Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm off-white",
    "ink": "deep charcoal",
    "primary": "forest green",
    "accent": "muted teal",
    "highlight": "soft amber",
    "muted": "sage gray"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet, trust-first minimalism — organic wood-and-water calm with clean negative space, soft natural tones, and restrained warm accents signaling privacy, openness, and grounded reliability."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Söhne",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm ivory",
    "surface": "soft sandstone",
    "ink": "deep forest green",
    "accent": "muted teal",
    "highlight": "ember amber",
    "muted": "sage gray"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet sanctuary — organic minimalism rooted in wood-and-water calm. Generous whitespace, soft natural light, no tracking-pixel clutter. Editorial warmth signals trust and discretion; subtle amber sparks (fire horse) add life without noise. Privacy reads as serenity, not austerity."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Inter",
    "headings": "Fraunces",
    "mono": "IBM Plex Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm ivory",
    "surface": "soft sand",
    "ink": "deep charcoal",
    "primary": "forest green",
    "accent": "ember orange",
    "muted": "sage gray"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet sanctuary — organic wood-and-earth warmth meets clean editorial restraint; trustworthy, unobtrusive, calm. Generous whitespace, soft natural light, no surveillance-era cold blues. Signals safety and craft for writers who value privacy."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Fraunces",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm paper white",
    "ink": "deep forest green",
    "primary": "bamboo green",
    "accent": "vermilion red",
    "secondary": "slate teal",
    "muted": "soft sage gray"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet wood-and-water minimalism: organic, calm, trustworthy. Generous whitespace, soft natural light, leaf-and-stream motifs used sparingly. Privacy signaled through restraint — no clutter, no dark patterns, subtle vermilion only for key actions."
}

Let’s see… It repeats in almost all attempts:

  • Quiet, Minimalism, Sanctuary vibe
  • Warm ivory, off-white paper background
  • Inter as the primary font
  • Sage gray as the muted color
  • Amber accents

Testing whether a new personality leads to different results

Prompt given to Opus 4.8 (low):

Act like a professional website designer whose BaZi pillars are: water tiger, fire goat, earth tiger, wood rooster.
Define font(s), color palette and overall artistic theme you would recommended for a privacy-first free service for blog owners.

Output terse JSON only, with parts for fonts, palette (color names not hex), theme
Show 5 retry results 
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Inter",
    "headings": "Space Grotesk",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm off-white",
    "ink": "deep charcoal",
    "primary": "forest green",
    "accent": "amber gold",
    "muted": "soft sage",
    "alert": "muted terracotta"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet sanctuary — minimal, trust-forward calm. Generous whitespace, soft natural tones evoking shelter and privacy. Earthy organic warmth over cold tech-blue. Subtle, unobtrusive UI that fades back so writing stays foreground."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Space Grotesk",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "deep slate",
    "surface": "soft charcoal",
    "primary": "muted teal",
    "accent": "warm amber",
    "text": "off-white",
    "subtle": "cool gray"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet, trustworthy minimalism. Generous negative space, calm dark-neutral foundation with a single living accent. Privacy signaled through restraint, not noise: no clutter, clear hierarchy, breathing room. Tiger groundedness meets the lightness of wood and water flow."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Inter",
    "secondary": "Source Serif 4",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "background": "fog white",
    "surface": "soft slate",
    "primary": "deep teal",
    "accent": "warm amber",
    "text": "ink charcoal",
    "muted": "stone gray"
  },
  "theme": "calm trustworthy minimalism — quiet water meets grounded earth: airy whitespace, soft contrast, no tracking-pixel clutter; reassuring, transparent, sanctuary-like"
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Inter",
    "secondary": "Source Serif 4",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "background": "fog white",
    "surface": "soft slate",
    "primary": "deep teal",
    "accent": "warm amber",
    "text": "ink charcoal",
    "muted": "stone gray"
  },
  "theme": "calm trustworthy minimalism — quiet water meets grounded earth: airy whitespace, soft contrast, no tracking-pixel clutter; reassuring, transparent, sanctuary-like"
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Fraunces",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "IBM Plex Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "background": "warm ivory",
    "surface": "soft sand",
    "primary": "deep teal",
    "accent": "ember orange",
    "secondary": "moss green",
    "text": "charcoal ink",
    "muted": "stone gray"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet, grounded warmth — water-and-earth calm meeting a small fire spark. Clean editorial layout, generous whitespace, no trackers implied by the visual restraint. Trust through transparency: muted natural tones, one confident accent, organic-but-preci

What is the same: Inter, calm, minimal, sanctuary vibe with amber accents.

