Adobe's Project Concept could be the future of creative ideation – and the waiting list is open

Adobe's Project Concept AI-powered mood-boarding and ideation app got our attention at Adobe MAX with its non-linear infinite canvas approach, and it's moving forward already. Adobe is opening access to more creatives as it moves the web app into private beta for feedback, and the waiting list is now open.

Designed as an entirely new Adobe product rather than an add-on to products it the current Adobe software list, Project Concept is aimed at what Adobe sees as a new generation of creatives who want to embrace generative AI and who find the linear workflows of legacy software restrictive.

Images can be imported or generated using AI, and edited, remixed, iterated on and organised in a flexible way, making it easier for artists to visualise and develop ideas, either on their own or in collaboration, all in one tool.

We were first introduced to Project Concept at Adobe MAX back in October. Since then, the creative tech giant has been inviting select artists to test the product, which has resulted in tweaks based on their feedback. These include the addition of shareable canvases and artboards and the ability to import, share and remix work, making it easier to collaborate.

The user interface has been simplified too, making it easier to guide generative AI by using multiple types of inputs, like text prompts, images or individual ingredients from images. And Content Credentials has been integrated to recognize the source of images, respect generative AI usage and training preferences and to promote transparency regarding how content was created.

There are also now Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Express integrations to make it easier to bring assets into Project Concept from other Adobe apps. We're told more integrations will follow.

According to Shona Dutta Charlton, who used Project Concept to develop the visual direction of a short film, "Concept...helped me rapidly visualize images for my team when we were incredibly pushed for time. We could get the set built and costs estimated with quick tweaks to the brief. In an industry where time is money and when producers have way too much on our plate, it's becoming an essential planning tool."

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Project Concept isn't entirely novel. We've already seen AI-heavy infinite canvas mood-boarding tools in Recraft as well as Midjourney Patchwork and Kaiber's Superstudio. But Adobe's industry clout and integration with industry-standard tools is likely to give it the edge.

Alexandru Costin, Adobe's Vice President, Generative AI and Sensei, told us at MAX that the tool was being developed with a new generation of "Gen AI creatives" in mind and was being built from scratch to avoid being held back by legacy software or workflows. He suggested the tool could save on GPU budget and power use as well as time since users can generate AI images and projects all in one space, combining multiple tools and inputs.

You can learn more and sign up for the waiting list at Adobe.

Creative Cloud apps already feature a range of Firefly AI-powered tools, from image generation in Photoshop to Generative Extend in Premiere Pro. You can see Creative Cloud pricing below.