Canvas

The Canvas is a visual intelligence board where you place, connect, and organize research nodes. It transforms scattered data points into a cohesive strategic picture you can see, share, and act on.

Explain Like I'm 5

Imagine a giant whiteboard in your office. You can stick Post-it notes on it — each note is a different piece of research (a competitor report, a market trend, an SEO audit). You can draw lines between the notes to show how they connect. The Canvas is that whiteboard, but digital — and the Post-it notes write themselves using AI.

What Does the Canvas Do?

The Canvas is the main working area inside a workspace. It uses a node-based interface where each node represents a piece of intelligence (a market report, competitor analysis, stock scan, etc.) or a structural element (a decision, outcome, text note, or shape). You drag nodes from the Tool Palette on the left, and they appear on the board where you can position, resize, and connect them.

Why It Matters

Visual thinking — see how competitors, trends, and opportunities relate to each other at a glance

Non-linear research — unlike a document, you can explore multiple threads simultaneously without losing context

Collaborative storytelling — share the canvas with your team and everyone instantly understands the research landscape

AI-powered nodes — each intelligence node auto-generates deep research; you don't write reports manually

Exportable — download the canvas as a presentation or PDF for stakeholder briefings

The Tool Palette

The left sidebar in the canvas view contains the Tool Palette — organized into sections for different node types. Here's what's available:

Intelligence Nodes

Node Type	What It Does	When to Use
Market Report	Generates a comprehensive market overview with sizing, trends, and players	Starting research on a new market or industry
Competitor Analysis	Deep-dive into a specific competitor's strategy, pricing, and positioning	Evaluating direct or indirect competitors
Stock Scan	Financial intelligence — stock price, earnings, analyst ratings	Researching publicly traded companies
Social Trends	Trending topics from Reddit, X/Twitter, TikTok, Google Trends	Understanding consumer sentiment and viral topics
SEO Audit	Website technical audit, keyword rankings, and opportunities	Analyzing online presence and search visibility
News Search	Recent articles and press releases filtered by topic	Staying current on industry developments
Annual Report	AI analysis of a company's annual/10-K filing	Deep financial and strategic analysis
Sales Play	Trigger-based selling strategies with talk tracks and objection handling	Preparing sales teams for competitive deals

Report Nodes

Node Type	What It Generates
Market Guide	Comprehensive guide to a market with segments, maturity assessment, and vendor landscape
Buyer's Guide	Evaluation framework for purchasing decisions with criteria and vendor comparison
TAM/SAM/SOM	Total, Serviceable, and Obtainable market sizing with methodology
Trend Report	Emerging trends analysis with adoption curves and impact assessment
Vendor Evaluation	Detailed vendor scoring with strengths, weaknesses, and fit analysis
Forecast/Outlook	Forward-looking market projections with scenarios and drivers
Competitive Benchmark	Side-by-side comparison of players on key performance dimensions

Decision & Utility Nodes

Node Type	Purpose
Decision	Record a strategic decision with rationale and supporting evidence
Outcome	Track the result of a decision — what actually happened
Text Note	Free-form text for annotations, meeting notes, or hypotheses
Shapes	Rectangles, ovals, diamonds, triangles for visual grouping and flowcharts
File Upload	Attach documents, spreadsheets, or images to the canvas

How to Use the Canvas

Open a workspace and select the Canvas tab

The Canvas tab is the default view when you open a workspace. You'll see the tool palette on the left and a blank (or populated) board in the center.

Drag a node from the Tool Palette

Click on an intelligence node type (e.g., "Market Report") in the palette. It will appear on the canvas. Some nodes open an intake form where you specify the research topic.

Fill in the intake form

For intelligence nodes, provide the market/company name, geography, and any specific questions. Click "Generate" and MarketGeist's AI will run deep web research.

Position and connect nodes

Drag nodes around the board to organize them logically. You can group related research visually — for example, place all competitor nodes in one area and all trend nodes in another.

Add structural elements

Use Text Notes for annotations, Decision nodes when you're ready to commit to an action, and Shapes to create visual groupings or flowcharts.

Pro Tip

Start with a Market Report node at the top of your canvas, then branch out into Competitor Analysis nodes for the top players identified in the report. This "funnel" approach gives you broad-then-deep coverage — exactly what a thorough market assessment looks like.