Midjourney Alpha: First Look at 9 Key Features

A few days ago, I’ve gotten an email from Midjourney inviting me to test their new website version (Midjourney was only available through Discord previously). The new website-based image generative AI is called Midjourney Alpha.

Here, I’ll take a look at some of its key features (with lots of screenshots!).

If you enjoy the video format more, you can check the same info here:

Feature 1. Generate directly in the search bar.

From the first sight, the interface of Midjourney Alpha looks a lot like before: we have a search bar and a selection of some stunning images down below, aka the Explore page.

But if we look closer, the search bar is now transformed into a command line that allows us to generate images just like we did before in Discord:

We no longer need to use the /imagine command! Instead, we just type the prompt directly into the bar on the top:

After that, to put the prompt to work, we hit Enter, and the prompt disappears from where we typed it (confusing a bit at first! But you quickly get used to it) — and appears in the Create tab. The number 0/1 indicates that 1 job is currently in progress:

Let’s go to the Create tab and see what we have there!

Feature 2. The Create tab experience.

The Create tab is where all our generated images are displayed (top to bottom). A bit unusual at first after the Discord bottom-to-top layout:

Notice how the image we just created has a 4:3 ratio, although I didn’t specify this aspect ratio in my prompt (the — — ar parameter was not used).

This happened because I had particular aspect ratio settings pre-activated. To access them, we can open the prompt settings.

Feature 3. Prompt settings.

The prompt settings button is available in the end of the top prompt command line:

Here we have:

• image size: we can control the aspect ratio of the image. There are 3 standard modes: Portrait, Square, and Landscape, but the scroll bar allows you to select a vider variety of formats, like 9:16 etc.
• model: here, we select the version of Midjourney or Niji we want to be using.
• aesthetics: a new feature comprising the previously-existing Midjourney parameters, now available as Stylization, Weirdness and Variety sliders.
• more options: here, you can (so far) select only the generation speed more: relax, fast and turbo (the latter available only for Pro users).

Setting these will influence all prompts created after the setting, not just the next one.

Feature 4: The image menu.

Upon clicking any generated image in the Create tab, it opens in full view, and we have a menu of different options on the right side:

As a user, I’m very satisfied with this new experience, as it allows me to see the image clearly, in a larger size comparing to the Discord experience.

Let’s click the Zoom 1.5x feature and see what happens:

The newly zoomed-out image appears in the create bar again, with 4 different variants taking up the top section of the page:

Feature 5: Archive.

It is pretty straightforward: a collection of your previously generated jobs. We now have convenient filters on the right to find what we need faster.

Feature 6: Rate Images.

The Rate Images tab is something that we haven’t had with Midjourney previously. You are offered to select from two images the one you like best. Sometimes two images are generated with the same prompt, and sometimes the prompts are completely different. This is Midjourney’s way to get feedback from users and improved based on it:

Feature 7. Rate Ideas

Here, you have

• a feature request window to type what you’d like to see in Midjourney in the future:

• the assign points window to assign 25 points to feature requests you deem valuable:

• the leaderboard to check which feature requests are trending:

Feature 8. Report bugs.

Finally, if you have found something that doesn’t work quite well, you can submit it as a bug for the Midjourney team to review:

Feature 9. Light/Dark mode.

I personally enjoy the light mode a lot, and viewing my images against the white interface allows me to evaluate the color composition better.

But for those used to the dark Discord interface, Dark Mode is available:

I hope you got excited to try Midjourney Alpha for yourself!

Right now, it is available to users with previously-existing Midjourney accounts who have generated 1000 or more images.

Happy prompting! ✨