Getting Started with AKARI

AKARI is a creative suite that puts an AI partner at the center of your workflow. Unlike traditional creative tools where you manually adjust every detail, AKARI lets you direct your AI partner with visual instructions and natural language — the same way a film director communicates with their crew. This guide will walk you through your first 10 minutes with AKARI. By the end, you'll have the app installed, your workspace configured, and your first project underway.

AKARI runs natively on your desktop for maximum performance and privacy. Here's what you need: macOS (Primary Platform) • macOS 13 Ventura or later • Apple Silicon (M1 or later) recommended; Intel Macs supported • 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended • 2 GB of free disk space Windows • Windows 10 (64-bit) or later • 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended • GPU with Vulkan support recommended for video features Linux • Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 38+, or equivalent • 8 GB RAM minimum • X11 or Wayland display server AKARI processes everything locally on your machine. The only network calls it makes are to AI model APIs (like Claude or GPT) when you interact with your AI partner. More powerful hardware means faster local processing, but the app is designed to run smoothly on modest machines.

Getting AKARI installed takes less than two minutes. 1. Visit the official website and download the installer for your platform. 2. On macOS, open the .dmg file and drag AKARI to your Applications folder. 3. On Windows, run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts. 4. On Linux, use the provided AppImage or .deb package. When you launch AKARI for the first time, macOS may ask you to confirm since the app was downloaded from the internet. Click "Open" to proceed. AKARI is code-signed and notarized for your security.

AKARI's AI partner needs access to a language model. On first launch, you'll see the setup wizard that guides you through this process. Step 1: Choose your AI provider AKARI supports multiple AI models through OpenRouter or direct API connections. You can use Claude (Anthropic), GPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), and many more. We recommend starting with Claude for the best creative collaboration experience. Step 2: Enter your API key If you're using OpenRouter, you only need one key for all models. Otherwise, enter the API key for your chosen provider. Your key is stored locally on your device — it never passes through our servers. Step 3: Select a default model Pick the model you'd like to use as your default. You can switch models anytime later, even mid-conversation. Different models excel at different tasks, and AKARI makes it easy to experiment. Don't have an API key yet? The setup wizard includes links to sign up with each provider. Most offer free tiers or trial credits so you can try AKARI without any upfront cost.

With setup complete, it's time to create your first project. Click "New Project" from the home screen. Give it a name — something like "My First Project" is perfectly fine. AKARI will create a workspace with everything you need. Every project in AKARI is self-contained. It holds your content assets, AI conversation history, editing sessions, and any generated outputs. This makes it easy to stay organized, especially when you're juggling multiple creative endeavors. You can also choose a project template if you have a specific goal in mind. Templates pre-configure the workspace with relevant studios and suggested workflows. For now, the blank project template is a great starting point.

AKARI's workspace is designed around a 4-panel layout, similar to professional creative tools like Canva or Figma, but with AI integrated into every corner. Top Panel — The Toolbar Quick access to tools, mode switching, and project settings. This is where you'll find undo/redo, zoom controls, and the studio switcher. Left Panel — The Navigator Browse your project structure, content pool, and recently used assets. Think of it as your file explorer, but smarter — AI automatically organizes and tags your content. Center Panel — The Canvas Your main working area. Depending on which studio you're in, this could be a video timeline, a text editor, a design canvas, or a web builder. This is where creation happens. Right Panel — The AI Partner Your always-available AI collaborator. Chat naturally, give visual instructions by clicking on elements, or use slash commands for specific tasks. The AI partner sees what you see and understands your creative context. You can resize, collapse, or rearrange panels to match your preferred workflow. AKARI remembers your layout preferences per project.

The AI partner panel on the right is where the magic happens. Let's have your first conversation. Try typing something like: "Hi! I'm working on a short promotional video for my coffee shop. Can you help me plan it out?" The AI partner will respond with creative suggestions, ask clarifying questions, and propose a structure for your video. Unlike generic chatbots, AKARI's AI partner understands your workspace context — it knows which studio you're in, what assets you have, and what you've been working on. You can also interact visually. Click on any element on the canvas and the AI partner will understand what you're pointing at. Say "Make this text bigger" while clicking on a title, and it knows exactly which text you mean. Three interaction modes: • Chat — Natural conversation in the right panel • @Mentions — Tag the AI partner in specific contexts • /Commands — Quick actions like /generate-subtitle or /color-grade

AKARI includes several specialized studios, each designed for a different type of creative work: Video Studio — Edit videos with AI-assisted cuts, transitions, and effects Design Studio — Create graphics, social media posts, and visual content Writing Studio — Draft articles, scripts, and copy with AI collaboration Web Studio — Build landing pages and microsites visually Article Studio — Publish long-form content with rich media Community Studio — Create newsletters and community content You can switch between studios using the toolbar at the top. Each studio shares the same content pool and AI partner, so your assets and conversation history carry across seamlessly. Don't feel pressured to explore everything at once. Start with the studio that matches your immediate need, and discover the others as your projects grow.

Before diving into creation, it helps to understand the Content Pool — AKARI's intelligent asset management system. Drag and drop images, videos, audio files, documents, or any other media into your project. AKARI's AI automatically analyzes each asset, extracting metadata like: • Visual style and color palette • Subject matter and themes • Quality and resolution • Relationships to other assets This automatic analysis means you never have to manually tag or organize your files. Search for "sunset photos" or "upbeat background music" and the AI finds exactly what you need. The Content Pool is shared across all studios in your project, so an image you import for a video can instantly be reused in a social media graphic or blog post.

AKARI auto-saves your work continuously. Every change is captured, and you can step back through your edit history at any time. Projects are stored locally on your machine by default. This means: • Your work is available offline • No upload waiting times • Complete privacy — your files never leave your device • Fast performance regardless of internet speed If you want to access your projects across multiple devices, AKARI supports optional cloud sync through your own storage provider. You choose where your data lives — AKARI never stores your content on our servers.

Here are some tips from power users to help you hit the ground running: Be specific with your AI partner. Instead of "make it better," try "increase the contrast and add a warm color grade to match the sunset mood." The more context you give, the better the results. Use the memory system. AKARI's AI partner remembers your preferences, brand guidelines, and past decisions. The more you use it, the better it understands your creative style. Explore slash commands. Type "/" in the AI partner panel to see available commands. These are shortcuts for common tasks that save you time. Start small. You don't need to use every feature on day one. Pick one studio, get comfortable, and expand from there. Check out the other guides. This getting-started guide is just the beginning. Dive into our guides on video editing, the AI partner, content management, and more to unlock AKARI's full potential. Welcome to AKARI. Let's create something amazing together.