Generative Design Tools: Figma, Canva & Adobe Firefly — What Designers Need to Know

Generative artificial intelligence is changing the way we design, build and market digital experiences. In 2025 every major creative platform has rolled out AI‑powered features that promise to speed up production and make it easier to keep projects on brand. This article looks at the latest releases from Figma, Canva and Adobe to help designers and marketers decide which tools are worth exploring.

Figma’s new AI‑enabled suite

Figma used its 2025 Config conference to announce a set of products that extend the design tool into a complete creation platform:

  1. Draw – A native vector tool with brushes, a shape builder and the ability to place text on a path. It makes sketching high‑fidelity illustrations directly in Figma feel as natural as drawing on paper.
  2. Sites – A publishing tool that turns Figma frames into fully responsive websites. Sites offers pre‑built blocks, an auto‑provisioned SSL certificate and a live HTML/CSS view so that designers can see how layouts will render on the web without leaving the editor.
  3. Buzz – A content factory for bulk asset creation. Set up channel presets, schedule exports and keep colours and typefaces in sync across all outputs.
  4. Make – An AI assistant that turns plain‑language prompts into interactive prototypes. Make wires up interactions automatically and even generates readable React and Tailwind code to jump‑start development.

These tools go beyond interface design. They close the gap between early sketches and production‑ready sites, allowing teams to prototype, publish and iterate from one place.

Canva Create 2025 highlights

Canva is also positioning itself as a one‑stop shop for design and content. The company’s 2025 release introduced:

  • Visual Suite 2.0 – Slides, documents, whiteboards and videos can be combined in a single design. Each page has its own layout, making it easy to produce rich multimedia presentations or reports.
  • Data tools – Spreadsheets and charts can be transformed into on‑brand visuals, helping teams repurpose data across social posts, blog graphics and reports.
  • Upgraded AI – Canva’s new assistant drafts presentations, documents and images from a single prompt. It can even generate visuals inspired by a reference image, saving time when working with clients.
  • Canva Code – A no‑code tool that lets users build simple apps, games and interactive websites just by describing them. This opens up web creation to anyone, even if they have no programming experience.
  • Bonus features – Improved diagramming tools, a better stock photo library, adjustable audio tracks and bulk image resizing.

By combining design, documents and now low‑code development, Canva is evolving into a full marketing suite where teams can plan, create and publish from one place.

Adobe’s generative marketing innovations

Adobe’s announcements at the 2025 Cannes Lions festival focused on bringing AI deeper into marketing workflows:

  • Customer Experience Orchestration (CXO) – A new platform that combines creativity and marketing data so brands can personalise experiences across channels. It’s designed to break down silos between design teams and marketing teams.
  • GenStudio for Performance Marketing – A generative‑AI‑first app that uses Adobe Firefly to produce on‑brand campaign content and short‑form video ads. Marketers can generate, edit and reuse assets without calling in a designer.
  • Firefly Services – A set of APIs for tasks like resizing assets, generating 3D imagery and creating digital avatars. This makes it easier to automate repetitive tasks and maintain consistency across campaigns.
  • Firefly Creative Production – A no‑code interface that handles colour grading and resizing at scale, freeing up editors for more creative tasks.
  • Adobe LLM Optimizer – A tool that analyses generative search traffic and suggests content adjustments to improve a brand’s visibility in AI‑powered browsers.

These products show Adobe’s ambition to bring AI into every stage of the creative process, from concept to distribution.

Key takeaways

  • Generative tools are moving beyond hype and into practical workflows. Figma’s Sites and Make bridge the gap between design and code, while Canva and Adobe offer complete content pipelines.
  • Investing time to learn these platforms will pay dividends. They can reduce production cycles, ensure brand consistency and help small teams compete with larger agencies.
  • Start with one or two features that solve a real problem — such as Figma Sites for rapid web publishing or Canva’s data tools for social media graphics — and expand from there.

By staying on top of these changes and experimenting with the tools that fit your projects, you can keep your creative work fresh and efficient.

Reply