Frames in Kosmik are visual containers you place on the canvas to group related items, notes, images, videos, PDFs, and more, into organized documents, presentations, or visual folders. Unlike traditional folders, frames are spatial and visual, staying visible on your canvas while keeping content organized. Press the Frame icon in the toolbar, drag to create, and start organizing your universe.

Introduction

Research chaos hits when your infinite canvas becomes infinitely messy. Twenty PDFs scattered across your workspace, sticky notes everywhere, images with no clear structure. You know it's all there somewhere, but finding what you need takes scrolling, zooming, and guessing.

Traditional folder systems hide content away in hierarchies. You organize, then forget where you put things. Visual workspaces give you freedom, but without structure, they become overwhelming. You need organization that's visible, spatial, and flexible, not buried in a file tree.

Kosmik's frames solve this perfectly. They're visual containers that live on your canvas, grouping related content while staying visible as you zoom in and out. Think of them as boundaries you draw around ideas, projects, or themes, keeping everything organized without losing the visual, spatial benefits of canvas-based thinking.

This guide shows you exactly how frames work in Kosmik, when to use them, and how they transform chaotic canvases into organized workspaces. Whether you're building moodboards, organizing research, or creating presentations, frames give you structure without sacrificing creativity.

Key Takeaways

• Frames are visual containers that group related items on your Kosmik canvas

• Frame titles stay visible even when zoomed out, making navigation effortless

• Use frames for organizing research, creating presentations, tidying large workspaces, and structuring visual documents

• Frames work with Kosmik's magnetic grid and can be customized with colors, rounded corners, and strokes

• Future AI features will use frames as context for intelligent auto-organization

What Are Frames in Kosmik?

Core Definition

Frames in Kosmik are visual containers you can place on the canvas to group related items, notes, images, videos, PDFs, shapes, and more, into organized collections. They behave like shapes you already know in Kosmik, but with one powerful difference: they can contain other objects.

How They Work

When you drag an object above a frame, the frame turns blue to indicate the object will be contained within it. Once inside, items stay grouped with the frame. Move the frame, and everything inside moves together. This makes frames perfect for organizing content spatially while maintaining visual clarity.

Key Characteristics

Visual indicators: Frames turn blue when you drag content over them, showing the containment relationship clearly. This blue highlight tells you exactly when an item will be added to the frame.

Zoom-persistent titles: Frame titles remain visible at any zoom level, making it easy to create navigable sections in large workspaces. Unlike most canvas tools where labels disappear when you zoom out, Kosmik keeps frame titles visible no matter your zoom level.

Flexible sizing: Resize frames to any dimensions you need, from small clusters to full-screen presentations. You can make them as big or small as your workflow requires.

Customizable appearance: Adjust colors, stroke styles, and corner rounding just like other shapes in Kosmik. Color-code frames to visually categorize different project areas.

Grid-compatible: Frames work seamlessly with Kosmik's magnetic grid for precise alignment. Enable the grid, and frames snap into perfect position.

Frames vs Groups

While both frames and groups organize content, frames offer structure and visual boundaries. Groups cluster items together for quick movement but don't provide the visual container, titles, or persistent navigation that frames deliver. Use groups for temporary clustering. Use frames for permanent organization.

For context, Figma also uses frames as organizational containers, but Kosmik's frames emphasize visual workspace organization and research workflows rather than UI design, with unique zoom-persistent titles that remain visible at any zoom level.

Key point: Frames are the foundation for organizing complex workspaces in Kosmik. They provide both visual structure and functional organization in one tool.

How Do Frames Work in Kosmik?

Creating Frames

Step 1: Access the Frame Tool

Click the Frame icon in the universe toolbar to activate the frame tool, ready for you to draw containers on your canvas.

Step 2: Draw Your Frame

Click and drag on the canvas to create a frame of any size. Position it where you want to group content. Frames can be as small as a notecard or large enough to hold entire project sections.

Step 3: Position and Resize

Like any shape in Kosmik, you can drag frames to reposition them or use corner handles to resize. Frames respect the magnetic grid if enabled, making alignment and organization precise.

Adding Content to Frames

Visual Containment Indicator

Drag any item, sticky note, image, PDF, video, bookmark, toward a frame. When the item hovers over the frame, the frame turns blue. This blue indicator confirms that releasing the item will place it inside the frame.

