- Wix announces standalone online design platform Wixel
- Acts as an alternative to Canva and Adobe Express
- Includes AI tools alongside traditional design features
Top website builder Wix has announced the release of Wixel, an AI-powered visual design suite that’s effectively an alternative to the likes of Canva and Adobe Express.
According to the company, Wixel aims to “democratize visual design” – in other words, designers and non-designers will now have the tools to create professional-grade content and assets.
Interestingly, Wixel is a standalone product, so even those who don’t use the website builder will be able to sign up to the design tool. And, much like Canva and Express, it’s free to use with an optional upgrade for premium features.
What is Wixel and what can users expect?
When it comes to visual design suites, it’s a pretty crowded market right now, an area notably dominated by Canva.
It may not have been the first to market, but it’s the one that captured the imagination of marketing teams and businesses, letting even non-designers spin up professional-grade images and videos. So popular is it that even Adobe upped the ante and brought much-needed improvements to its Express platform.
Given the popularity of these suites, I’m not completely surprised to see Wix get in on the action. But what can users expect to get from Wixel?
Wix has offered an insight on this. Armed with just a single product photo uploaded to the platform, users can now remove or add backgrounds, crop, convert, and edit images, include text, and customize the layout within a template.
Alongside this, Wixel is capable of AI-generating images across different styles that can better suit the user’s brand guidelines. And voila, a user has a post fit for social media posting or adding to their online store. According to Wix, the entire process can be complete in minutes.
Discussing the launch, Avishai Abrahami, Wix CEO and co-founder, said: “AI is the foundation of Wixel. Design is in our DNA, and simplifying complex experiences is what we do best. We’re now determined to revolutionize design by democratizing access to powerful and creative tools for everyone, regardless of their design expertise.”
I toyed with Wixel and, yes, if you’re familiar with either Canva or Express, you’ll have a pretty good idea what to expect. An intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate, customizable templates allowing users to swiftly edit designs and create assets, and, of course, AI tools for enhancing and generating on-brand content.
The company also confirmed that future tools are in the works, including story creation and video. Given trends, this is an absolute essential that can’t come quick enough.
You can check out Wixel now by clicking here.