Too quiet …

[Grunt]

Dang, what is going on? Why is everybody getting so nervous? Serif (Europe) Ltd is facing liquidation or UK is considering submitting an application to join the EU (again)?

[Mark Oehlschlager]

Feels like Canva have already killed any future development. With the buyout, I'm sure original investors, founders and employees with stock have cashed out long ago. I've no idea why Canva agreed to the purchase apart from acquiring the developer talent. Reminiscent of Adobe's buyout of Macromedia.

It's such a shame, as I had really invested myself in the longterm success of the Affinity Suite. I would have hoped that any sale would have at least fallen to a company with real interest in further development and increased market share. Apple acquired Pixelmator. I now wish they had been the ones to acquire the Affinity Suite.

In the meantime, web and mobile app designer/developers have migrated to Figma and to Framer. Print and publishing designers are left to return to the Adobe suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign).

It was a good run while it lasted. I had just hoped for long term success.

[Ldina]

53 minutes ago, Mark Oehlschlager said:

It was a good run while it lasted. I had just hoped for long term success.

Only time will tell, right? There's a whole lot of speculation, (some probably fairly accurate, much probably way off the mark, but who's right?), and it seems a bit premature to announce "game over". Canva had their reasons for buying Serif, but I'm not privy to their reasons or plans. They paid too much money just to let it die...that would be stupid (which they aren't) and doesn't make much sense to me. People don't like 'not knowing', so imaginations tend to run wild. 

I'm concerned and want to see Affinity improve and succeed, but I can't predict what's coming. If the Affinity Suite is working well and doing what you need it to do at the present time, keep using it...you already bought it (and aren't paying a monthly subscription). If it's not working for you, that's a different story. Corporate buyouts (I've been through many) are disruptive, reset goals and priorities, eat up staff resources during integrating, and it takes time for things to normalize. Been there, done that! Who knows what they're working on? I don't. Maybe they have something big coming that they want or need to keep quiet. It could be really great, more of the same, or pathetic. Not knowing makes people edgy, myself included, but I'll keep using it as long as it meets my needs. Why not? Beats an expensive Adobe subscription (at least for me).

So, I try to avoid gloom and doom or unrealistic expectations, and adopt a middle of the road wait and see attitude. Time will tell.

 

[SrPx]

I must admit I quite don't understand the anxiety.  Maybe I was too used in the very distant past (90s) to no other option than Adobe (not even abandonware, I'd have been happy with that!) And then so many years of stagnation (or just no adaptation to professional needs) of multiple open source alternatives. As much as I love and use them.  I mostly use Affinity Photo of the suite, and it serves me greatly (Designer too, but lately I am doing less design stuff). I really like it (Photo) for painting and editing. It has been updated recently, several times. So.. I really don't get it, honestly. Just no news or no forum activity? (the reason of the worries).

Also that I remember how many years a large portion of the digital painting community just used a never updated beta version of SAI or OpenCanvas. People only cared about if they could paint with the thing, no matter how arcane and never updated.

Between open source and other alternatives, I have always installed a bunch of tools. I mean, gonna push pixels  (and vectors) one way or the other, lol...

(Plus...the tools are imo the smallest problem right now for creative fields...)

[Petar Petrenko]

5 hours ago, Ldina said:

Maybe they have something big coming that they want or need to keep quiet.

Before that big, it would be better if they fix the reported bugs first. I'm not sure if anybody is going to buy the next version full of bugs.

5 hours ago, Ldina said:

If the Affinity Suite is working well and doing what you need it to do at the present time, keep using it.

It works fine for small projects like brochures, covers... that do not need multipage tables, span/split columns... and most important -- print production tools.

[PaoloT]

15 hours ago, Mark Oehlschlager said:

Feels like Canva have already killed any future development.

Since the acquisition, we have only seen minor things, like native Windows Arm64 support, variable fonts, QR codes, AI selection, multi-page spreads, preliminary work for ePub export, improvements in pencil and stroke drawing… Development is clearly dead!

 

[GRAFKOM]

All of the things you mentioned were only done a little, on the principle of getting users off my back, they are not fully finished despite the requests and insistence of users. I still believe that the former Serif does not use the programs they made.

[Ldina]

4 hours ago, PaoloT said:

Development is clearly dead!

That's an opinion and an assumption, which is fine, but you state it as if it were a confirmed fact. That benefits no-one. Unless you have solid insider information, you can't know, so it's merely speculation on your part. Lack of communication and slower updates lead to fear, uncertainty and doubt. Corporate buyouts take time to digest, which I know from direct experience (at a fairly high corporate level, I might add). That's why I keep an open mind, and take a 'wait and see' attitude. 

In the meantime, the software does what I need it to do, so I use it (without an additional costly, monthly subscription). If it doesn't fit others' needs, they have a harder choice — wait and see, or look for something that does. Better communication and reassurance from Serif would certainly help, and I hope that is forthcoming. Time will tell. 

 

[Affinityconfusesme]

 

[Affinityconfusesme]

it sounds like from this statement that big things are coming...

[JariH]

[wonderings]

Feels like people feel entitled to info and if they don't get it they jump to the wildest conclusions. I think it is a safe bet that Canva did not buy Serif to merely gleam some staff from them and shelf or junk everything else. That does not make a lot of sense and would be a huge waste of their money as there are plenty of talented people out there that could be hired without spending what they did on acquiring Serif. It is more likely they have different approaches to handling and communicating with their user base. Their SOP is bound to be different and these things get implemented over time I am sure. 

[Alfred]

5 minutes ago, wonderings said:

Their SOP is bound to be different

SOP? 