Drag and Drop

Release the item while the frame is blue, and it becomes part of that frame's contents. The item is now grouped with the frame and will move with it when you reposition the frame.

Multiple Items

Add as many items as you need. Frames can contain dozens of objects, all organized within the visual boundary you've created. Mix and match content types. Combine PDFs with notes, images with videos, bookmarks with shapes.

Customizing Frames

Adding Titles

Select a frame and click in the title section on the left side of the edit dock. Type your title: "Research Sources," "Moodboard," "Q1 Strategy," etc.

Styling Options

Customize your frames like any other shape:

• Color: Change fill colors to visually categorize different project areas

• Stroke: Adjust border thickness and color for emphasis

• Rounded corners: Soften frame edges for a friendlier aesthetic

• Transparency: Adjust opacity to layer frames without obscuring content

In summary: Creating and using frames is intuitive. Draw a container, drag items into it when it turns blue, add a title, and customize the appearance to match your organizational needs. For a visual walkthrough of Kosmik features, check out the tutorials page.

Why Use Frames? Key Benefits

1. Visual Organization Without Hiding Content

The Problem with Traditional Folders

Most organizational systems hide content in folders and hierarchies. You file something away, then forget where you put it. Searching through nested folders wastes time and breaks your flow.

The Frames Advantage

Frames keep content organized AND visible. Everything stays on the canvas where you can see it. Zoom out to see frame titles and overall structure. Zoom in to work with specific content. Nothing is hidden, just organized.

Real-World Example

Imagine researching a product launch. Create frames for "Competitor Analysis," "User Feedback," "Design Inspiration," and "Timeline." Each frame contains relevant PDFs, images, notes, and bookmarks clipped using Kosmik's built-in browser. Zoom out, and you see all four sections clearly labeled. Zoom in to any frame to dive into that content. No clicking through folders. No searching. Just visual, spatial organization.

2. Effortless Navigation with Zoom-Persistent Titles

Unique Feature

Frame titles in Kosmik stay visible at any zoom level. This isn't standard in most canvas tools. It's a deliberate design choice that makes large workspaces navigable.

Why It Matters

When you're working on a massive canvas with hundreds of items, those persistent titles become landmarks. Zoom out, see your frame titles, and instantly know where everything lives. "Marketing Assets" is in the top-left. "Research Notes" is bottom-right. You navigate spatially, using visual memory instead of searching.

User Benefit

This eliminates the "lost on the canvas" feeling. Even with complex, sprawling projects, you always know where you are and where to find what you need.

3. Presentation and Slide Creation

From Research to Presentation

Frames aren't just for organization. They're perfect for creating slide-like sequences. Arrange frames in presentation order, add titles that act as slide headers, and fill each frame with content for that "slide."

User-Requested Feature

Creating presentations was one of the most requested features before frames launched. Now, you can build entire presentations directly on your Kosmik canvas without switching to separate presentation software.

Workflow Example

Research a topic across your canvas. When ready to present findings, create frames for each key point. Arrange them in narrative order. Add titles. Fill with supporting content, images, quotes, data. You've built a presentation using the same content you researched with.

4. Tidying Large Canvases

The Chaos Problem

Infinite canvases encourage exploration, which often means content scattered everywhere. As projects grow, the canvas becomes cluttered and hard to navigate.

Frames as Visual Cleanup

Create frames to cluster related items. Group all design references into one frame. Gather meeting notes into another. Collect feedback in a third. Suddenly, your chaotic canvas has clear zones and visual structure.

Progressive Organization

Start messy. Throw everything onto the canvas as you research. Later, create frames to organize what you found. Frames support both creative chaos and structured organization, letting you work however you think best.

5. Structured Research and Knowledge Building

Research Workflows

Researchers love frames because they mirror how research actually works. You don't research linearly. You explore topics, gather sources, make connections, and gradually build understanding.

Frame-Based Research Pattern

• Frame 1: "Key Concepts" - Definitions, foundational sources

• Frame 2: "Literature Review" - Academic papers, articles

• Frame 3: "Data and Evidence" - Statistics, studies, findings

• Frame 4: "Connections and Insights" - Your synthesis and analysis

Each frame becomes a container for that aspect of your research. Content is organized by theme, not hidden in folders.

