An assistant that can find assets, move between creative apps, and perform multi-step edits makes the project folder part of the brief. The folder label alone does not say what the assistant may use, what may change, or who can release the result. Adobe describes app-level AI Assistants across several Creative Cloud tools as public beta, while Firefly AI Assistant and Firefly’s unified project workspace have their own beta surfaces. Adobe’s current FAQ says preferences are stored at the user level; project-level preferences may come later. The cards below are team instructions, not product controls tested in Adobe. (Adobe’s Creative Cloud assistant announcement, Firefly AI Assistant FAQ)

Card 1 — Allowed source set: what may enter?

Create a dated, finite drawer for each project: the approved brief, source footage and stills, current product facts, brand assets, rights notes, and any reference work the team is authorized to use. Give every file an identifier, source, owner, version, permitted use, and expiry or territory where relevant. Mark each item as editable, reference-only, or out of scope. Keep material with unknown provenance outside the working set until someone resolves it.

Adobe’s Firefly workspace documentation describes project media alongside files from places such as Your files, Shared with you, Projects, and Adobe Stock. Its semantic-search guide offers a choice between searching the current location and searching everywhere. That means “in the project” is not automatically the same as “the only source the assistant can find.” Ask for a specific search location when one matters, and inspect each match before it enters a cut. The documentation explains where search can look; it does not establish an assistant permission rule for your team. (Firefly workspace overview, Adobe semantic-search guide)

Card output: approved file list; source and rights owner; allowed search locations; excluded or unresolved material.

Card 2 — Brand and claims: what is fact, direction, or open?

Keep three short lists beside the creative files. The first holds approved claims, exact wording, evidence links, product version, market, and the person responsible for each fact. The second holds visual direction such as colors, logo use, voice, and examples. The third holds prohibited changes and unanswered questions, each with a decision owner. A logo or brand kit can guide style; it does not prove a product claim.

Adobe says Firefly AI Assistant can select between Firefly and partner models unless a model is specified. Adobe characterizes outputs made with Firefly models as safe for commercial use, while assigning users responsibility for deciding whether a partner model is appropriate. Treat that as Adobe’s description of its model outputs, not as independent rights clearance, proof that a factual claim is true, or confirmation that every output fits a particular brief. Record the selected model when available. Check any source image, logo, likeness, music, and claim under the project’s own permissions and evidence record. (Firefly AI Assistant FAQ)

Card output: verified claims; visual direction; must-preserve details; open questions and owners.

Card 3 — Editable surfaces: what may the assistant change?

Write the allowed action as a small contract: app or workspace, file or layer, permitted operation, working-copy location, and restore method. For example, a video assistant may sort bins, rename copied clips, identify interview questions, or assemble a rough starting point; it may not replace the untouched source or remove a spoken qualification. On image files, resizing a duplicate may be in scope while changing a label or product feature is not. Name a stop point whenever a proposed action falls outside the list.

Adobe’s June announcement says its public-beta assistant in Premiere can handle setup work such as organizing and renaming clips or assembling a starting point. It describes different actions for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Frame.io as well. Adobe’s Firefly workspace guide separately describes a beta environment that keeps project media available as people generate, edit, and arrange a video timeline. These are company descriptions of capabilities, not an independent test or a promise that every account has the same controls. A team boundary should name the exact surface and action instead of granting blanket permission to “edit the project.” (Adobe’s Creative Cloud assistant announcement, Firefly workspace overview)

Card output: allowed actions; protected originals; working-copy path; restore point; automatic stop conditions.

Card 4 — Approval and export: what counts as ready?

Give the result a visible state: assistant draft, source-matched, claim-checked, rights-checked, brand-approved, export-ready, or released. Name the accountable editor and the separate owners for claims and rights. Keep the original files, edited version, prompt or instruction record, model or operation when available, review notes, and exact export together. A suggested change, a project preview, or a successful save is not the same as approval of the file a viewer will receive.

Before export, compare the final version with the approved claims and source list. Check labels, captions, disclosures, product details, people, music, crop, and destination format. Ask a reviewer who did not make the last edit to check the list and record the version reviewed. Reject or return the file if a source is missing, a claim changed, an edit cannot be traced, or rights remain unclear. Adobe’s FAQ describes these experiences as beta and warns that beta software can contain bugs, cause failures or data loss, and may not become a commercial release. Keep a separate copy of source material and pause if the boundary cannot be demonstrated. (Firefly AI Assistant FAQ)

The compact version fits on one page: name the files, distinguish facts from style, define editable actions, and assign the person who accepts the export. A project can preserve creative context; the boundary card preserves the team’s instructions about what that context permits.

Sources and limitations