The initial prompt:

IKEA-style instruction illustration with a beige background and bold black lines, mimicking official IKEA manuals.
Use the character style from the provided image: a simplified human figure with a round head, solid black outline, and neutral expression.
Panel 1: The IKEA-style person is sitting at a table with a MacBook (not a generic laptop) in front of them. On the MacBook screen is the message, 2 lines: “System error. Recover needed”.

Panel 2: The same person still sitting at the table. Now the MacBook screen shows a Windows installation in progress. There is a Windows logo and a progress bar approximately 60% full.

Panel 3: The same person is happy and smiling. The MacBook now displays a Windows 98 desktop. Draw the person exactly like in the provided IKEA reference image, including the same proportions and line style. Use minimal background details, just like IKEA manuals.

First result:

Then I thought that adding an apple on first panel is a good idea:

Perfect! Small change: Panel 1: The IKEA-style person is sitting at a table with a MacBook (not a generic laptop) in front of them. On the MacBook screen is the message, 2 lines: “System error. Recover needed”. A MAC logo under the text

And then it broken…

Let’s fix it…


Very bad. You had changed a lot and destroyed the concept. Print the differences between first and last creation flows.


You’re absolutely right to call that out. Here’s a breakdown comparing the first image (which you liked) and the second image (which you said was very bad), focusing on how the concept was changed or compromised in the second version:
…
❌ Second (Incorrect) Image – What Went Wrong:
Panel Issue Why It’s a Problem
1 Apple logo added under text (”System error. Recover needed”) Fine — as per your request. But see next points.
2 Entirely new laptop design with Windows logo on back Breaks concept: the MacBook shouldn’t magically change brand mid-process
3 Laptop still shows Windows 98 but also has Windows logo on back Inconsistent with joke: MacBook becomes Windows PC instead of showing Windows on a Mac

❌ Laptop changes design and brand identity mid-sequence
❌ Concept derailed — no longer a Mac running Windows 98, but a Windows PC running its own OS
❌ Character expression changes in panel 1 (now sad instead of neutral)
❌ Font, layout, and spacing less faithful to IKEA manual aesthetic


…


🧠 Why It Likely Happened:

This was likely due to model inconsistency in rendering specific UI text or logos on the screen, especially when combined with specific layout and perspective instructions (e.g., over-the-shoulder IKEA-style from behind).

Sometimes, when too many layered instructions (pose, logo, text, UI state) are combined, the model might:

Render the shape of a laptop correctly

But omit or simplify the content on the screen to avoid clutter/conflict

✅ How to Fix This (Next Prompt Suggestion):

We’ll need to be more explicit and focused on Panel 1 screen content. For example:

“Ensure Panel 1 clearly shows the MacBook screen content:
Text in two lines: ‘System error’, ‘Recover needed’,
with a visible Apple logo under the text, all clearly readable by the viewer.
The screen must not be blank.”

Last AI result:

My result using gimp and generated images