Key point: Frames transform your canvas from a freeform space into a structured, navigable, presentation-ready workspace, without losing the flexibility that makes visual thinking powerful.

Frame Use Cases: When and How to Use Frames

Use Case 1: Moodboard Creation

Scenario

You're a designer gathering visual inspiration for a brand identity project. You've clipped dozens of images, colors, typography examples, and reference websites.

Without Frames

Images scattered across the canvas. No clear organization. Hard to see thematic groupings. Difficult to present to clients.

With Frames

• Frame 1: "Color Palette Inspiration" - Color swatches and examples

• Frame 2: "Typography References" - Font examples and pairings

• Frame 3: "Visual Style" - Imagery, photography style, mood

• Frame 4: "Brand Examples" - Competitor and adjacent brand inspiration

Each frame clusters related content. Zoom out to see all four themes. Present to clients by walking through each frame. Export frames as separate images if needed.

Benefit

Your moodboard transforms from scattered inspiration to organized, presentable creative direction.

Use Case 2: Academic Research Organization

Scenario

You're writing a thesis, managing 30+ PDFs, notes from interviews, web sources, and your own analysis.

Without Frames

PDFs piled up. Notes mixed with sources. Hard to track which sources support which arguments. Chaos.

With Frames

• Frame 1: "Literature Review" - Core academic sources

• Frame 2: "Primary Research" - Interview notes, survey data

• Frame 3: "Chapter 1 Sources" - Materials for first chapter

• Frame 4: "Chapter 2 Sources" - Materials for second chapter

• Frame 5: "Methodology" - Research methods, procedures

Organize by research phase, chapter, or theme. Tag sources, add notes, keep everything visible and accessible.

Benefit

Complex research stays organized spatially. You see your entire research landscape at a glance.

Use Case 3: Team Project Planning

Scenario

Your team is planning a product launch. Multiple workstreams: marketing, design, development, sales. Lots of collaborators.

Without Frames

Everyone adds content to the canvas. It quickly becomes a mess. No clear ownership. Hard to see progress.

With Frames

• Frame 1: "Marketing Plan" - Campaign ideas, content calendar, assets

• Frame 2: "Design Assets" - Mockups, graphics, branding materials

• Frame 3: "Development Roadmap" - Feature specs, timelines, technical docs

• Frame 4: "Sales Enablement" - Pitch decks, demo scripts, FAQs

Each team has their frame. Everyone can see everyone else's work. Clear boundaries prevent overlapping content. Team leads can zoom to their frame and focus.

Benefit

Collaborative workspaces stay organized even with multiple contributors. Visual boundaries create clear workstreams.

Use Case 4: Meeting Notes and Action Items

Scenario

You attend multiple meetings per week. Notes pile up. Action items get lost.

Without Frames

Sticky notes everywhere. Which notes are from which meeting? What were the action items? Where did we leave off?

With Frames

Create a frame for each meeting:

• Frame Title: "Team Standup - Dec 15"

• Contents: Discussion notes, decisions made, action items, follow-ups

Archive old meeting frames to another section of the canvas. Keep current meetings visible.

Benefit

Meeting history is organized, searchable by frame title, and visually navigable. You can see the progression of discussions over time.

Use Case 5: Content Planning and Editorial Calendar

Scenario

You're managing a blog or content strategy. Need to plan topics, gather research, track production stages.

Without Frames

Ideas scattered. Hard to see what's in progress vs. completed. No clear pipeline.

With Frames

• Frame 1: "Ideas - Backlog" - Topic ideas, keywords, inspiration

• Frame 2: "In Research" - Articles being researched, sources gathered

• Frame 3: "In Writing" - Drafts in progress, outlines

• Frame 4: "Ready to Publish" - Completed articles, scheduled dates

• Frame 5: "Published Archive" - Past articles for reference

Move content between frames as it progresses through your pipeline. Visual Kanban-style workflow.

Benefit

Your entire content pipeline is visible, organized by stage, and easy to manage.

Use Case 6: Client Presentation Decks

Scenario

You need to present strategy, research findings, or creative concepts to a client.

Without Frames

Export content to PowerPoint or Google Slides. Lose the richness of your visual workspace. Time-consuming.

