Design made easy: Microsoft's AI-powered tool now right in your Edge browser

Microsoft's smart design tool is now in Edge, letting you create awesome designs right from your browser.

Microsoft's AI-powered design tool "Designer" now accessible to Edge users. (AP)

Microsoft has made its AI-powered design tool, known as Designer, widely available to users of the Edge browser in the United States. With this new integration, users can conveniently access Designer directly from Edge's sidebar, eliminating the need to open a separate tab or software program.

After its initial launch last year, Microsoft took a step further in April by announcing the integration of Designer into the Edge browser. This enhancement enables users to effortlessly create various designs, including social media posts, flyers, greeting cards, invitations, and more – all within the confines of Edge's sidebar, according to The Verge report.

How Microsoft Designer Works

Upon entering a prompt, Designer's AI technology presents a grid of suggested designs complete with text and images. Users have the flexibility to customize these designs to their preferences, whether it involves replacing an image, adding an illustration, or modifying the font. Additionally, the tool employs DALL-E-powered text-to-image generation, allowing users to craft pictures for incorporation into their designs.

While these features are already accessible through Microsoft's standalone Designer web application, the integration with Edge offers distinct advantages. This inclusion streamlines the process of seamlessly sharing designs via email, Facebook, or Instagram, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple windows. Furthermore, this move positions Microsoft Designer to compete with other AI-powered design tools like Canva, which have already begun incorporating similar features.

Microsoft Designer's Preview Stage

It's worth noting that Microsoft Designer remains in its preview stage, and there is no definitive timeline for its full release. To access the tool, users can update their Edge browser and then select the "plus" icon located on the far right side of the screen. By toggling on "Designer (Preview)," the tool will appear in the sidebar.

Updates to Bing Chat in the Browser

Beyond the integration of Designer into Edge, Microsoft has introduced several updates to Bing Chat within the browser. These updates empower users to instruct the chatbot to perform various actions, such as organizing tabs related to specific topics or retrieving passwords from different browsers.