Infinite Canvas

Tools that work the way we think

Meet the apps paving the way

  • Screenshot of Miro

    Miro

  • Screenshot of Figma

    Figma

  • Screenshot of MindNode

    MindNode

  • Screenshot of tldraw

    tldraw

App gallery →

We think spatially

People have been organizing and processing information spatially for centuries, whether by writing in a notebook or posting paper on walls.

This kind of thinking harnesses areas of the brain dedicated to spatial thinking and mapping relationships.

Art room at Pixar
Art room at Pixar (source)
Moodboard for art installation
Moodboard for art installation (source)
Tabletop collaboration
Tabletop collaboration (source)
Laying out book on the floor
Laying out book on the floor (source)
Leonardo da Vinci's notebook
Leonardo da Vinci's notebook (source)
Moodboard for watch design
Moodboard for watch design (source)

Software that mirrors how we think

Traditional tools like text editors and presentation software have linear interfaces that mimic their output.

Infinite canvas tools instead embrace the messy, circuitous paths we take when brainstorming, sketching, and distilling ideas.

Drawing in Concepts
Drawing in Concepts
Notetaking in Heptabase
Notetaking in Heptabase
Thinking in Muse
Thinking in Muse
Mindmapping in MindNode
Mindmapping in MindNode
Brainstorming in Miro
Brainstorming in Miro
Programming in Nodes
Programming in Nodes

What makes an infinite canvas?

  • Expansiveness

    A seemingly limitless canvas empowers users to structure documents in their own way.

    animation showing panning around infinite canvas
  • Zoom

    Different zoom levels facilitate navigation, mimicking stepping in and away in the real world.

    animation showing zooming in and out of a canvas
  • Direct manipulation

    Freeform movement, editing, and duplication of objects keep the infinite canvas the source of truth.

    animation showing panning around infinite canvas
  • Collaboration

    Real-time collaboration enables teams to work exactly the way they want.

    animation showing panning around infinite canvas

History

  • Image of Sketchpad from 1963

    • Sketchpad

  • Image of Post-it Note from 1977

    • Post-it Note

  • Image of Adobe Illustrator from 1984

    • Adobe Illustrator

  • Image of “Infinite Canvas” coined from 2000

    • “Infinite Canvas” coined

History →