10 AI Tools Every Designer Needs in 2026
Transform your creative workflow with cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools that save time, boost creativity, and deliver professional results
Table of Contents
- Introduction: The AI Revolution in Design
- 1. Midjourney – AI Image Generation
- 2. Adobe Firefly – Creative AI Suite
- 3. Figma AI – Design Automation
- 4. Runway ML – AI Video Editing
- 5. Dall-E 3 – Advanced Image Creation
- 6. Fontjoy – AI Font Pairing
- 7. Remove.bg – Background Removal AI
- 8. Khroma – AI Color Palette Generator
- 9. Uizard – UI Design from Sketches
- 10. Designs.ai – Complete AI Design Platform
- AI Tool ROI Calculator
- Pro Tips & Best Practices
- Frequently Asked Questions
This comprehensive guide explores the 10 most powerful AI tools that every designer should have in their toolkit. We’ll dive deep into features, pricing, use cases, and practical tips to help you make informed decisions about which tools to adopt for your specific needs.
1. Midjourney
Image GenerationMidjourney is the gold standard for AI-generated imagery, creating stunning, photorealistic images from text descriptions. With its latest V6 model, Midjourney produces images with unprecedented detail, accurate text rendering, and nuanced understanding of artistic styles.
🎯 Best For
Concept artists, brand designers, marketing teams, and creative professionals who need high-quality visual content quickly. Perfect for mood boards, client presentations, social media content, and creative exploration.
Photorealistic Quality
Generate images indistinguishable from professional photography with V6 engine
Style References
Upload reference images to match specific artistic styles and aesthetics
Image Variations
Generate multiple variations and remix existing images with new prompts
Community Gallery
Explore millions of creations and learn from other artists’ prompts
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Unmatched image quality and artistic control
- Active community with shared knowledge
- Regular model updates and improvements
- Commercial licensing included
- Consistent style across generations
Cons
- Requires Discord for access (learning curve)
- Limited direct editing capabilities
- Can be resource-intensive during peak times
- No free tier for testing
- Text generation still needs refinement
2. Adobe Firefly
Creative AI SuiteAdobe Firefly is Adobe’s comprehensive AI creative suite integrated directly into Creative Cloud applications. It offers text-to-image generation, generative fill, text effects, and recoloring tools—all trained on licensed Adobe Stock content, ensuring commercial safety.
🎯 Best For
Professional designers already using Adobe Creative Cloud who want seamless AI integration. Ideal for agencies, in-house design teams, and freelancers who need legally safe, commercially viable AI-generated content.
Generative Fill
Seamlessly add, extend, or remove content in images using text prompts
Text Effects
Create stunning typography with AI-generated textures and patterns
Recolor Variations
Generate multiple color schemes for vector artwork instantly
Commercial Safety
Trained only on licensed content, safe for commercial use
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Seamless integration with Adobe apps
- Legally safe for commercial work
- Regular updates and new features
- Professional-grade output quality
- Free tier available for testing
Cons
- Requires Adobe ecosystem for best experience
- Credit system can be limiting
- Less artistic freedom than Midjourney
- Learning curve for new users
- Limited customization options
3. Figma AI
Design AutomationFigma AI brings intelligent automation to the world’s leading collaborative design platform. From auto-layout suggestions to smart component recommendations, Figma AI accelerates UI/UX design workflows and helps designers maintain consistency across projects.
🎯 Best For
UI/UX designers, product designers, and design teams working on digital products. Essential for anyone creating websites, mobile apps, or digital interfaces who values collaboration and consistency.
Auto Layout AI
Intelligent layout suggestions that adapt to content automatically
Component Intelligence
Smart component recommendations based on design patterns
Design System Sync
AI-powered consistency checks across your design system
Prototype Generation
Automatically create interactive prototypes from static designs
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Real-time collaboration with team members
- Industry-standard tool for UI/UX
- Extensive plugin ecosystem
- Cloud-based, works anywhere
- Regular feature updates
Cons
- Requires stable internet connection
- AI features limited to UI/UX design
- Can be overwhelming for beginners
- Performance issues with large files
- No offline mode
4. Runway ML
AI Video EditingRunway ML revolutionizes video editing with AI-powered tools for motion tracking, green screen removal, object detection, and even text-to-video generation. It’s the future of video post-production, making complex editing tasks simple and accessible.
🎯 Best For
Video editors, motion designers, content creators, and marketing teams who need professional video editing capabilities without expensive equipment or extensive technical knowledge. Perfect for social media content, marketing videos, and creative projects.