With Frames

Create frames for each "slide" of your presentation:

• Frame 1: Title slide

• Frame 2: Problem statement

• Frame 3: Research findings

• Frame 4: Proposed solution

• Frame 5: Next steps

Present directly from Kosmik. Walk through frames in order. Keep all supporting content accessible on the canvas if clients ask questions.

Benefit

Present directly from your research environment. No exporting. No tool-switching. Full context always available.

In summary: Frames adapt to any workflow that needs visual organization, from creative inspiration to rigorous research to team collaboration to client presentations.

Frames vs Groups: When to Use Each

Understanding the Difference

Groups: Quick Clustering

Groups in Kosmik let you select multiple items and cluster them together temporarily. Move them as a unit, hide them together, or align them quickly. Groups are lightweight and flexible.

Frames: Structured Organization

Frames provide visual boundaries, persistent titles, and permanent structure. They're containers you can see, label, and navigate. Frames are for organization you want to maintain long-term.

Decision Framework: Which Should You Use?

Use Groups When:

• You need to temporarily move several items together

• You're quickly aligning or positioning multiple objects

• You want to hide or show a cluster of items at once

• You're experimenting with layouts and need flexibility

• Organization is short-term or task-specific

Use Frames When:

• You're organizing content by theme, project, or category

• You want visible, labeled sections on your canvas

• You need navigation landmarks for large workspaces

• You're creating presentation-like sequences

• Organization needs to persist across multiple work sessions

• You want color-coded visual zones

• You're collaborating and need clear content boundaries

Can You Use Both?

Absolutely! Groups and frames complement each other:

• Use frames to create the overall structure of your workspace (research zones, project phases, content categories)

• Use groups within frames to cluster related items temporarily as you work

Example Workflow

Create a frame titled "Design Concepts." Inside that frame, create temporary groups for "Round 1 Ideas," "Round 2 Iterations," and "Final Candidates." The frame provides the permanent structure. The groups offer flexible sub-organization.

Migration Path

From Groups to Frames

Start with groups while exploring and experimenting. Once you know how you want to organize content, create frames to formalize that structure. Ungroup items and move them into appropriately titled frames.

Key Takeaway

Groups are for temporary flexibility. Frames are for permanent, visible organization. Most complex workspaces benefit from both, frames for structure, groups for tactical clustering.

Comparison Table: Frames vs Groups

Advanced Frame Techniques and Pro Tips

Tip 1: Color-Coded Organization Systems

Strategy

Develop a color coding system for your frames to create instant visual clarity across large workspaces.

Example System

• Blue frames: Research and source material

• Green frames: Completed work ready for review

• Yellow frames: Ideas and brainstorming

• Red frames: Urgent items or blockers

• Purple frames: Archive or reference material

Benefit

Zoom out and instantly understand the status and type of content across your entire workspace based on frame colors.

Tip 2: Nested Conceptual Organization

Strategy

While Kosmik frames can't technically nest inside each other, you can create conceptual nesting by positioning smaller frames near or overlapping with larger frames.

Example

Create a large "Product Launch" frame. Position smaller frames for "Marketing," "Design," "Development," and "Sales" within or near the boundaries of the larger frame. Visually, you've created a parent-child relationship.

Important Note: This is visual positioning only. The smaller frames remain independent objects and won't move automatically when you move the larger frame. This technique is purely for creating visual hierarchy and organizational clarity.

Benefit

Communicate hierarchy and relationships between different project areas without complex folder structures.

Tip 3: Frame Templates for Recurring Workflows

Strategy

Create standard frame layouts for workflows you repeat often, weekly meetings, project kickoffs, research phases, etc.

How to Implement

1. Set up frames for a workflow once (e.g., "Meeting Notes" with frames for Agenda, Discussion, Action Items)

2. Copy the entire setup to reuse for future instances

3. Update titles and content for each new use

Benefit

Consistency across repeated tasks. Faster setup. Team members know where to find information.

Tip 4: Presentation Navigation

Strategy

When creating presentations with frames, arrange them in a clear spatial sequence, left to right or top to bottom in presentation order.

Navigation Technique

Use Kosmik's zoom and pan to move smoothly from frame to frame during presentations. Practice the "path" through your frames beforehand.

Benefit

Fluid, professional presentations that maintain the richness and context of your visual workspace.

