Artificial Intelligence in the ELT Classroom

Looka

Bibel, Florencia - Bircher, Martina - Capelli, Pedro

Key Features

AI-powered design tools like Looka have transformed brand development by offering accessible, efficient, and scalable solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Looka’s AI-driven logo maker generates numerous customizable logo options based on user input, allowing adjustments in color, layout, and icons, reflecting what Maeda (2019) describes as “computational creativity,” where algorithms augment, rather than replace, human design decisions.
The platform also provides a comprehensive brand kit with over 300 templates for business cards, social media profiles, and marketing collateral, ensuring consistent branding across platforms (Looka, 2025). Such brand coherence is vital, as Keller (2013) emphasizes the strategic role of integrated marketing communications in building brand equity.
In addition, Looka offers high-resolution files in versatile formats like SVG, PNG, and PDF, supporting both print and digital use, aligning with Cross (2011), who stresses the importance of format versatility in modern design outputs.
The platform also includes an AI-powered website builder, enabling users to create mobile-optimized and SEO-ready sites, a feature that aligns with Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick’s (2019) findings on the critical role of mobile responsiveness and search optimization in digital marketing success.
Looka’s appeal lies in its user-friendly interface and cost-effective pricing, making professional design accessible to non-designers, an important democratization of creative tools noted by McCormack et al. (2014).
Furthermore, its fast turnaround supports agile branding efforts, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on other business aspects (Brown, 2020).
However, limitations exist: the template-based approach may lead to less unique outcomes, a concern echoed by Thoring and Müller (2011), who argue that creativity is often constrained in automated design environments. Additionally, while customization is available, it remains limited compared to the bespoke flexibility offered by professional designers (Micheli et al., 2019). Finally, access to premium features requires payment, which, though justified by functionality, may limit access for some users.

In conclusion:

BENEFITS

User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the design process, making it accessible for users without graphic design experience.
Cost-Effective: Offers affordable pricing plans, making it ideal for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.
Fast Turnaround: Allows users to create professional logos and branding materials quickly, enabling them to focus on other aspects of their business.

DRAWBACKS

Limited Customization: While Looka offers customization options, it may not match the flexibility and creativity of a professional designer.
Template-Based Designs: Some users might find the designs less unique due to the template-based creation process.
Premium Features Require Payment: Access to high-resolution files and the full suite of branding tools requires a paid subscription.

hOW CAN WE USE IT IN THE CLASSROOM?

Lesson Plan

Age: 13-14 years old.

Level: Intermediate

Time: 40 minutes

Language Focus: Present simple (Our campaign focuses on..., Our logo shows..., We use green to symbolize..., etc), vocabulary related to environmental issues (pollution, deforestation, climate change, endangered species, recycling, sustainability, renewable and eco-friendly) and vocabulary related to design and branding (symbol, slogan, logo, campaign, brand, color scheme, message and target audience)

Objective: Identify and describe an environmental issue using the target language.

Warm-Up: The teacher will write a question on the board: "What are some big environmental problems in the world today?" to activate prior knowledge. Students will raise their hands to answer the question and the teacher will write their answers on the board (For example: plastic pollution, deforestation, climate change, endangered animals, etc).

Activity: The teacher will divide the students in pairs or small groups for them to choose one environmental issue to focus on. The teacher will write three questions on the board:

What is your campaign name?
What does it want to achieve?
What symbols, shapes, or colors represent your issue?

The teacher will ask the students to create their own logo using Looka. They will have to choose relevant styles, colors, and symbols for their campaigns.

Once they finish, they will be given two minutes to present their logo to the class. Students will talk about the name, what the campaign is about and why they chose that design. The teacher will encourage the use of the target vocabulary.

Finally, the students will vote for the most effective and creative campaign.

TUTORIAL

Visit the Looka Website. Go to www.looka.com. Enter your company, project, or group name and click on "Get started"

2. Select an industry that best matches your business or project. This helps Looka suggest relevant styles and symbols.

3. Choose from several pre-designed logo styles that appeal to you. You can pick multiple to help the AI understand your design preferences.

4. Select color palettes that reflect your brand’s mood and message (e.g., bold, calm, professional, playful).

5. Search for and choose up to 5 icons or symbols related to your business or theme. Looka will use these to create visual elements in your logo.

6. Looka will generate dozens of logo designs. Scroll through the options and click on any logo to preview and customize.

7. Use the editor to:

Adjust fonts, layout, and icon size.
Change color.
Add or remove shapes and taglines

8. When you're happy with the design, click on “Sign Up” to create an account. This allows you to access and modify your logo later.

9. You can preview the free version, or purchase a brand kit package to download high-resolution files and branding materials (e.g., business cards, social media assets, etc.).

TUTORIAL VIDEO

Sources

Brown, D. (2020). Digital branding for entrepreneurs. Routledge.
Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital marketing (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Cross, N. (2011). Design thinking: Understanding how designers think and work. Berg.
Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity (4th ed.). Pearson Education.
Looka. (2025). AI logo maker & brand kit. https://looka.com
Maeda, J. (2019). The Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life. MIT Press.
McCormack, J., Gifford, T., & Hutchings, P. (2014). Autonomy, authenticity, authorship and intention in computer generated art. In Computers and Creativity (pp. 115–136). Springer.
Micheli, P., Wilner, S. J., Bhatti, S. H., Mura, M., & Beverland, M. B. (2019). Doing design thinking: Conceptual review, synthesis, and research agenda. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 36(2), 124–148.
Thoring, K., & Müller, R. M. (2011). Understanding design thinking: A process model based on method engineering. Proceedings of the International Conference on Design Research Society (DRS).

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