Microsoft has announced the public preview launch of Microsoft Designer, a Canva-like web app that generates designs for various purposes, including presentations, posters, digital postcards, invitations, and social media graphics. It’s a touch underwhelming now, but Canva finally has some legitimate competition on the way.
Microsoft Designer leverages user-generated content and DALL-E 2, OpenAI’s text-to-image AI, to create and customise designs. The platform offers dropdown menus and text boxes for easy customisation and personalisation.
One of the key new features of Microsoft Designer is its ability to generate relevant captions and hashtags for social media posts. The tool offers several suggestions, allowing users to choose the best option for their content. Additionally, Designer now supports the creation of animated visuals, complete with AI-powered text transitions and backgrounds.
Microsoft has plans to further improve Designer by introducing new editing features. These will include the ability to place objects in specific spots within a graphic and automatically filling in the rest of the image. The forthcoming “erase” and “replace background” options will enable users to easily remove or replace unwanted objects, people, or backdrops in their designs.
During the preview period, Microsoft Designer will remain free and can be accessed through its website or the Microsoft Edge browser’s sidebar. Once the app becomes generally available, it will be included in Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions. Non-subscribers will still have access to “some” free functionality, though Microsoft has not yet provided details on what those features will be.
