Microsoft Teams users can now utilize Designer, a sophisticated AI tool capable of creating artistic designs for various purposes, such as presentations, posters, and digital postcards, directly within the video-conferencing application.
Currently in preview on Windows 11, Designer offers functionality comparable to Canva, enabling users to input textual prompts or upload images to generate unique designs. It leverages OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 text-to-image AI technology, equipping users with drop-down menus and text boxes for bespoke design tailoring.
“By articulating your idea’s concept in words or through an uploaded image, you can produce striking and exclusive visuals,” Microsoft explained in its announcement blog post. “Simply formulate an announcement post in communities to craft your individual banner using Designer.”
Initially unveiled in October of the previous year, Microsoft’s Designer can also be accessed through the web or a sidebar in the Edge browser. Subsequently, Microsoft introduced additional features such as automatic caption generation and animated visuals.
Microsoft seeks to monetize Designer by including it in their Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscription plans. While the precise cost of this has not yet been disclosed, Microsoft has assured that some aspects of the tool will be available free of charge, although it has not clarified which ones.
Community Channels for Teams on Windows and GroupMe Update
In addition, Microsoft Teams now provides community channels for comprehensive group communication and administration under a single platform, similar to Discord.
Initially rolled out for Android and iOS users in December, this feature is now accessible for Windows 11 Teams users, with plans to extend support to other platforms shortly.
Users can discover and join communities focusing on specific interests such as gardening or running via the Home tab on Teams. Community participants have the ability to use their mobile devices to generate and share videos, featuring new markup and filter options.
Finally, with GroupMe, Microsoft’s complimentary group messaging application, users can now initiate Teams calls directly from within a new or existing group conversation.
