Adobe on Nov. 10 opened a test version of Firefly Design, a new app for graphic designers, at its Adobe MAX conference. Adobe says it brings drawing with lines and curves, photo editing, animation, 3D and print work together on one canvas, a single shared workspace. Adobe says a brand identity, a package or an ad campaign can go from first idea to client review in a single file.
Adobe pitches it at a familiar chore: going back and forth between separate apps for drawing, photos, motion and 3D. Files from Photoshop and Illustrator, Adobe's photo-editing and drawing apps, can sit inside a design as linked pieces, and Adobe says changes to a Photoshop file show up everywhere it is placed. Designers can still work by hand with exact tools, such as a pen for drawing precise curves, and Adobe says every curve stays under their control.
The AI is there when a designer wants it, Adobe says. Adobe says people can drop brand guidelines, a main image and reference pictures into Firefly Design's AI helper and get a first draft with the brand's style, colors and fonts already applied. They can also turn a still headline or logo into an animated clip by typing the feel they want, such as playful, bold or soft, then adjust the motion by hand.
Other tools aim to keep a brand consistent. A brand check finds colors and fonts that don't match across designs and suggests fixes. Adobe says designers can also put AI agents to work, meaning AI that can carry out tasks on its own, such as using apps and websites, instead of only answering questions. Here, the agents enforce a brand's rules and handle fixes. When work is ready, designers can invite clients to comment on it, mark it up and approve it. Finished designs can then be saved as image files, print-ready PDFs or video clips.
Adobe says Firefly Design is meant for professional designers and design teams, and that anyone with an Adobe account, even a free one, can use it while it is in test. Once the test ends, the company says, access will depend on the plan, and it hasn't said which plans will include it or at what price.