Mixboard Could Be Google’s Boldest Move Yet Against Firefly Boards and FigJam

Google Labs has launched Mixboard, an AI-powered concepting tool that allows users to visualize ideas through images and text in real time.

Positioned as an experimental product, Mixboard goes beyond simple moodboards, competing directly with tools like Adobe’s Firefly Boards, FigJam, and Canva’s whiteboard features.

How Google’s Mixboard Works

According to Google’s announcement, Mixboard combines an open canvas with generative AI to help users expand and refine ideas.

• Users can start with a text prompt (“plan an autumn party in my living room”) or select from pre-populated templates.
• Boards can integrate uploaded images or use AI to generate new visuals based on descriptions.
• A new image-editing model, Nano Banana, enables natural language editing — e.g., “make this pastel,” “add foliage,” or “merge with this other design.”
• Quick actions like “regenerate” and “more like this” simplify iterations.
• AI can generate contextual text from images on a board, supporting project notes or captions.

The tool is currently available as a public beta in the U.S., with Google encouraging testers to join a Discord community for feedback and updates.

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Distinguishing Features

Most coverage, including The Verge, frames Mixboard as another AI moodboard builder. But Google is emphasizing unique differentiators:

1. Conversational Editing: Mixboard’s Nano Banana model lets users modify images with plain instructions, a step beyond drag-and-drop or preset filters common in similar apps.
2. Rapid Concept Iteration: The one-click regenerate and “more like this” options accelerate idea exploration, making Mixboard more suitable for early-stage brainstorming.
3. AI-First Ideation: Rather than positioning itself as a final design tool, Mixboard is explicitly for concepting — generating and evolving ideas visually before they move to production software.
4. Powered by Gemini: Mixboard runs on Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash model, giving it speed and multimodal flexibility for handling both image and text workflows.

Competing in a Crowded Space

Adobe has already established Firefly Boards, integrated with Creative Cloud to bridge ideation and professional design pipelines. Firefly supports stock assets, dynamic generation, and direct export into Photoshop or Illustrator — features that creative agencies rely on.

Figma’s FigJam, Canva’s whiteboards, and even traditional tools like Pinterest all occupy parts of this creative planning space. Mixboard’s challenge will be proving it can stand apart by offering faster, more intuitive AI-assisted brainstorming.

Strategic Implications

The release of Mixboard under Google Labs suggests that the company is experimenting with how AI can fit into everyday creativity and planning:

• Workspace Potential: If Mixboard evolves, it could connect with Google Docs, Slides, and Meet, adding AI-powered visual boards into the productivity suite.
• Consumer Creativity: Google is positioning it for home décor, event planning, DIY projects, and hobbyist exploration — not just professional workflows.
• Community-Driven Testing: By hosting discussions on Discord, Google signals it wants user input to refine Mixboard before broader rollout.

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Challenges Ahead

Mixboard faces hurdles if it wants to become more than a Labs experiment:

• Adoption: Competing against entrenched tools like Figma and Adobe means convincing users to test a new workflow.
• Integration: Without strong export and collaboration features, Mixboard risks being siloed.
• Output Quality: AI-generated visuals must meet consistent standards for professionals to take it seriously.
• Privacy Questions: Users will want clarity on whether prompts and images feed back into Gemini training.
• Regional Limits: Public beta access is restricted, with no global rollout date confirmed.

Industry Context

The launch arrives as AI design tools proliferate. Adobe continues to push Firefly deeper into creative pipelines, while Canva and Figma add AI features to simplify brainstorming and collaboration. Google’s move into this category through Mixboard signals an intention to challenge incumbents with an AI-native approach, not just bolt-on features.

By focusing on natural language editing and rapid iteration, Mixboard positions itself as a concepting canvas rather than a finished design platform. Whether it evolves into a full competitor to Firefly Boards or remains an experimental Labs project will depend on adoption, workflow integration, and community feedback.

As Google experiments with this new AI-driven format, several questions remain open for the design and tech community:

Could Google convince designers and teams already tied to Adobe and Figma to switch to an AI-driven alternative?

Will Mixboard’s focus on everyday creativity — home décor, events, DIY — limit its professional relevance or broaden its appeal?