What changed: muted color is stone gray instead of sage. Base color no longer warm but usually fog white. Primary text color is usually teal instead of green.

Yet another try

Prompt given to Opus 4.8 (low):

Act like a professional website designer whose BaZi pillars are: wood snake, fire rabbit, fire rooster, fire dog.
Define font(s), color palette and overall artistic theme you would recommended for a privacy-first free service for blog owners.

Output terse JSON only, with parts for fonts, palette (color names not hex), theme
Show 6 retry results 
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Inter",
    "headings": "Spectral",
    "mono": "IBM Plex Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm ivory",
    "surface": "soft sand",
    "ink": "charcoal",
    "primary": "deep forest green",
    "accent": "ember orange",
    "muted": "muted clay"
  },
  "theme": "Warm, earthy minimalism — grounded and trustworthy. Generous whitespace and quiet typography signal privacy and restraint, while ember-orange accents add subtle vitality. Editorial feel that puts the writer's words first; no clutter, no surveillance-era cold blue. Calm, organic, human."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Inter",
    "headings": "Space Grotesk",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm off-white",
    "surface": "soft ivory",
    "text": "charcoal",
    "primary": "ember red",
    "accent": "amber gold",
    "secondary": "sage green",
    "muted": "warm taupe"
  },
  "theme": "Warm minimalist trust — earthy fire-and-wood warmth over clean privacy-focused negative space; generous whitespace, soft rounded edges, no clutter, conveying safety and openness without coldness."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Söhne",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono",
    "fallback": "system-ui, sans-serif"
  },
  "palette": {
    "primary": "deep forest green",
    "secondary": "warm terracotta",
    "accent": "soft amber",
    "background": "warm off-white",
    "surface": "pale sand",
    "text": "charcoal ink",
    "muted": "muted clay gray"
  },
  "theme": "Trust-rooted minimalism: organic warmth meets quiet restraint. Grounded earthy greens signal privacy and safety, warm fire-accents add approachable energy without alarm. Generous whitespace, no dark patterns, no tracking-pixel clutter. Honest typography, calm hierarchy, and a handcrafted-but-clean feel that says your data stays yours."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Spectral",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "warm ivory",
    "surface": "soft sand",
    "primary": "ember orange",
    "secondary": "muted cinnabar red",
    "accent": "young-bamboo green",
    "text": "deep charcoal",
    "subtle": "ash gray"
  },
  "theme": "Quiet warmth meets clean restraint: a privacy-first sanctuary with sunlit earth tones, generous whitespace, and crisp geometric structure. Fire-driven warmth signals trust and approachability; wood-green accents convey growth and openness, while the disciplined typography and minimal chrome reinforce a calm, no-tracking, content-first sensibility."
}
{
  "persona": {
    "role": "professional website designer",
    "bazi": ["wood snake", "fire rabbit", "fire rooster", "fire dog"],
    "element_read": "fire-dominant with wood support; warm, expressive, precise"
  },
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Fraunces",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono",
    "rationale": "warm humanist serif for trust, clean grotesque for legibility, mono for transparency cues"
  },
  "palette": {
    "primary": "deep forest green",
    "secondary": "warm ember orange",
    "accent": "soft amber",
    "neutral_dark": "charcoal slate",
    "neutral_light": "warm ivory",
    "support": "muted sage",
    "rationale": "wood (green) grounds fire (ember/amber); ivory keeps it open and honest"
  },
  "theme": {
    "name": "Quiet Hearth",
    "mood": "calm, trustworthy, warm-minimalist",
    "principles": ["privacy as warmth not coldness", "generous whitespace", "no dark patterns", "soft edges, high contrast text"],
    "texture": "subtle paper grain, gentle ember glow accents",
    "motion": "minimal, slow fades"
  }
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "heading": "Söhne",
    "body": "Inter",
    "mono": "IBM Plex Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "background": "warm ivory",
    "surface": "soft parchment",
    "primary": "ember orange",
    "secondary": "muted terracotta",
    "accent": "forest green",
    "text": "charcoal",
    "muted": "warm gray"
  },
  "theme": "Warm minimalism with a quiet, trustworthy character: generous whitespace, soft earthy fire-and-wood tones, no tracking iconography or dark patterns. Calm editorial layout that puts the writer's words first and signals privacy through restraint rather than ornament."
}

What is the same: Inter, warm background (same as 1st designer), quiet, minimal, sanctuary

What changed: red as primary instead of accent.

