Using Plan Designer and Agent-Ready Apps in Power Apps

If you’ve ever wished you could just describe a business problem and have an app magically appear, Microsoft is getting pretty close. With the 2025 Release Wave 2, Power Apps introduces two major innovations that are changing how we build solutions: Plan Designer and agent-ready apps. Together, they’re making low-code development feel more like a conversation and less like a construction project.

Let’s take a look at what these features do, how they work, and why they matter.

What Is Plan Designer?

Plan Designer is Microsoft’s new AI-powered workspace inside Power Apps. The idea is simple – instead of starting with a blank canvas, you start with a business challenge. You describe what you’re trying to solve, and a team of AI agents helps you design a complete solution. That might include a Power App, a Power BI report, a flow in Power Automate, or even a portal in Power Pages.

For example, say you’re trying to streamline employee onboarding. You could type something like: “I need a system to track new hires, assign onboarding tasks, and monitor progress.” Plan Designer would then guide you through a collaborative design process, suggesting components, data models, and automation steps.

It’s not just a chatbot – it’s a design partner. You can provide images, describe workflows, or even sketch out ideas, and the agents will translate that into working components.

Agent-Ready Apps: Human + AI Collaboration

Once your app is built, the collaboration doesn’t stop. Microsoft is introducing agent-ready apps, which are designed to work alongside AI agents in real time. These apps include features like:

• Agent Feeds, where you can monitor what the agents are doing
• Built-in Agents that handle repetitive tasks like data entry, summarization, and visualization
• Supervision Tools that let you approve, override, or refine agent actions

This is especially useful in scenarios where data changes frequently or where human judgment is still critical. For instance, in a customer support dashboard, agents might summarize incoming tickets or suggest priority levels, while supervisors make final decisions.

The goal isn’t to replace people – it’s to reduce the grunt work so humans can focus on strategy and relationships.

Why This Matters

These updates reflect a shift in how Microsoft sees app development. It’s no longer just about giving users tools – it’s about giving them collaborators. Plan Designer and agent-ready apps are part of a broader move toward intent-driven development, where you start with what you want to achieve, and the platform helps you get there.

This is a big deal for:

• Business users, who may not know how to build an app but understand their workflows
• Developers, who can now prototype faster and focus on complex logic
• Consultants, who can deliver solutions more efficiently and with less overhead

It also means that apps can evolve more easily. As business needs change, agents can help adapt the app without starting from scratch.

Use Cases

Here are a few examples of how Plan Designer and agent-ready apps could be used:

• Field Service Management: Describe a need to track technician visits, inventory usage, and customer feedback. Agents build a mobile app with offline sync, automated task assignment, and reporting.
• HR Onboarding: Outline a process for welcoming new employees. Agents create a portal with task checklists, document uploads, and progress tracking.
• Sales Pipeline Monitoring: Request a dashboard that shows leads, conversion rates, and follow-ups. Agents generate a Power BI report and integrate it into a model-driven app.

In each case, the user starts with a goal – not a template – and ends up with a tailored solution.

Tips for Getting Started

If you’re curious about trying these features, here’s what I recommend:

• Open Power Apps and look for the Plan Designer option. Start by describing a real business challenge.
• Don’t worry about being technical – the agents are trained to interpret natural language.
• Once your app is built, explore the agent feed to see what tasks the AI is handling.
• Try customizing the agents – you can adjust their behavior or add new ones based on your needs.

And remember, this is still a collaborative process. The AI is there to help, but your insight and judgment are what make the solution truly valuable.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft’s Power Platform has always been about empowering people to solve problems. With Plan Designer and agent-ready apps, that empowerment is getting a serious upgrade. You don’t need to be a developer to build something powerful – you just need to know what you want.

So next time you’re facing a business challenge, try describing it in Power Apps. You might be surprised at how quickly your idea turns into a working solution.

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