Do we still need to think in "tools"?

Traditional image creation has been slow. Even for masters of art, translating a concept into a graphic took time and effort. And for the rest, the non-masters, the tools were far from their reach. Earlier, the creation cycle used to look something like

> sit and think about ideas,
> think about which tool to use
> execute on the tool
> rethink ideas
> iterate within the tool

AI is now reducing the gap between thinking and iterating, so users just have to think — conceptualizing scenarios.

Enough talk, let's dive into the examples.

Examples

Meta AI anchors its experience in a conversational manner. As you type, the image starts rendering LIVE with a minimal-to-no loading state.

The interface keeps the interaction open-ended: you can continue prompting or pick from a variation without breaking flow. The interface stays minimal, prioritising speed and continuity.

Once done, you can come back and edit the image, picking up where they left off.

Krea AI does complete 360° in terms of the interface — using multimodal controls. Alongside text, you can guide generation by repositioning shapes or uploading visual references for structure and style.

You can select the area and update it LIVE, enabling precise edits without restarting. Mind you, all this happens in real-time without a loading state.

Decoherence leans into the stepwise refinement by providing flexibility between iterating and selecting variations. Entry point is similar, you can also enter a multimodal prompt as input, and get multiple variations in a carousel.

Users swipe between multiple variations, stay on one to then continue modifying it via text. The flexibility makes it a smooth experience overall.

AI UX checklist

1. Fast image generation to keep users in creative flow (ideally <2s)?

2. Is the experience flexible: modifying vs creating variations?

3. Can you modify another variation?

4. Are controls minimal but meaningful, enough to guide without overwhelming?

5. How easy is it to edit specific parts of an image?

As these interactions mature, we're going to move towards truly multimodal creation environments where text, voice, gesture, and reference materials all contribute to the creative process.

That's the exciting frontier: tools that adapt to our natural creative thinking process rather than forcing us to adapt to them.