Napkin Utilizes Generative AI to Turn Text into Stunning Visuals

Napkin, a newly launched visual AI platform co-founded by Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, aims to transform how ideas are communicated, particularly in a world overwhelmed by information and shrinking attention spans. With a $10 million funding round from Accel and CRV, the platform seeks to streamline the design process, targeting professionals such as marketers, content creators, and engineers who need to convey their ideas effectively.

The inspiration for Napkin arose from Sharma and Scholler's frustration with the proliferation of documents and presentation decks that have become standard in the corporate environment. Both founders have a strong background in tech: Sharma previously worked at Google and founded the educational games company Osmo, while Scholler was part of Osmo's founding team and had prior experiences at Ubisoft and LucasArts.

Napkin's core functionality revolves around a generative flow that minimizes the headaches associated with the design process. Users can start by inputting text—be it a presentation, outline, or other forms of written content—or by prompting the application to generate text based on user-defined topics. Once the text is entered, Napkin creates a Notion-like canvas and employs “spark icons” that users can click on to transform text into customizable visuals.

These visuals are not limited to simple images; they encompass various formats, including flowcharts, graphs, infographics, Venn diagrams, and decision trees. Users have the flexibility to swap icons from Napkin's gallery, adjust colors and fonts, and apply decorative elements like highlights and underlines to enhance the overall design. Once users finalize their visuals, they can export them in multiple formats, including PNG, PDF, or SVG, or share them via a URL that links back to the original canvas. Unlike existing design tools that merely incorporate generative AI features into traditional editing processes, Napkin emphasizes a generation-first approach. This strategy allows for the creation of visuals to take precedence, with editing serving to complement the generated output.

During an initial exploration of Napkin's capabilities, it became clear that the platform excels when working with straightforward, clearly articulated ideas. It is particularly effective for visualizing concepts that naturally lend themselves to graphic representation. However, when tasked with more abstract or complex text, Napkin sometimes produces visuals that lack relevance or coherence, indicating areas for improvement in its generative accuracy.

The platform also includes AI-generated suggestions for images, which raises questions about copyright. However, Sharma assures users that Napkin does not utilize public or IP-protected data to create visuals, ensuring users don’t need to worry about rights related to generated content. One notable observation during testing was the homogeneity of the visuals produced by Napkin. Users have critiqued generative AI tools, including Microsoft's AI features for PowerPoint, as yielding low-quality designs reminiscent of high school projects. This feedback suggests a need for more diverse and aesthetically pleasing design options within Napkin.

Despite these initial shortcomings, Napkin is still in its early stages and plans to introduce paid plans in the future. The company currently operates with a small team of ten and aims to grow to fifteen by the year's end. The success of Sharma and Scholler in their previous venture, Osmo, which was sold for $120 million to Indian edtech giant Byju’s, has garnered investor confidence. Rich Wong from Accel has highlighted their ability to tackle complex technical challenges and simplify them for users, reflecting his enthusiasm for supporting Napkin's mission.

With the new funding, Sharma and Scholler plan to focus on product development and hiring additional AI engineers and graphic designers to enhance the platform’s capabilities. Their goal is to improve the relevance and quality of the visuals Napkin generates, recognizing that there are countless ways to visualize and design content. By investing in deepening their technology, Napkin aims to become a powerful tool for business storytelling, effectively bridging the gap between ideas and visual communication