albertkinng

Ash looks so happy with the costume and the Miami 90's vibe...

The bitter truth. My 24-year-old nephew approached me with a remark that struck a chord within me: "Uncle Al, why haven't you subscribed to Adobe? As a professional graphic designer, shouldn't you be using Adobe, the ultimate tools for the trade?" Without hesitation, I responded, "Son, I spent 20 years working with Adobe until they made the switch to a subscription-based model. In 2014, I decided to transition to Affinity because I believe in owning my tools." Oblivious to my perspective, he urged, "Uncle Al, it's time to modernize your mindset. That monthly payment will pay off itself through your services. Plus, you can deduct it from your taxes and effectively have it reimbursed. Just embrace Adobe and work with the right tools." In that moment, I couldn't help but share an important lesson that I have learned throughout my 50 years of life, a lesson that will guide me until the end of my days. I declared resolutely, "Well, my dear nephew, with age comes wisdom. And with wisdom, I have realized that investing in my own future is a smart move, whereas investing in the futures of others is not. Take heed of how you spend your hard-earned money, for it will undoubtedly speak volumes about you in the years to come."

Oh Walter... you are so cute.

The subscription business model is inevitable. Sooner or later we will all be watching the announcement on our computers. Fair? No, but the new generation is happily opening holes on their wallets for no reason. We, who use common sense, are becoming extinct.

Initially, Affinity didn't support PC, but now it is available for all platforms except Linux. Let's be patient and give them time to develop it further.

LumaFusion. Compatible with both iPad and M1 Macs. I've been working on it for a long time. Much superior to Premiere.

My Graphic Design Suite is Affinity Trio and Pixelmator Duo. That's it! for web I have Rapidweaver, Blocs and Espresso.

Really? I've already given my opinion on this. I'll be in the corner, ready to say "I told you so" when everyone realizes I was right. In the end, it's a business—if the market isn't for professionals and they don't use Affinity tools, the company will eventually pull the plug. Numbers are important.

😂

I just finished watching the Canva 2023 Event on a live stream, and I must say, I wasn't impressed by what I saw. That's all I wanted to share to close this topic and allow the forum to move forward with previous discussions.

There is a significant difference between a company acquiring the tools we rely on for professional work and your apparent lack of recognition regarding its significance. That's perfectly alright, as it is not necessary for you to fully comprehend it. However, allow me to illustrate my point: if a Burger company were to acquire a Hot Dog company and subsequently proclaim that Hot Dogs are inconsequential because everyone should solely enjoy Burgers, it becomes evident that Hot Dogs would no longer be a priority, and could potentially meet an unfortunate fate, perhaps even ending up being discarded. Please pardon the analogy, as it was merely a lighthearted comparison that stemmed from my current hunger. 🤣

I won't reiterate the obvious purpose of Canva. You can form your own opinion about their target market. However, I can assure you that professional design is not a priority for them, not even with Affinity.

Market targeting.

It's not, and you're well aware of that. There isn't a single business on this planet that aims to hold onto the same group of consumers forever.

I believe that even if humans could let AI take over every aspect of creation for consumerism, they won’t. We need to stay at the forefront of innovation to keep thriving and evolving. I don't see AI evolving wildly and uncontrollably like that. But if that happens, there will be no control over humanity. Think about it: if movies are made without actors, they edit themselves, they reach theaters on their own, and you watch them at home without doing anything; if books write themselves, sell themselves, on topics generated by themselves; and music made by AI is sold on its own, etc., what will become of us? What will we do? If there are machines that build and transport everything on their own, what will happen to humanity? If AI takes absolute control and becomes omnipresent, and everything is done through AI, what will we do? How will we live if money is no longer necessary? What will drive us? I don't think that will happen, man. Humans will always work towards their own benefit and won't self-destruct for the sake of convenience. Right now, AI can create books, pictures, movies, and music—fundamental aspects of human culture. Machines can build structures and houses using AI, and cars can drive themselves. Legal, office, and finance experts can be replaced by AI today. I personally know friends who have been laid off because AI can handle data entry for their companies. Letting AI take over creation is suicidal. As graphic designers and developers, we are among the few with stable professions in this era of change. Supporting AI entirely is a step against our profession. The only ones advocating for AI in art are the untalented individuals who want to create with the push of a button.

Perhaps you're just teasing me, but using a typo as an argument won't hold any weight. However, if you genuinely believe in the target strategy, then my friend, you're either ignoring the reality or haven't watched the video. I'm referring to how they emphasize a design world that doesn't require professional designers. If this doesn't bother you, that's fine. We don't have to continue this conversation. We can conclude the argument by acknowledging that you don't care, while I genuinely do, and let everyone be happy.

That's your opinion and I respected it. The fact is that if you don't know the intended purpose of a tool, it can be defined as clueless.

I believe they are clearly targeting the clueless, wannabe influencer audience. It's evident that every design company is now focusing on this new target market. Even Adobe is creating peculiar ads and speaking to the viewers as if we were five years old. It seems that all of us are being overlooked, while the new generation takes center stage. CleanShot 2024-05-20 at 14.08.30-mobile.mp4

I watched the live event, but it was too cringeworthy for my taste. Just because it's not the event you want to talk about doesn't mean we should ignore other Canva events. It's clear that their focus is on attracting less skilled users who believe that AI will make them professional designers. While we, as professional designers, know that even an AI capable of creating an entire artwork in 5 seconds won't replace our expertise, others may believe otherwise, potentially harming Affinity's progress.

I didn't claim Canva Create 2024. What I emphasized was their continuous assertion that professional designs will become obsolete. It's crucial to pay attention to this rather than the nature of the event. The event was indeed organized by Canva and not a single Affinity tool was mentioned. Make sure to take note of this.

No.

Thank God for Youtube! I'm talking about this:

The Canva presentation event was great, but I was taken aback by how often they repeated the phrase: "YOU DON'T NEED A PROFESSIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN ANY MORE." It felt like they were trying to push us (Graphic Designers) out of the picture. I hate to sound childish, but simply subscribing to AI-powered tools doesn't make someone talented. True talent can't be replaced, not even by AI!

I recently joined Envato Elements and must admit, I'm thoroughly impressed. As a designer immersed in corporate identity and brand aesthetics daily, I find this service invaluable. However, I've noticed a scarcity of Affinity formats, which puzzles me. Given the multitude of templates I've personally crafted, the potential for submissions seems vast. Surely, fellow designers here have amassed a trove of templates too. Is there a reluctance among Affinity designers to engage with the power user community? I believe we could contribute significantly, perhaps even establish a dedicated Affinity template hub. Such a gesture would be widely appreciated, fostering collaboration and innovation. Moreover, Affinity itself could consider offering a platform for template sales and downloads. What are your thoughts on this?

Someday, a promising alternative to a publisher-like app will emerge.