Tip 5: Archive Frames for Completed Work

Strategy

Don't delete completed work. Move it to "archive" frames positioned in a designated area of your canvas (e.g., far right or bottom section).

Organization

Create frames titled by date or project phase: "Q4 2025 Archive," "Completed Projects - 2025," etc.

Benefit

Keep your active workspace clean while maintaining access to historical work for reference.

Tip 6: Use Frames as Focus Zones

Strategy

When you need to focus on one aspect of a large project, zoom into that frame and work without distraction from other content on the canvas.

Workflow

1. Zoom to fill the screen with one frame

2. Work within that frame's content

3. Zoom out when ready to see the bigger picture or move to another frame

Benefit

Reduces cognitive load. Provides focus without losing context. Easy to zoom back out and see how your focused work fits into the larger project.

Tip 7: Frame Title Conventions

Strategy

Develop consistent naming conventions for frame titles to improve navigation and organization.

Examples

• Date-based: "2025-12-15 - Team Meeting"

• Status-based: "[IN PROGRESS] Brand Strategy"

• Numbered: "1. Research | 2. Analysis | 3. Synthesis"

• Category-based: "DESIGN - Logo Concepts"

Benefit

Alphabetical or chronological sorting becomes easier. Status is visible at a glance. Team members understand conventions.

Pro Tip Summary: Advanced frame usage turns Kosmik from a freeform canvas into a powerfully organized, navigable, presentation-ready workspace, without sacrificing the visual, spatial thinking that makes canvas tools so effective.

Future Frame Features in Kosmik

AI-Powered Frame Context

What's Coming

Frames will soon act as context boundaries for Kosmik's AI features. When you select a frame, the AI will understand that all content within it is related and can perform operations at the frame level.

Potential Use Cases

• Auto-summarize: Select a frame full of research PDFs and notes, ask AI to summarize the entire collection

• Theme extraction: AI analyzes frame contents and suggests tags, themes, or organizational improvements

• Smart connections: AI identifies relationships between items within a frame and suggests links or groupings

• Frame-level search: Search specifically within a frame's contents instead of the entire universe

Why This Matters

Frames become semantic boundaries, telling the AI "these things belong together." This dramatically improves AI accuracy and relevance compared to analyzing your entire canvas.

Automatic Frame Creation

What's Coming

Kosmik's AI will be able to create frames automatically based on content analysis.

Potential Workflow

1. Gather research across your canvas: PDFs, images, notes, bookmarks

2. Select all content and click "Auto-organize with frames"

3. AI analyzes thematic relationships and creates appropriately titled frames

4. Content is automatically grouped into relevant frames

Benefit

Instant organization for messy canvases. Let AI do the heavy lifting of categorizing and structuring content.

Collaboration Enhancements

Future Possibilities

• Frame-level permissions: Control who can edit specific frames in shared workspaces

• Frame comments: Add comments or discussions attached to entire frames

• Frame notifications: Get alerts when content is added to specific frames

User-Requested Features

The Kosmik team is actively developing additional frame capabilities based on user feedback. Features mentioned in the announcement include further integration with LLM context and automatic creation. Stay tuned for updates.

In summary: Frames are already powerful in Kosmik, and planned AI integrations will make them even more intelligent and useful for organizing complex visual workspaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are frames in Kosmik?

Frames in Kosmik are visual containers you place on the canvas to group related items such as notes, images, videos, PDFs, and shapes into organized collections. Unlike traditional folders that hide content in hierarchies, frames keep everything visible on your canvas while providing clear visual boundaries and titles. They work like shapes but can contain other objects, making them perfect for organizing research, creating presentations, or tidying large workspaces.

How do I create a frame in Kosmik?

Click the Frame icon in the universe toolbar at the top of your screen, then click and drag on the canvas to draw a frame of your desired size. Release to create the frame, then select it and add a title by clicking in the title section of the edit dock. You can resize frames anytime by dragging corner handles, and customize colors, borders, and corner styles to match your organizational needs.

What's the difference between frames and groups?

Groups let you temporarily cluster multiple items together for quick movement or alignment, while frames provide permanent visual boundaries with titles that stay visible when zoomed out. Use groups for short-term flexibility and tactical clustering. Use frames for long-term organization, navigation landmarks, and when you need labeled sections on your canvas. Both can work together, frames for overall structure, groups for sub-organization within frames.