Changing the service

Let’s see if it even considers the audience and service at all.

Prompt given to Opus 4.8 (low):

Act like a professional website designer whose BaZi pillars are: wood snake, fire rabbit, fire rooster, fire dog.
Define font(s), color palette and overall artistic theme you would recommended for an AI service for ambitious CEOs that want to replace human employees with virtual ones.

Output terse JSON only, with parts for fonts, palette (color names not hex), theme
Show 5 results 
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Söhne",
    "secondary": "Neue Haas Grotesk",
    "accent": "GT Sectra"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "obsidian black",
    "surface": "graphite",
    "primary": "molten gold",
    "secondary": "ember orange",
    "accent": "cinnabar red",
    "neutral": "bone white",
    "muted": "ash gray"
  },
  "theme": "Imperial minimalism — commanding fire-element authority over a dark, disciplined canvas. Sharp grids, generous negative space, and metallic gold accents signal precision and power. Sparse motion, decisive typography, and a controlled palette evoke an elite operating system: confident, sovereign, built for leaders who command rather than ask."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Neue Haas Grotesk",
    "secondary": "GT Sectra",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "obsidian black",
    "surface": "graphite",
    "primary": "molten amber",
    "accent": "ember red",
    "highlight": "warm gold",
    "neutral": "bone white",
    "muted": "ash gray"
  },
  "theme": "Controlled fire over dark earth — a commanding, executive aesthetic. Sharp grotesk headlines paired with a sliver of editorial serif for authority. Generous negative space, precise grid, restrained motion. Amber and ember accents radiate energy and momentum against obsidian, signaling power, intelligence, and decisive automation. Premium, confident, faintly cinematic; no clutter, no whimsy."
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Söhne",
    "secondary": "Neue Haas Grotesk",
    "accent": "GT Sectra"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "obsidian black",
    "surface": "graphite",
    "primary": "molten amber",
    "secondary": "burnished gold",
    "accent": "ember red",
    "neutral": "bone white",
    "muted": "ash gray"
  },
  "theme": "Commanding minimalism — dark, authoritative canvas pierced by fire-toned accents. Sharp grids, generous negative space, and quiet luxury signaling control and inevitability. Subtle motion, precise typography, zero clutter: the interface
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Neue Haas Grotesk",
    "secondary": "Söhne",
    "display": "GT Sectra",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "obsidian black",
    "surface": "graphite",
    "primary": "molten amber",
    "accent": "ember orange",
    "highlight": "vermilion",
    "neutral": "bone white",
    "muted": "ash gray"
  },
  "theme": {
    "name": "Forged Authority",
    "mood": "commanding, precise, quietly aggressive",
    "concept": "wood fuels fire — controlled combustion as metaphor for human capability transmuted into tireless machine labor",
    "aesthetic": "dark-mode-first, high-contrast, generous negative space, sharp grid discipline with one molten focal point per view",
    "motifs": "thin ember lines, forge-glow gradients, geometric precision, restrained motion that pulses like a heartbeat",
    "tone": "no whimsy, no clutter — power signaled through restraint and a single decisive accent"
  }
}
{
  "fonts": {
    "primary": "Neue Haas Grotesk",
    "secondary": "GT Sectra",
    "mono": "JetBrains Mono"
  },
  "palette": {
    "base": "obsidian black",
    "surface": "graphite gray",
    "primary": "molten amber",
    "accent": "cinnabar red",
    "highlight": "champagne gold",
    "text": "bone white"
  },
  "theme": "Commanding minimalism with a controlled fire undercurrent. Vast dark negative space frames sharp geometric type and decisive amber-gold accents, signaling authority, precision, and inevitability. Subtle ember gradients and crisp metallic lines convey a fleet of tireless digital labor under the CEO's command, monolithic and elite without clutter."
}

What stayed the same: Minimalism, amber primary

What changed: Dark instead of warm paper theme, Inter is no longer mentioned at all, Commanding, authority instead of sanctuary or calm. Green, teal cool colors are gone.

Conclusion

Changes to the astrological signs led to some minor changes in coloring, but did not alter the overall artistic guidance. Changing the service and audience did lead to different color palettes and fonts.

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