Text to Video
Generate video clips from text descriptions using Gen-2 AI
Motion Tracking
AI-powered object tracking that follows subjects automatically
Green Screen AI
Remove backgrounds without green screens using AI segmentation
Frame Interpolation
Create smooth slow-motion by generating in-between frames
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Cutting-edge AI video generation
- No expensive hardware required
- User-friendly interface for complex tasks
- Regular AI model updates
- Browser-based, works on any device
Cons
- Credit system can be expensive for heavy use
- Video quality varies with complexity
- Processing can be time-consuming
- Limited control over final output
- Free tier has significant limitations
5. DALL-E 3
Advanced Image CreationDALL-E 3, developed by OpenAI, represents the pinnacle of text-to-image AI technology. Integrated with ChatGPT, it excels at understanding nuanced prompts and creating precise, detailed images that match your vision with remarkable accuracy.
🎯 Best For
Designers who need precise control over image generation, content creators requiring accurate text in images, and professionals who value prompt refinement through ChatGPT integration. Excellent for editorial illustrations, concept art, and marketing visuals.
ChatGPT Integration
Refine prompts conversationally for better results
Text Accuracy
Best-in-class text rendering within generated images
Safety Controls
Built-in content moderation for safe, appropriate outputs
High Resolution
Generate images up to 1024×1024 with crisp details
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Superior prompt understanding
- Best text-in-image generation
- Conversational prompt refinement
- Strong safety and content policies
- Integration with ChatGPT workflow
Cons
- Requires ChatGPT Plus subscription
- Rate limits on image generation
- Less artistic freedom than Midjourney
- Cannot edit existing images
- Strict content filters may limit creativity
6. Fontjoy
Typography AIFontjoy uses deep learning to generate beautiful font pairings automatically. Simply click generate and get perfectly matched font combinations, or lock in your favorites and let the AI suggest complementary options. It’s like having a typography expert at your fingertips.
🎯 Best For
Graphic designers, web designers, and brand creators who struggle with font pairing or need quick typographic solutions. Perfect for creating style guides, designing websites, or establishing brand identities with professional typography.
AI Pairing Engine
Neural networks trained on millions of font combinations
Lock Feature
Lock fonts you like and generate new combinations around them
Contrast Control
Adjust how similar or different your font pairings should be
Google Fonts
All suggestions use free Google Fonts for easy implementation
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Completely free with no limitations
- Instant, high-quality pairings
- No account required
- Uses free Google Fonts
- Simple, intuitive interface
Cons
- Limited to Google Fonts library
- No custom font upload
- Basic customization options
- No save or history feature
- Limited context preview options
7. Remove.bg
Background RemovalRemove.bg uses advanced AI to instantly remove backgrounds from images with pixel-perfect accuracy. Upload any image and get a clean cutout in seconds—no manual selection, no complex masking, just pure AI magic that handles even the trickiest subjects like hair and fur.
🎯 Best For
E-commerce designers creating product photos, social media marketers needing quick edits, graphic designers compositing images, and anyone who needs clean background removal without Photoshop skills. Essential for online stores, marketing materials, and social media content.
Instant Processing
Remove backgrounds in under 5 seconds automatically
Hair-Perfect Results
AI handles complex edges like hair, fur, and transparent objects
Batch Processing
Process multiple images at once with API or desktop app
Integration Ready
APIs for Photoshop, Figma, and custom applications
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Incredibly fast and accurate
- No learning curve required
- Excellent edge detection
- Multiple integration options
- Free tier for testing
Cons
- Free version has watermark
- Can be expensive for high volume
- Limited manual editing options
- Occasional mistakes with complex images
- Requires internet connection
8. Khroma
Color Palette AIKhroma is an AI-powered color tool that learns your color preferences and generates personalized palettes. Train it by selecting 50 colors you like, and Khroma’s neural network will create infinite color combinations tailored to your unique taste, complete with color codes and application examples.
🎯 Best For
Brand designers establishing color identities, web designers creating cohesive color schemes, UI/UX designers maintaining design systems, and any designer who wants personalized, on-brand color recommendations that match their aesthetic preferences.
Personalized Learning
AI learns from your preferences to suggest perfect colors
Infinite Combinations
Generate unlimited color palettes based on your taste
Color Info
Get hex codes, names, and accessibility ratings instantly
Search & Filter
Find palettes by hue, color value, hex code, or RGB
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Completely free with no ads
- Learns and improves over time
- Beautiful, intuitive interface
- Saves your favorite palettes
- Excellent accessibility information
Cons
- Requires initial training time
- Limited palette customization
- No team collaboration features
- Cannot import existing palettes
- No mobile app available
9. Uizard
UI Design from SketchesUizard transforms hand-drawn sketches into digital designs using AI. Simply photograph your wireframe or upload a screenshot, and Uizard’s AI converts it into editable UI designs. It’s perfect for rapid prototyping, turning napkin sketches into professional mockups in minutes.
