Bryan Rieger

To address some of what is being said on this thread...
Firstly to be clear I'm not a founder, but have been with the company for 25 years. I'm officially appointed as Managing Director of the company, but also use CEO as my title as that is my role in terms of how other countries would view it.
Both Canva and us have made 100% clear we are committing to perpetual licences always being available. That will include V3 or any other future major upgrade of our apps which are released. What's more I will say with Canva's backing we are not under the same financial pressure we would have been to release a V3 anytime soon, meaning those of you using V2 will actually benefit from more features as free updates which may previously have been held back for a V3 if that makes sense. This is of great benefit from an engineering standpoint too as we are far better testing and releasing features in smaller chunks than saving them up to package up as a sellable upgrade. 
https://www.canva.com/newsroom/news/affinity-canva-pledge/
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24113423/affinity-canva-acquisition-pledge-license-price-subscription
https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/press/newsroom/affinity-and-canva-pledge/
As we have made clear there will at some point be a subscription option also which people can take if they choose to. I'm sure there will be additional benefits to that subscription in the future such as asset and document sync, sharing and collaboration and other things which naturally require a subscription as they are features which incur ongoing cost. It may also include other things which can be leveraged with a Canva subscription such as greater stock libraries of images, graphics and fonts. Hopefully that would just be considered reasonable and understandable. There will certainly not be any cynical cutting down of features or limitation of ongoing support in our existing apps just to force a subscription play.
I understand examples of previous acquisitions can make some of you fearful, but they are just historic examples - it has no bearing on what will happen in this case and we are genuinely doing something here which is very different and special. Everything I said on Tuesday, and what both Canva and us pledged yesterday, is 100% true and we are going to stand by it. That includes keeping our entire team here with no layoffs, and continuing to be based in Nottingham. 
If you want to believe this or not is up to you, I'm not sure what more we can say at this point to convince those who doubt it. We'll deliver on this over the coming months and years so whatever is being said right now I know it's going to be all good and assuming you are still using Affinity apps you will be happy with how they have developed and that we have continued to be fair and inclusive with our pricing.
Also to follow on from Patricks point - I can take some of the personal attacks on me, but I have to say some of the conduct on this thread with some of you being very quick to attack other community members just because they hold different opinions is really disheartening to see. You can absolutely give your opinion on this deal for sure, and we are happy to leave this as an open forum within reason, but that does mean being courteous to other forum members and not just repeating the same points over and over.
Thanks,
Ash
 

CEO is more of an Americanism, while Managing Director is/was more often used in the UK (and Australia I believe). That said, the CEO title seems to becoming the more standard term used throughout the world today.

Here's a list of the bugs which have been fixed in the beta build 2.4.2 (2356)
(fixes since the last release 2.4.1.2344)
Please reply in this forum to comment on any fixes which are in this list (in particular to let us know if you notice that something we say is fixed isn't!) To report any new bugs please do that against the relevant new feature post, or if unrelated to new functionality in the Other bugs & issues forum.
Changes/Bugs affecting all platforms
Export Preview does not correctly display results when using Rasterise = Nothing AF-2284  Bugs affecting Desktop (Windows and macOS)
Customer .docx file placed within a text frame in a new doc gives "Failed to Save" message. AF-2158 Tables: Update from Selection on Default format enables 'Delete' causing app to crash when deleting format. AF-2142 Bugs affecting Windows
Pixel and Pixel Grid gridlines are thicker in v2.4. AF-2167 Attempt to fix RAW files having Artefacts when opened. AF-2178 Crash when changing between Light and Dark UI with stroke panel and unselected curve on page. Crash - adding pages from files and specifying a section to add. Layers panel: layer drop zones broken. AF-2394 Can't undo live filter or adjustment layer creation. AF-2265 CTRL modifier for boolean Add now makes compounds. AF-2432 Grids fail to instantly update on document when modified. AF-2224 Using a keyboard shortcut for Geometry > Add results in a compound shape as if ctrl \+ add was clicked. AF-2444 Builds on arm devices failing to render documents with OpenCL enabled. AF-2173 Bugs affecting macOS
Crash when dropping Promised files into a document. AF-2264 Threadlock opening documents on some devices. AF-2264 Crash clicking Regular Expressions with the layer name text field active. AF-2139 Mac Apps crash when an image is dragged and dropped from a Zip file. AF-2264 Bugs affecting iPad
"Lessons" tab name changes to "Samples" after opening settings. 

CEO is more of an Americanism, while Managing Director is/was more often used in the UK (and Australia I believe). That said, the CEO title seems to becoming the more standard term used throughout the world today.

I've system 8 on my machine, almost instantly loads and it is amazing that the graphics apps had so much functionality. Have been tempted to try some stuff with SuperPaint or similar. Shame there's no browser options worth using for these old OS's or it would sort of be tempting to buy an old "proper" mac.

