Microsoft announced this morning some new creator tools in Microsoft 365 alongside its new Surface devices and PC accessories. Microsoft Designer, a new AI-powered graphic design app is the latest addition to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Microsoft also announced other AI-powered tools for creators today including Microsoft Create, a new web app that’s available starting today. A new Image Creator feature is also coming soon to Bing and Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft Designer Launches in private preview

Microsoft Designer builds on the existing Designer feature in PowerPoint. It leverages the DALL∙E 2 technology by OpenAI, which uses cutting-edge machine learning models to general digital images from natural language descriptions.

“Designer invites you to start with an idea and let the AI do the heavy lifting. For example, with ‘start from scratch’ within Designer, you can simply describe an image you want to see, and the app does the work for you to create something totally unique,” explained Liat Ben-Zur, CVP of Modern Life, Search & Devices at Microsoft.

Microsoft Designer is launching in private preview on the web today, and it will get more features over time. The app will be free to use when it goes out of preview but it will have exclusive features for Microsoft 365 subscribers. Microsoft also plans to integrate Designer with Microsoft Edge and allow users to create visual content without leaving their browser window.

New Image Creator in Bing and Microsoft Edge

Microsoft has used the same DALL∙E 2 technology that powers Microsoft Create to add a new Image Creator feature to Bing and Microsoft Edge. This feature will allow users to create an image from scratch using a description that can take into account details such as a location or art style.

Image Creator will be available from the Bing Images tab, the bing.com/create URL, as well as an upcoming Image Creator icon in the Microsoft Edge sidebar. “We will soon start with a limited preview for select geographies, which will allow us to gather feedback, apply learnings, and improve the experience before expanding further,” Ben-Zur explained today.

Microsoft Create, a new inspirational website

Microsoft is also launching today Microsoft Create, a new website providing resources about how to get started with Microsoft’s various creative apps. Microsoft wants this new website to become a destination for content creators looking for some inspiration, and the company plans to add more content to Microsoft Create over time.

“It is the ultimate creator launchpad that brings together the power of our content creation apps—from Designer to Clipchamp to PowerPoint to Word and beyond. Create can help spark inspiration and up-level your skills with professional templates, curated articles, and videos from others who have been in your shoes,” explained Ben-Zur.

Tagged with Bing, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Designer, Microsoft Create, Image Creator