AI-Powered Canvases: The Future of Visual Collaboration and Innovation

As hybrid and remote work become the standard, organizations are rethinking how teams brainstorm, align, and innovate. Traditional whiteboards and digital tools often fall short in keeping pace with today’s complex business challenges. This is where AI-powered canvases are transforming visual collaboration.

In this episode of Tech Transformed, Kevin Petrie, VP of Research at BARC, joins Elaina O’Mahoney, Chief Product Officer at Mural, to explore how AI collaboration tools are reshaping teamwork in off-site locations. From customer journey mapping to process design, AI-powered canvases give teams the ability to visualize ideas, surface insights faster, and make better decisions—while keeping human creativity at the centre.

AI-Powered Canvases, Visuals, and Collaboration

A central theme in the conversation is the distinction between automation and augmentation. While AI can recommend activities, map processes, and identify participation patterns, decision-making remains a human responsibility.

As O’Mahoney explains:

“In the Mural canvas experience, we’re looking to draw out the ability of a skilled facilitator and give it to participants without them having to learn that skill over the years.”

This balance ensures that while AI-powered canvases streamline collaboration, teams still rely on human judgment, creativity, and contextual knowledge. One of the most powerful contributions is in AI-driven visuals, which can translate raw data or unstructured input into clear diagrams, journey maps, or process flows. These visuals not only accelerate understanding but also help teams spot gaps and opportunities more effectively.

For example:

• In customer journey mapping, AI can quickly generate visual flows that highlight pain points and opportunities that would take much longer to uncover manually.
• In manufacturing, AI-powered canvases can create dynamic visuals of workflows, showing how new technologies might disrupt established processes.

The Role of Visual Tools in Hybrid Work

In blended work environments, teams often lack the in-person cues that guide effective collaboration. Visual canvases bring those cues into the digital workspace, showing where ideas are concentrated, highlighting gaps in participation, and enabling alignment across dispersed teams. By combining intuitive design with AI-driven support, platforms like Mural help organisations adapt to the demands of hybrid work while keeping human creativity at the centre.

Takeaways

• AI is reshaping visual collaboration in distributed teams.
• Visual elements enhance understanding and decision-making.
• AI can augment workflows but requires human oversight.
• There is no universal playbook for AI integration in businesses.
• Hybrid work necessitates effective digital collaboration tools.
• AI can help visualize complex customer experiences.
• Human intuition and creativity remain essential in AI applications.
• Training and guidance are crucial for effective AI use.
• Collaboration tools must adapt to diverse work environments.
• AI should be seen as a partner in the creative process.

Chapters

00:00 The Evolution of Visual Collaboration

05:15 Augmenting vs Automating: The Role of AI

10:36 Navigating AI Integration in Business

12:44 Hybrid Work and Team Collaboration

16:08 AI's Role in Visualizing Customer Experiences

17:30 Emphasizing Human-AI Collaboration

About Mural

Mural is a visual collaboration platform that enhances teamwork and productivity. It provides an interactive space for teams to ideate, align, and execute strategies. The platform combines intuitive visual tools with strong security measures to help companies increase efficiency and tackle challenges effectively. Mural offers a variety of features, including a visual work platform with tools like tables, mind maps, and diagrams. Its AI tools assist in structuring working sessions, generating ideas, and automating tasks such as clustering sticky notes.