Concept: Danish startup Uizard has introduced an AI-powered tool to design mobile apps, websites, and desktop software. Its platform automatically turns hand-drawn sketches and wireframes into desired screen layout or design. Uizard aims to automate the designing process and reduce the designing workload of the companies without affecting the design quality.
Nature of Disruption: Uizard uses an AI-powered design assistant platform that is based on low code tooling. The platform captures the required style from a given source, extracts the design style from it, and applies it to the new project. The platform uses layout understanding which is a sub-field of AI that enables machines to better process the semantics and information within layouts such as user interfaces (UIs), text documents, forms, presentation slides, and graphic design compositions. Uizard offers a component-based design tool where components are used as a minimalist design system. Themes in the platform organize and categorize components, define their color typographies, and styling properties. These components such as buttons, labels, and input fields are assembled into a reusable template such as login form, image gallery, and payment section that is used to design screens and applications. Also, the drag and drop feature makes it more convenient and easy to use.
Outlook: Driven by the consumerization of software and increasing customer demand for good design, companies now live or die by the design of their products. Products or software platforms with visually appealing interfaces catch more interest than mediocre designs. The more appealing the look of the product is, the more it fetches sales for the company. But to make an appealing design, companies have to invest significant efforts in terms of time and cost. Uizard’s designing platform answers to challenges faced by the company in designing by offering a no-code AI-powered, easy-to-use designing platform. It simplifies the designing process by leveraging AI in converting raw sketches into frames or designs. As it is online software that has built-in real-time collaboration, the designer takes sketch ideas from any picture or design and replicates that model with designer modification implemented on it. Uizard raised a total of $18.6 million out of which $15 million is raised from venture capitalists such as Insight Partners, LDV Capital, and av8 Ventures. The raised capital is directed to grow marketing and commercial teams and hire new talent globally, with a focus on Europe.