Thunder follows lightning! Back in May, we got a sniff about a new app that Microsoft was developing that went by the name of Designer. This tool was supposed to be released for Windows 11.
We never heard anything else about it, a confirmation or denial.
Until now.
While the previous leak provided us with a look at the app via a handful of images, this latest one is full of juicy details that give us the information we need about what this upcoming application is all about and what it does.
These recent discoveries are once again attributed to WalkingCat, who spotted a new URL that can be accessed at create.microsoft.com, though it is still currently inaccessible. The leakster also shared another image of the tool that has a link to this web location.
As the image reveals, it says up top that “We use your content and AI to create designs for you”. The bottom has a link that mentions “Browse more templates at Microsoft Create”, which is the above URL where all the templates will likely be stored.
In between all this, we have a couple of dropdowns and text boxes, the usual, for platform selection and personalization.
Mary Jo Foley from ZDNet has chimed in and said that the internal codename for Designer is Oasis. Interestingly, this is not the first time Microsoft has used this codename, as it was shared by the holographic shell for Windows 10.
There has been much speculation about this new tool and its place in Microsoft’s portfolio. Some believe it will be a Canva competitor of some sort, while others think it is some form of integration with PowerPoint.
Another theory claims that this is the successor to Sway.
Foley believes in the last theory but does not dismiss PowerPoint integrations as an add-on. Then there is the case of AI-generated designs that are pitched front and center in this application, which could be a hint that it could be powered by ContextIQ technologies.
All said and done, it remains to be seen how Microsoft publicly announces this new creation that is in active development, when it becomes generally available, and how. Pricing is also unclear right now, and it is unclear whether this tool will be offered as a standalone product or with Microsoft 365.
Guess we’ll find out soon.
