Microsoft Designer is an AI-driven graphic design app by Microsoft, offering unique art generation from textual descriptions, template suggestions, and AI-generated image creation. It integrates with various Microsoft software and features assistive AI tools for creative workflows. It lacks collaboration features but promises refined design realization options and auto-generated social media content.
To explore alternatives to Microsoft Designer, consider PowerPoint, Google Slides, Adobe Express, Canva, Illustrator, Figma, Procreate, and more innovative design tools in the market.
PowerPoint
The tech titan, Microsoft PowerPoint, rocked the cradle of the presentation world back in 1990, having become one of the most commonly used tools for developing and delivering presentations.
PowerPoint Top Features
- Design Tools: PowerPoint provides copious design tools for slide creation, enhancing visuals for the viewer’s eye. The ’90s are dead! Embrace the rainbow colors of the future.
- Transition Capabilities: Keep your audience’s minds as fluid as your transitions. Create seamless movement between thoughts.
- Evolving with Technological Progress: PowerPoint’s evolution with tech allows the inclusion of live video, voice commands, and interactive touch capabilities. Blend the boundaries of the physical and digital world.
- AI in Presentations: Using the power of AI, Microsoft has innovated PowerPoint to improve the efficacy of presentations. Features such as Presenter Coach take your presentation game to the next level!
| Collaboration features | Share your work with others in real-time. Perfect for shared projects! |
| Task Management with Microsoft 365 | Assign tasks, manage progression, and bring tasks to completion across the whole of your Office apps spectrum. |
PowerPoint Limitations
- Despite its prowess, PowerPoint still remains a part of the Microsoft ecosystem. If you’re not a fan of the Office suite, this may feel restrictive.
- Newer features like AI-enhancements may seem daunting and overwhelming to some users. Embracing the future can be scary, but remember, we’re all in this together!
PowerPoint Pricing
Licensing options for PowerPoint range from $6.99/month to $9.99/month, depending on your needs. The gilded cage of subscriptions may seem off-putting, but sometimes, you have to pay if you want to play in the big leagues.
PowerPoint Use Cases
Use case 1
Conference Presenters: PowerPoint’s ease of use, abundance of design tools and transition capabilities make it an excellent choice for conference presentations. Embrace the era where ‘boring presentations’ becomes an oxymoron.
Use case 2
Education sector: Teachers can benefit immensely from PowerPoint’s dynamic, interactive features to engage students and enhance learning. Be the professor that’s remembered for their memorable classes, not snooze-fests.
Use case 3
Collaborative Projects: Teamwork makes the dream work. With PowerPoint’s collaboration and task management features, smoothly working together on shared tasks becomes the norm.
Google Slides
Integrated into the broader Google Workspace, Google Slides invites users into a versatile, real-time presentation landscape. Renowned for its exceptional collaboration capabilities and seamless integration with other Google apps, Google Slides transpires as an excellent alternative to Microsoft Designer.
Google Slides Top Features
- Real-time collaboration and editing – Facilitate synergy on presentations anywhere, anytime.
- Google Apps unification – Integrated suite includes Google Sheets, Gmail, and Google Drive.
- Offline functionality – Enables offline creation, access, and editing for power users.
- Strong security – Advanced malware protection, data encryption for both transit and resting stages.
| Feature | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Smart Compose and Autocorrect | Enhanced writing workflow, better efficiency, mitigates errors. |
| Live Captions & Google Meet Integration | Facilitates accessibility, perfect for remote presentations. |
Google Slides Limitations
- Compared to PowerPoint, some advanced features may be missing.
- Google Slides largely operates online, thus dependant on steady internet connection.
Google Slides Pricing
Google Slides is available free of charge, aligning with Google’s commitment to accessible digital tools.
Google Slides Use Cases
Use case 1: Educators
Google Slides facilitates dynamic lesson plans and promotes remote student interaction.
Use case 2: Business Magnates
Utilize this tool for collaborative pitch decks, team briefs, and strategy alignments.
Use case 3: Students
The multiple template options, device compatibility, and collaborative potential make it an excellent tool for student group assignments.
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Adobe Express
IntroducingAdobe Express, a rebranded creative powerhouse that originated as Adobe Spark, now enabling users with a cloud-based design tool that turns imagination into eye-catching artistic expressions.
Adobe Express Top Features
- AI-recommended templates to catalyze your creativity and enhance your message.
- Unparalleled ease through one-click actions for tasks like video reversal, image conversion, and picture resizing.
- Untamed versatility, with an application compatible with both mobile and web, accompanying you wherever your artistic endeavours take you.