I cannot allow this to stand. Gary Bates and Jim Bryce were both very long term employees in Sales and Development for well over 20 years long before they took on Director roles. They dedicated their careers to both the Serif Legacy range and the Affinity range. Please stop this

I've been following this topic now from the beginning on ... feeling seriously unhappy about the mutitude of personal vendettas going on here that distract from the core issues  (doing no good for this discussion).
Why do we all (or at least most of us) post here? I presume to express our insecurity with regards to the future of Affinity products. Many people involved here driven by a long term involvement in the product development process. Many users being scared of significant price changes or pricing models (subscription). Many people aware of the experience from former take-overs of sw companies - and the results. And - having general moral company integrity in mind - not trusting pledges and promises, since most companies did not keep those and betrayed their customers.
On the other hand, what do we try to achieve? Financiel decisions have been made. Affinity is no longer in the drivers seat. Marketing bullshit has been send out. Canva is aware of the lack of trust in them. Whinging around does not improve the situation! Lets ask Canva for commitment on their pledges. We will not change Canvas possible decision in the future to come up with a subscription model (what they announced already). We will not even be able to commit them on sticking to the promise to keep the perpetual license alive on a long term. Promises that have been broken in many other companies.
But for now, we can still try to get a better V2.5 and V3.0. (I hope the promise will last at least that long). Seriously - I don't trust, I don't believe. But since this decision is not in our hands (money is sadly not based on moral integrity). We still have things to gain! - The "No" is for sure ... the "yes" is an option.

And to make this clear: Serif: I'm very angry about you! You are jeopardizing the future of many creative people, since noone easily changes the design software like underware in the morning. To make it clear: giving up control just for the money! Just the opposite of the ideals you promoted for the last 10 years!
I just seriously ask Canva to keep the pledges! Don't try to copy Adobe, the original is always the better choice.
Cheers, Timo

For me, the number one improvement I hope will come from this is elimination of the plethora of bugs on the apps.

While this announcement doesn't fill me with confidence—Serif as a company has never really filled me with confidence (Canva even less)—this announcement really does read like every other acquisition that unfortunately didn't go so well for the existing customer base.
Undoubtably with this acquisition things will change, whether that's for the better or not (and let's be honest, the current pace of development, regressions, bugs, UX/UI issues, etc with Serif isn't great) — only time will tell. I'm not optimistic, but it's day one. I'm willing to cut both Canva and Serif a little slack for the time being, and see how they both respond to all of the negative reactions, and what actions they take in the next 90 days (hell, the acquisition itself took less than 60) to demonstrate good faith on their messages and directions.
For me 'Canva' and 'professional' are words that simply do not go together well. If it really is their intention to further develop the Affinity apps into a 'professional' offering to compete directly with Adobe, then they have a very big mountain to climb.
Worst case for me is simply abandoning the Affinity apps and continuing to use the Adobe apps that I've never been able to fully shift away from after almost ten years of trying.

On the subject of trust, one thing I trust implicitly is that nobody can predict the future with any certainty. Consequently, all these comments about what Canva and the Affinity staff will or won't do in the future is nothing more than speculation & should be treated as such.
Personally, I think the sanest course is to wait & see how this plays out over the next several months, particularly if they deliver on the promise of the accelerated update schedule with more critically needed bug fixes so many of us are aware of & hopefully some new often requested features, but if you think otherwise, so be it.

Probably watching on as a software enthusiast because let's be honest, history is being made here. We've played our part in whatever this ends up becoming.

I'm Adobe-trained, so that's what I've gone back to and for me it "just works". It's a big disappointment on so many levels, but it's been less drama than what Affinity has been lately for me as far as working. There's still tears, but they are over QoL matters more than problems that I can't find some way around. I'm still getting the output I need. So I've gone back to it and if need be, that's where I'll stay... at least until something better comes out.

It would be absolutely amazing if Affinity suddenly gets a much needed boost ASAP and starts crushing bugs and other long-promised feature updates because I prefer it when it was working well. I can't tolerate the drama of uncertainty anymore and reliability is very important to me right now with where I am in life. I can tolerate a price increase, even a reasonable subscription fee, but it has to be for robust and polished software, not for a business venture. I think many professionals feel that way.
 
One thing's for sure though, @Bit Disappointed will not be changing their name anytime soon. Even when the time comes for their name change limit to expire.

To followup on some of my comments yesterday, we are today enshrining our commitment to the Affinity community in 4 pledges made by the Affinity and Canva teams.
You can read about them here.

