Club Benefits
You may have noticed that AI tools and AI integration is nearly everywhere at the moment. And while most of the tools promise major productivity improvements like faster answers and smarter responses, many fall short.
But this week, I tested dozens of tools that seemed impressive but most were forgetable. And some even felt like more work to use than they were actually worth.
But three stood out because they truly delivered when I needed visuals, design and content that could be used immediately. Here’s what made the cut this week.
1. Google Mixboard
Since Google Mixboard arrived, I've been playing with it and testing it to see how it holds up for certain projects. What I've found interesting about Google Mixboard is how intuitive it is to use. It really doesn't feel like a typical AI tool at all. Instead, it's more like a creative canvas.
The more I experiment with it, the more I've determined that its uses are endless. I upload messy notes and PDFs to keep my projects in one place, which makes it the ultimate workplace before going to NotebookLM to create a presentation.
But, surprisingly, I've found it useful for the multiple school papers and artwork that my kids bring home. I can't save all of it, but I feel guilty for throwing it away. Now, I snap a picture and upload it to Mixboard. From there, I keep a monthly visual journal for each one of my kids' artwork. They each have a page that I add to each week.
What's great about Mixboard is that I can move things around, experiment and build ideas visually in a way that feels a lot more natural than typing. I spend all day typing, so using Mixboard gave me a new way to use AI that sparked creativity.
I highly recommend it if you're looking to turn rough ideas into something visual, brainstorming layouts and concepts or just want to explore something new without overthinking prompts.
I keep coming back to Mixboard because it's so much fun to use while also being a practical resource for keeping my kids' school work organized and safe even after I've physically thrown it out.
2. Canva Magic Design
Mixboard is about ideas and Canva Magic Design is about execution. I have used Canva for years, but the AI tools within Canva offer a completely new way to unleash creativity.
Using Canva Magic Design was the fastest way I found to turn a basic concept into something that actually looks presentable. They way it works is really easy: you simply give it a few words as a starting point, and within seconds you've got a finished design complete with layouts, fonts and visuals. For someone like me who has lots of ideas but less time to put them all together, Canva Magic Design is a game changer.
Up until using Canva, I've been embarrassed by my terrible presentation skills. But even if you can't draw a straight line, Canva lets you shine by turning an idea into something presentable. You can make quick visuals without any design experience. And, for those with design experience, it takes away the bulky work so you can tweak and add your own unique touches. It's a win-win for left and right brain thinkers alike.
I keep coming back to this AI tool because it consistently gave me something I could actually use, rather than something I had to edit or scrap.
3. NightCafe
It's no secret that there are a lot of AI image and video generation tools available. Some are great, some have come and gone (RIP Sora) and some consistently help tell a story by exploring ideas visually.
But NightCafe does so much more. It lets users start with a concept and then end up with multiple variations, each one pushing the idea in a slightly different direction. It's the ultimate way to experiment and see where your ideas are headed, even before you identify a direction. In other words, by using NightCafe, I was able to be more creative that I couldn't quite picture yet.
Getting unstuck creatively with NightCafe is easy because you can test different styles quickly. Plus, NightCafe recently introduced a feature called Consistent Characters, which tackles one of the biggest frustrations in AI image generation: keeping the same character recognizable across multiple images.
Instead of getting a slightly different face every time (hello, Nano Banana and ChatGPT Images) you can now generate a character once and carry that look across different scenes and styles. If you’re creating anything story-driven or even just trying to maintain visual continuity, it's a difference you'll notice right away.
Honestly, it's why I keep coming back to NightCafe. It just feels better in ways that other AI image generations can't seem to master yet. It's the AI tool that has helped me turn my ideas into something tangible, rather than just think about them.
The takeaway
As someone constantly testing and reviewing AI tools, I've seen dozens of promises with few that deliver. But these three tools in particular are the ones that help make creating something easier, faster and more exciting.
After using these tools, I feel more creative and eager to create more. And what's fun, is that they can all be used together to go from big idea to final output without getting stuck somewhere in the middle.
And in a cluttered AI industry, getting unstuck with real use cases is what makes AI feel the most productive. Have you tried any of these? Let me know in the comments which one you like best.
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