- Incredibly user-friendly, featuring a drag-and-drop editing interface that makes getting started a breeze.
| Advanced Project Management | The project management tool keeps an organized record of all your designs and grants varying permission levels. |
| Brand Management Tool | Through its Brand Manager, you can easily keep track of and maintain consistent brand identity in all your designs. |
| Integrated Scheduling | An integrated feature for social media marketers that simplifies the process of scheduling posts. |
Adobe Express Limitations
- The free version is limited in templates and lacks premium features, demanding a move towards the premium membership for complete access.
- Although the application is user-friendly, certain features might require a learning curve for beginners.
Adobe Express Pricing
The entry to Adobe Express’s fascinating world of designs is free. However, for users seeking more, the Premium membership priced at $9.99/month promises exclusive access to an expanded collection of royalty-free templates, effects, and fonts.
Adobe Express Use Cases
Use case 1 – Professional Graphic Design
Crafting a brand logo to an email header, Adobe Express bestows designers with a playground equipped with AI-powered templates.
Use case 2 – Education
Teachers and students alike can utilize Adobe Express to create engaging posters and infographics that captivate and educate.
Use case 3 – Social Media Marketers
From captivating ad campaigns to scheduled social media posts with visuals that resonate, Adobe Express is a digital companion fit for every marketer’s toolkit.
Canva
Meet Canva, a lauded online graphic design platform. Founded in 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams, Canva caters to an extensive user base of more than 100 million globally. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Canva offers products suitable for all–from businesses to nonprofits to educators.
Canva Top Features
- Drag-and-Drop Design: Easy-to-use interface for fast content creation.
- Photo Editing: Add flair with filters, adjust brightness, and more.
- Custom Fonts: Great variety to lend a unique identity to your designs.
- Pre-Built Templates: Need a boost of inspiration? Use their ready-to-go posters, menus, newsletters, and more.
- Magic Write: An AI-assisted copywriting tool launched in 2023 for seamless content creation.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Custom Charts and Diagrams | Utilize internal data to create informative visuals. |
| Mobile Apps | Continue your work anytime, anywhere. |
Canva Limitations
- Data Breach: In 2019, approximately 139 million users were affected by a data security issue.
- Subscription Dependence: Premium features require a paid subscription.
Canva Pricing
Canva offers plans for various uses. The Canva Free, Canva for Education, and Canva for Not-for-Profit are free forever. For more advanced features, Canva Pro starts at $12.99 a month, while Canva Enterprise is priced from $30 a month.
Canva Use Cases
Use case 1: Businesses
Companies of all sizes rely on Canva for creating attractive marketing content, presentations, and more. Its pre-built templates and easy design tools can help you to quickly and efficiently generate branded graphics.
Use case 2: Educators
Canva for Education offers a free platform for educators, providing a dynamic and user-friendly tool to create classroom materials, collaborate on projects, and enhance lessons with visually engaging content.
Use case 3: Nonprofits
Non-profit organizations can benefit from Canva for Nonprofits, a free plan that enables the design of compelling promotional materials and infographics necessary for advocacy and fundraising.
Illustrator
When it comes to vector graphics and animations, Adobe has you covered with Illustrator. From designing mobile graphics to personalized fonts and custom weights, Illustrator sorts you out like your reliable 2 am pizza guy!
Illustrator’s Top Features that are Cooler than an Ice Cube
- With collaboration on files as seamless as finishing each other’s code, it features trackback versions and editing processes.
- Ever dreamed of creating your own special effects? With Illustrator, you’re the director, insert shadows and create special effects like you’ve just walked out of Hollywood.
- Designs are infused with gradients, shapes, and typography better than your grandma’s Sunday roast.
- Wowed by the custom banners on websites? With Illustrator, you can create your own banners and export them in JPG or PNG formats.
- It’s got an affinity for Apple Pencil with point precision. In a world full of raster, be vector! It also supports vectorizing for raster image conversion.
| Fonts? | A comprehensive toolkit with over 18,000+ sort you out! |
| Colors? | Pick from a vast array of brilliant colors and gradients worthy of a double take. |
| Cloud Sync? | Yes, your work can follow you everywhere, as long as you have an iPad or desktop. |
The Few Illustrator Limitations
- Preparing for Y2K? Illustrator was ahead of its time with the highest preparedness score in the software industry, but it does consume resources heavily.
- If HTML was a hike, Illustrator is Everest. It has a high learning curve, making it complex for beginners but an absolute joy for advanced users.
Pricing of Illustrator
With the cost of a gourmet burger, Illustrator comes to you at $19.99/month for individuals and $29.99/month for businesses. Like rent, there’s no free version, but a tantalizing 7-day free trial is available. Hold onto your wallets though, because the paid version starts from $31.49/month!
