Transitioning from Illustrator to Designer

[Kev74]

Hello all, first time poster here. Like probably most here I've been using Adobe software. It's what I was trained on and what I know best. I only recently became aware of Affinity and have been tempted to switch over.  Not having to pay a monthly subscription is a BIG incentive for me. BUT I'm hesitant to have to learn new software since I'm so used to Illustrator. So my question is how hard is it to transition from Illustrator to Designer? Is the learning curve steep? Any feedback would go a long way in helping me decide if Designer is right for me or not. Thanks!

Edited May 17, 2019 by Kev74

[JohnWClark]

I'm in a similar position to yourself, except about six weeks ahead of you.

Rather than Illustrator, I much preferred the application that was once its main rival (until its acquisition by Adobe for the sole purpose of killing it off and hiking their prices as a direct result). I am referring, of course, to Aldus/Macromedia/Adobe FreeHand.

Together with Photoshop and Quark Xpress, FreeHand was/is the bedrock of my graphic design work.

I continue to successfully use all three apps in life support mode on aging Mac G4s, but recent developments in my business are increasingly necessitating the use of Mac OSX software.

Initially, I feared this might mean going over to the extortionate dark side (Adobe), and I was less than thrilled at the prospect.

After no little research, however, I discovered the brace of Affinity products (soon to be a trio), and took the plunge.

In an attempt to flatten out the apparently steep learning curve, I purchased the two companion Workbooks, and which, in conjunction with real projects, are assisting in my surprisingly rapid progress.

I am quietly impressed by both products, and they also dovetail together quite nicely.

Basically, I would suggest that you have nothing to fear, and in less time than you might expect, you will struggle to remember why you had any concerns at all.

 

[gdenby]

Hi, Kev74,

The learning curve is there, but it is not very steep. The UI has a ton of stuff in it, and it will take awhile to dig thru it.

Also, the Affinity software is fairly "young." There is a lot of stuff that is available in older apps that isn't in Affinity yet. And features that are Adobe proprietary you will not find. Nevertheless, what is available works well. Its quick and reliable. In my experience, very few program failures compared to others.  Some rough corners for some operations, but mostly just irritations. 

[Kev74]

Thanks for the replies. I just realized there was a trial version, so I'm trying it out now. My first impression is there definitely is a learning curve, but I've been able to figure out a few things already.