[Ali]

Standard operating procedure.

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, Ldina said:

That's an opinion and an assumption, which is fine, but you state it as if it were a confirmed fact.

Erm … please reread the preceding list of “minor things”!

[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, Ali said:

Standard operating procedure.

Thanks. Duh!

[Petar Petrenko]

5 minutes ago, wonderings said:

Feels like people feel entitled to info and if they don't get it they jump to the wildest conclusions.

That's because Affinity decided not to communicate with us -- ordinary mortals. I don't know why they don't try to be communicative as VectorStyler developer? All users are informed about new updates/upgrades (roadmap), he answers on all questions...

[wonderings]

16 minutes ago, Petar Petrenko said:

That's because Affinity decided not to communicate with us -- ordinary mortals. I don't know why they don't try to be communicative as VectorStyler developer? All users are informed about new updates/upgrades (roadmap), he answers on all questions...

Because Serif is not VectorStyler. This is the entitlement you and other users feel. If you don't like the level of engagement you have other options out there to get that level of communication you need from your software providers. You are feigning insult in your comments "ordinary mortals" like Serif is being snobby and think you are beneath them.  If you don't like their business model move on to one that likes to chat you up.

[Ldina]

26 minutes ago, Petar Petrenko said:

That's because Affinity decided not to communicate with us

True...silence leads to fear, uncertainty, doubt, people speculating and jumping to conclusions. I think we all feel that communication 'vacuum' to some extent, and respond in our own way. 

If the report that @Affinityconfusesme referred to comes to fruition, BIG THINGS ARE coming. Maybe Serif and Canva need to keep their plans silent?? I don't know. But, I do find that statement encouraging. I can wait (even though patience isn't one of my strong suits!)

[Mark Oehlschlager]

Why are people expecting better communication from Serif rather than from Canva? It’s now Canva’s responsibility to actively communicate with the market about their plans for the Affinity Suite. 

[Petar Petrenko]

3 minutes ago, Mark Oehlschlager said:

Why are people expecting better communication from Serif rather than from Canva?

Because they were silent even before Canva,

[wonderings]

16 minutes ago, Petar Petrenko said:

Because they were silent even before Canva,

maybe applying for a job at Canva will get you the info you so crave. 

[Mark Oehlschlager]

The 2.6 update seemed to be that last product of the original Serif team. Feels as though it was already in the pipeline. Canva gets no credit for that. 
 

Here’s why the poor comms from Canva are so worrying: software platforms are subject to the network effect that locks the market share winner into a dominant position. Users want and need an industry standard. Adobe has/had that position, though they made themselves vulnerable to challengers because of their odious subscription business model and abusive treatment of their captured users. Affinity had been gaining ground as a challenger to Adobe, but seemed to have hit a brick wall and felt compelled to sell out to Canva, purportedly for the financing and larger dev teams needed to continue the push to steal market share from Adobe. But Canva has dropped the ball in terms of comms and aggressive product marketing. 
 

Can the Affinity Suite 2.6 survive as a niche product for individual creatives, hobbyists, and architectural offices? Maybe. But in the meantime, all the market  chat and energy revolves around the old incumbent, Adobe, and the latest challengers, Figma and Framer. 

[wonderings]

38 minutes ago, Mark Oehlschlager said:

The 2.6 update seemed to be that last product of the original Serif team. Feels as though it was already in the pipeline. Canva gets no credit for that. 
 

Here’s why the poor comms from Canva are so worrying: software platforms are subject to the network effect that locks the market share winner into a dominant position. Users want and need an industry standard. Adobe has/had that position, though they made themselves vulnerable to challengers because of their odious subscription business model and abusive treatment of their captured users. Affinity had been gaining ground as a challenger to Adobe, but seemed to have hit a brick wall and felt compelled to sell out to Canva, purportedly for the financing and larger dev teams needed to continue the push to steal market share from Adobe. But Canva has dropped the ball in terms of comms and aggressive product marketing. 
 

Can the Affinity Suite 2.6 survive as a niche product for individual creatives, hobbyists, and architectural offices? Maybe. But in the meantime, all the market  chat and energy revolves around the old incumbent, Adobe, and the latest challengers, Figma and Framer. 

I don't think Affinity has been gaining ground as Adobe subscribers are increasing. Also the lack of AI really holds Affinity back as a real production tool as AI is incredibly valuable for day to day use. Your choice of words also speaks of some personal issues you might have with Adobe. "Abusive treatment"? I have been using Adobe CC since before the subscription and while I was not a fan initially I see the benefits now and our company happily uses multiple licenses. As do countless others who just want to work and get things done. Affinity has some great software and at an even better price. There is a market for people who are not professionally making their living with the software, and even a market for pros, though I see them in smaller shops a little more isolated. I don't see Affinity going anywhere, and think there is room for some growth but do think without AI being implemented it will be impossible to really grow beyond the smaller market of people who want to do some good work while not making a living at it. 

[SrPx]

Indeed, a big part of the problems many people have currently with Adobe, are more related to AI (transparency about the scrapped sources, other matters, but also as many creatives are not "loving" the entire concept of AI (specially for full generation), due to well documented issues) and certain -kind of recent- wording changes in their TOS, than with their subscription system, although all that clearly continues creating a users niche that is going to stick to Affinity and other tools for a very long while. Very often, it is not about fully replacing an user base, neither it is really relevant which suite or tool has more users in absolute numbers. Many solutions just thrive for having become a very reasonable (even if nothing is ever perfect) response for the needs of a certain users niche. Affinity is clearly that. For many. For those who it is not, they are already back in Adobe, I suppose (or not).