First announced in 2022, Microsoft Designer was initially introduced as an intuitive, AI-powered graphic design application intended to help users quickly create various visual assets. Since then, the tool has evolved significantly, benefiting from Microsoft’s continued investment in AI.
As of July 2024, the Microsoft Designer AI app is generally available not just for desktop users but also for iOS and Android fans. According to Microsoft, this ultra-intuitive solution will help creative professionals express themselves in new ways with the support of generative AI.
Plus, Designer now integrates seamlessly with various Microsoft products, including Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (via Copilot), Microsoft Photos, and more.
Here’s everything you need to know about the intelligent design platform.
What is Microsoft Designer AI?
Microsoft Designer is Microsoft's intelligent design and image generation platform. It empowers users to create and edit various visuals, from posters and presentations to social media posts, using generative AI prompts.
When Microsoft initially introduced the toolkit, it was intended to address the various challenges business users were facing with content creation. According to the tech giant, many professionals were struggling to come up with ideas for their visual assets and produce them cost-effectively and efficiently. Microsoft believed AI was the answer.
Powered by technology like DALL-E 2 by OpenAI, the platform allows anyone to create graphic design components in seconds, from invitations and digital postcards to graphics for blog posts. Plus, alongside the standard “text prompt” experience you’d expect from most generative AI image tools, the platform comes with a host of templates to explore, too.
There’s even an avatar creator, which you can use to render cartoon versions of yourself in seconds. You can then use that avatar to represent yourself on Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn, and other channels. Additionally, rather than just creating content, Microsoft Designer AI can edit your images for you, too, making them more impressive or adjusting their style.
You can frame your photos with decorative borders, remove backgrounds, people, and objects from images, or even add text and logos to existing shots.
The Evolution of Microsoft Designer AI
When it was first introduced, the Microsoft Design AI app was born out of PowerPoint, where the Designer already used AI to make template suggestions to help users create presentations. The solution has come a long way since then.
In 2023, Microsoft announced new features for the “preview” version of Designer, such as a new “Ideas” function to boost user creativity. Users tell the Designer AI tool what they want to create, and it can generate unique images and accompanying text.
For instance, you could ask it to create a social media campaign with captions and hashtags, and the tool will suggest a range of options to choose from. Microsoft also introduced new resizing features and the ability to create animated images in Designer for more engaging content.
Plus, in 2023, Microsoft shared an update allowing teams to access Designer in the Edge sidebar. This means users can create high-quality content in their browser without having to switch to a new application or exit their window.
These updates joined a series of new editing features, allowing users to fill certain aspects of their graphics with a couple of clicks, expand the background in an image with artificial intelligence, erase certain photo parts, and replace backgrounds.
When announcing the general availability of Microsoft Designer AI as a free mobile app and web tool, Microsoft shared that it has now integrated the solution into various products. Microsoft Insiders can now use Designer AI in Microsoft Photos to edit images, automatically crop, remove backgrounds, apply filters, and more without leaving their app.
What Can You Do with Microsoft Designer AI Today?
Today, the Microsoft Designer AI app and service are more powerful than ever, thanks to Microsoft’s investments in the Copilot landscape. Whether you’re using the tool on the web or through the new mobile app, you’ll see a new, redesigned homepage enhanced based on feedback Microsoft received from its early adopters.
The new interface makes it easier for users to jump to the features they want instantly, regardless of whether they want to create an image from scratch or edit an existing visual.
Today, you can use Microsoft Designer AI to:
Access Design Inspiration and Guidance
Microsoft Designer makes it easy to generate ideas for visual content. Its convenient generative AI chatbot can suggest ideas and templates for any project. All you need to do is describe an idea or goal to the bot, and it will suggest a series of templates and images.