🎯 Best For
UX designers creating rapid prototypes, product managers visualizing ideas, startup founders without design skills, and teams that need to quickly iterate on interface concepts. Ideal for wireframing, app design, and converting lo-fi sketches to hi-fi mockups.
Sketch to Design
Convert hand-drawn wireframes into digital UI designs
Screenshot Import
Turn any screenshot into an editable design template
Template Library
Access pre-built templates for common app designs
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration with team members and stakeholders
💰 Pricing
Pros
- Convert sketches to designs instantly
- No design skills required
- Fast prototyping workflow
- Export to Figma and Sketch
- Great for non-designers
Cons
- Less control than traditional tools
- Generic design aesthetic
- Limited customization depth
- AI interpretation can be inconsistent
- Not suitable for complex interfaces
10. Designs.ai
Complete AI Design PlatformDesigns.ai is an all-in-one AI design platform offering logo creation, video editing, copywriting, voiceover generation, and more. It’s a complete creative suite powered by AI, perfect for small businesses and solopreneurs who need professional design output without a full creative team.
🎯 Best For
Small business owners creating brand materials, marketing teams producing content at scale, solopreneurs needing complete design solutions, and agencies managing multiple client projects. Excellent for logos, social media content, video ads, and brand identity creation.
Logo Maker
AI-generated logos with full brand kit and variations
Video Maker
Create marketing videos from text with AI-selected media
AI Writer
Generate marketing copy, headlines, and content automatically
Voiceover Studio
Text-to-speech with natural-sounding AI voices
💰 Pricing
Pros
- All-in-one solution for design needs
- No design experience required
- Fast content creation at scale
- Multiple tools included
- Great for small businesses
Cons
- Generic output compared to specialists
- Limited creative control
- Can be expensive for solo users
- Learning curve across multiple tools
- Not suitable for advanced design work
AI Tool ROI Calculator
Calculate how much time and money you could save using AI design tools in your workflow
Your Net Annual ROI
$0
Start using AI tools to see your potential savings!
Pro Tips & Best Practices for Using AI Design Tools
1 Start with Clear Prompts
The quality of AI-generated content depends heavily on your prompts. Be specific about style, mood, colors, and composition. Instead of “create a logo,” try “modern minimalist tech logo with blue gradient, geometric shapes, professional feel.” Include references when possible and iterate based on results.
2 Combine Multiple AI Tools
Don’t limit yourself to one tool. Use Midjourney for concept generation, Remove.bg for refinement, Adobe Firefly for final touches, and Figma AI for implementation. Each tool has strengths—leverage them together for professional results that no single tool could achieve alone.
3 Always Review and Refine
AI is a powerful assistant, not a replacement for creative judgment. Always review AI outputs critically, refine details manually, and ensure the final work aligns with your brand standards. The best results come from human creativity enhanced by AI efficiency, not blind reliance on automation.
4 Master Prompt Engineering
Invest time learning prompt engineering—it’s the new essential design skill. Study successful prompts from communities, experiment with different phrasings, and build a personal prompt library. Good prompt engineering can mean the difference between mediocre and exceptional AI outputs.
5 Understand Licensing and Rights
Different AI tools have different licensing terms. Adobe Firefly is trained on licensed content and safe for commercial use. Midjourney requires a paid plan for commercial rights. Always read the terms, especially for client work, to avoid legal issues down the road.
6 Create Style Guides with AI
Use AI tools to rapidly create comprehensive style guides. Generate color palette variations with Khroma, create typography samples with various fonts, and produce mood boards with Midjourney. AI accelerates the exploration phase, helping you find the perfect aesthetic faster.
7 Batch Process for Efficiency
Many AI tools support batch processing—use it! Process multiple images through Remove.bg simultaneously, generate variations of designs in bulk, and create entire video series with Runway ML. Batching saves time and maintains consistency across large projects.
8 Stay Updated on AI Developments
AI tools evolve rapidly. Models improve, features are added, and new capabilities emerge monthly. Follow official blogs, join design communities, and test new features regularly. Staying current ensures you’re leveraging the latest capabilities and maintaining competitive advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are AI design tools worth the investment for freelance designers?
Can AI tools replace traditional design skills?
Which AI tool should I start with if I’m on a budget?
How do I ensure AI-generated designs are unique and not plagiarizing?
Can I use AI-generated designs for commercial client work?
How can I learn to write better prompts for AI tools?
Will learning AI tools take a lot of time?
What’s the future of AI in design?
Ready to Transform Your Design Workflow?
Start exploring these AI tools today and experience the future of design. Your creativity combined with AI power is an unstoppable combination.
Explore More Design Resources