Illustrator Use Cases
Web Designers
For web designers, creating and exporting custom banners is as easy as pi. The umpteen templates available make building a website faster than a cat dodging water!
Graphic Designers
Not just for creating mobile graphics and product packagings, graphic designers can also use Illustrator to create unique letterforms and fonts.
Semi-pro Illustrators
Looking to add some custom weights and slants to your illustrations? Illustrator hooks you up!
Figma
Born out of a vision for accessible creativity, Figma emerged as a powerful web-based tool dedicated to user interface and experience design. Launched in 2016, it quickly gained popularity with its innovative real-time collaborative features, versatility across operating systems and platforms, and integration with prominent team communication tools.
Figma Top Features
- Real-time collaboration facilitated by browser-based nature, akin to Google Docs
- Minimal reliance on third-party tools due to in-built prototyping capabilities
- Automated and on-demand versioning system
- Team Libraries for maintaining central source of truth for UI components
- Integration with Slack for seamless team communication
- Mobility and access facilitated by mobile applications for Android and iOS
- Developer APIs for browser-based app integration, such as Uber’s live design file displays
- Secure file, project, and version management
| Web-Based Functionality | Figma operates on any OS that supports a web browser, ensuring wide accessibility |
| FigJam Digital Whiteboarding | A tool introduced to enhance brainstorming and collaborative ideation |
| Figma Community | Launched in 2019 to share and discover design work from the global community |
Figma Limitations
- Concerns following Adobe acquisition in 2022 about potential forceful integration with Adobe Creative Cloud
- Possible business model changes post-acquisition leading to uncertainty
Figma Pricing
Available plans include Free, Professional, Organization, and Enterprise with varying features to cater to a broad user-base.
Figma Use Cases
Use case 1
Figma proves beneficial for design teams requiring real-time collaboration, reducing misinterpretation and fostering project consistency. Its browser-based nature allows for efficient teamwork similar to Google Docs.
Use case 2
With APIs for integration with browser-based apps, platforms like Uber find Figma useful for displaying live design files.
Use case 3
For educational institutions, such as those utilizing Google for Education services, Figma’s collaborative and accessible design tools serve as an effective resource for student engagement.
Procreate
Beckon the dawn of your artistic adventures with Procreate, a cloud-based solution designed specifically for crafting wondrous digital sketches and illustrations. Esteemed as an industry titan with dual accolades of the Apple Design Award in 2013 and 2022, it has flawlessly embedded itself in the cardinal core of design aesthetics and note-taking.
Procreate Top Features
- Animation Assist: An intuitive tool that lets you create time-lapse recordings of your artful explorations.
- Customizable brushes and effects: Pat the sheer smudge of uniqueness on your canvas with a vast array of brushes and effects.
- Text Style Modification: Formulate your thoughts into impactful statements with superior typography incorporation and text style modification.
- Paint Filter Adjustment: Mesmerize with chromatic aberrations and realistic blur, infused through dial-controlled paint filter manipulation.
- Quick Shape: An effortless solution for drawing shapes, aided by the smooth kiss of Procreate’s Quick Shape feature.
| Feature | Description |
| Image Effects | Includes chromatic aberrations and realistic blur. |
| Compatibility | Seamlessly befriends iOS devices. Complementing the beauty of the platform exclusivity ensures a deeper connection with the iPhone and iPad users. |
| Add-on Features | In collaboration with Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, Procreate becomes a veritable broadsword of creative functionality. |
Procreate Disadvantages
- Restricted to iOS devices, Procreate maintains a walled garden with regard to its platform universality.
- No free trial or version available may limit the initial perusal by potential users.
- Efficient usage necessitates the possession of an Apple Pencil – a limiting factor to some prospective digital artists.
Procreate Pricing
Procreate calls out to artists with a pocket-friendly offer, asking for a one-time license fee of just $9.99. It may not offer a free trial or a pared-down free version, but it compensates with the sheer spectrum of its capabilities.
Procreate Use Cases
Use case 1: Digital Sketching & Illustration
Procreate offers scalable canvases, thousands of customizable brushes, and a solid suite of tools, making it an indisputable companion for any digital artist, illustrator, or a hobby-mimicking individual.
Use case 2: Design & Typography
The astounding typography and the potential to manipulate text styles make Procreate a useful asset for designers, typographers, and comic creators alike.
Use case 3: Motion Art
With their Introduction of Motion Filtering – a Stabilization feature that helps smooth out strokes, it’s a revolutionary tool for motion artists, animators, and creatives who seek fluidity in their work.