How do I add content to frames in Kosmik?

Drag any item, sticky note, image, PDF, video, or bookmark, toward a frame on your canvas. When the item hovers over the frame, the frame turns blue to indicate it will contain the item. Release the item while the frame is blue, and it becomes part of that frame's contents. You can add unlimited items to a frame and rearrange them within the frame boundaries anytime.

Can I customize frame colors and appearance?

Yes. Select any frame and use the edit dock to change fill colors, stroke colors and thickness, and corner rounding. Color-code frames to visually categorize different project areas: blue for research, green for completed work, yellow for ideas, etc. Frames can also be made transparent or semi-transparent to layer them without obscuring canvas content.

Do frame titles stay visible when I zoom out?

Yes, this is a unique feature of Kosmik frames. Frame titles are zoom-persistent, meaning they remain visible at any zoom level, unlike most canvas tools where labels disappear when you zoom out. This makes frames powerful navigation landmarks. Zoom out to see all your frame titles at once and instantly know where different content sections are located on large canvases.

What are the best use cases for frames?

Frames excel at organizing research (grouping sources by theme), creating moodboards (clustering visual inspiration by category), structuring presentations (each frame as a "slide"), managing team projects (frames for different workstreams), tidying large canvases (visual cleanup zones), and archiving completed work (organized by date or phase). Any workflow that benefits from visible, spatial organization works well with frames.

Can frames be used to create presentations?

Absolutely. Arrange frames in presentation order across your canvas, add titles that work as slide headers, and fill each frame with content for that "slide." During presentations, navigate by zooming to each frame in sequence. This approach was specifically requested by users before frames launched, and it's now one of the most popular uses, presenting directly from your research environment without exporting to separate presentation software.

How do frames work with Kosmik's magnetic grid?

Frames are fully compatible with the magnetic grid. When the grid is enabled, frames snap to grid positions as you create, move, or resize them. This makes creating aligned, organized layouts effortless. Frames automatically align with each other and with other grid-snapped objects on your canvas for visual consistency.

Can I nest frames within other frames?

Currently, Kosmik frames cannot technically nest inside each other like some design tools allow. However, you can create conceptual hierarchy by positioning smaller frames within or near larger frames visually. Note that this is visual positioning only: the smaller frames remain independent and won't move automatically with the larger frame. The Kosmik team is exploring nested frame capabilities for future releases based on user feedback, potentially enabling more complex organizational structures.

How are Kosmik frames different from Figma frames?

While both Figma and Kosmik use frames as organizational containers, Kosmik frames emphasize visual workspace organization and research workflows rather than UI design. Kosmik's unique zoom-persistent titles remain visible at any zoom level, making navigation easier in large, sprawling research canvases. Kosmik frames also integrate with the built-in browser and upcoming AI features for research context, whereas Figma frames focus on design constraints, auto-layout, and prototyping.

What future AI features will work with frames?

Kosmik is developing AI features that use frames as context boundaries. Soon, you'll be able to select a frame and ask AI to summarize its contents, extract themes, or suggest connections between items within the frame. AI will also be able to auto-create frames by analyzing content relationships and automatically grouping related items into appropriately titled frames. This turns frames into semantic containers that help AI understand your organizational intent.

Conclusion

The Power of Visual Organization

Frames solve a core challenge of infinite canvas tools: how do you get the freedom of spatial thinking without the chaos of unstructured content? By providing visible boundaries, persistent titles, and flexible containers, frames give you both, creative freedom when you need it, structured organization when you want it.

From Chaos to Clarity

Whether you're gathering research across dozens of PDFs, building moodboards for creative projects, organizing team collaboration workspaces, or creating presentations from your visual thinking, frames transform scattered content into navigable, organized systems. You don't lose the spatial, visual benefits of canvas-based work. You enhance them with structure.

Start Using Frames Today

The best way to understand frames is to use them. Open a Kosmik universe, create your first frame, and start grouping related content. Experiment with titles, colors, and arrangements. Build a small presentation. Organize a research project. Tidy a messy canvas.

Frames adapt to however you think and work. They're tools that get out of your way while quietly making your workspace more navigable, presentable, and useful.

Get Started with Kosmik and experience how frames can transform your visual workspace from scattered inspiration to organized intelligence.