Deep Dive
Parametric design at interactive speed
Tom starts by demonstrating Astra's ability to build fully parametric logo generators and website designs. He shows three variations of an offline gathering site — one with wooden tables for a forest setting, one modern with stainless steel, one rustic with matching patterns across tablecloths and clothing. The key insight is that Astra isn't just generating static images; it's creating systems where every element can be tweaked independently while maintaining visual coherence. Tom emphasizes this feels like working alongside a creative partner rather than delegating work.
Shader creation without the engineering tax
Tom pivots to a film lab use case where he wanted parametric filters for photos. Astra generated custom shaders — code-level image processing — that he can adjust in real-time without writing or debugging himself. Historically this required coordination with an engineer. Now a designer can dream up a visual direction, hand it off to engineering with a polished proof-of-concept already built, rather than abstract ideas that need translation. That closes the gap between vision and execution.