We do truly believe the coming together of Affinity and Canva is only going to be a good thing for our customers, staff and the development of our apps. We very much hope you will all continue to be with us on this journey.
All the best,
Ash

Thank you @Ash for this commitment, both from Affinity and Canva - although I do wish this was released yesterday along with the acquisition announcement as it could have stemmed 20 odd pages of discussion, speculation, and anger.
I'd 'thank you' in the reactions, but sadly I have no more to give today (the forum won't let me).
Very happy to read this, and really looking forward to ePub (hopefully both fixed and reflowable) export!

I agree. A pledge is a solemn promise, often made in a formal context. It implies more commitment, not less, than a mere promise.

Can we please stop being so condescending and dismissive of others. I'm not a fan of Canva, but I know many individuals, business, non-profit orgs, and large brands who absolutely love it, as it enables them to create effective communications/media without having to hire (and wait for) a professional, which they often can't afford anyway. As for large brands, it enables their marketing departments to move at pace assembling their own brand assets and scheduling the publishing of social media campaigns in a much faster, and more coordinated manner than was available to them before.

Can we please stop being so condescending and dismissive of others. I'm not a fan of Canva, but I know many individuals, business, non-profit orgs, and large brands who absolutely love it, as it enables them to create effective communications/media without having to hire (and wait for) a professional, which they often can't afford anyway. As for large brands, it enables their marketing departments to move at pace assembling their own brand assets and scheduling the publishing of social media campaigns in a much faster, and more coordinated manner than was available to them before.

Can we please stop being so condescending and dismissive of others. I'm not a fan of Canva, but I know many individuals, business, non-profit orgs, and large brands who absolutely love it, as it enables them to create effective communications/media without having to hire (and wait for) a professional, which they often can't afford anyway. As for large brands, it enables their marketing departments to move at pace assembling their own brand assets and scheduling the publishing of social media campaigns in a much faster, and more coordinated manner than was available to them before.

Can we please stop being so condescending and dismissive of others. I'm not a fan of Canva, but I know many individuals, business, non-profit orgs, and large brands who absolutely love it, as it enables them to create effective communications/media without having to hire (and wait for) a professional, which they often can't afford anyway. As for large brands, it enables their marketing departments to move at pace assembling their own brand assets and scheduling the publishing of social media campaigns in a much faster, and more coordinated manner than was available to them before.

Thank you @Ash for this commitment, both from Affinity and Canva - although I do wish this was released yesterday along with the acquisition announcement as it could have stemmed 20 odd pages of discussion, speculation, and anger.
I'd 'thank you' in the reactions, but sadly I have no more to give today (the forum won't let me).
Very happy to read this, and really looking forward to ePub (hopefully both fixed and reflowable) export!

Can we please stop being so condescending and dismissive of others. I'm not a fan of Canva, but I know many individuals, business, non-profit orgs, and large brands who absolutely love it, as it enables them to create effective communications/media without having to hire (and wait for) a professional, which they often can't afford anyway. As for large brands, it enables their marketing departments to move at pace assembling their own brand assets and scheduling the publishing of social media campaigns in a much faster, and more coordinated manner than was available to them before.

Can we please stop being so condescending and dismissive of others. I'm not a fan of Canva, but I know many individuals, business, non-profit orgs, and large brands who absolutely love it, as it enables them to create effective communications/media without having to hire (and wait for) a professional, which they often can't afford anyway. As for large brands, it enables their marketing departments to move at pace assembling their own brand assets and scheduling the publishing of social media campaigns in a much faster, and more coordinated manner than was available to them before.

Thank you @Ash for this commitment, both from Affinity and Canva - although I do wish this was released yesterday along with the acquisition announcement as it could have stemmed 20 odd pages of discussion, speculation, and anger.
I'd 'thank you' in the reactions, but sadly I have no more to give today (the forum won't let me).
Very happy to read this, and really looking forward to ePub (hopefully both fixed and reflowable) export!

You do realize that Canva gives away software for free, right? The subscription is only for Canva Pro. However anyone can use the regular Canva 100% completely free.
So, it actually took Canva acquiring Affinity for kids with no money to be able to get another win-win by having access to Affinity (which is something they never would have otherwise).

Can we please stop being so condescending and dismissive of others. I'm not a fan of Canva, but I know many individuals, business, non-profit orgs, and large brands who absolutely love it, as it enables them to create effective communications/media without having to hire (and wait for) a professional, which they often can't afford anyway. As for large brands, it enables their marketing departments to move at pace assembling their own brand assets and scheduling the publishing of social media campaigns in a much faster, and more coordinated manner than was available to them before.

Thank you @Ash for this commitment, both from Affinity and Canva - although I do wish this was released yesterday along with the acquisition announcement as it could have stemmed 20 odd pages of discussion, speculation, and anger.
I'd 'thank you' in the reactions, but sadly I have no more to give today (the forum won't let me).
Very happy to read this, and really looking forward to ePub (hopefully both fixed and reflowable) export!