Creativity has no limits, and neither does subscribing to Creative Cloud

Photo: Unsplash

Even if programmes are never yours, Adobe does not hide your creations or keep them to itself; you can access them anytime.

»Creative Cloud is Adobe re-imagining itself amid a world of these three transformations: cloud, multiscreen and social computing, which are the ways we build and join our digital and social lives. And they are all happening at the same time«.

That is approximately how the programmer Kevin M. Lynch, the vice president of technology at Apple, who was once the head of the technology programme at Adobe, introduced the core idea behind Creative Cloud. This »once« was in 2013, about the time Adobe moved its services to cloud computing and started its subscription programme.

It’s still going at it. Whoever uses its Photoshop programme knows what that means, as do all who develop their creativity with the help of its other applications and solutions. 

If you decide to rent the other 21 Adobe programmes in addition to Photoshop, the total will come to 60.99 euros per month.

The empty space on the computer screen becomes a canvas where users can see their ideas for posters, brochures, or logos, come to life, or where they can create visual images of applications or websites, airbrush details in photos, or create outstanding videos and stories, armed with imagination and digital skill. 

It all happens in the cloud, which means that the programme is never yours; you don’t buy it, but rent it for a specified period under the principles of life per month. But Adobe does not hide your creations or keep them to itself; you can access them anytime on either of the two designated devices, even if you are not connected to the internet. 

Photo: Adobe

So that Adobe won’t confuse you with another user, you must first declare your presence by entering your data and creating a user account. That is how Adobe knows what, from the selection of your services and your saved work, it should display – with your payment, you expressed the trust that nothing will be lost. 

Any subscriber to Adobe's Creative Cloud can first test any of the programmes. If they like it, they can go on to choose a subscription package. In addition to the aforementioned photo editing programme, Photoshop, it can also include InDesign, Illustrator, Premier Pro, Dreamweaver, Animate, and more. There is a total of 22, and you can rent them for 60.99 euros per month or 731.85 euros per year. Business licences cost 29.99 euros, while students, teachers, and education institutions get to enjoy a 60 percent discount. 

In 2013, Adobe moved its services to the cloud and started its subscription programme. It’s still going at it.

But that is only one of the options; a package with a selection of photography programmes and 10 terabytes of cloud space, costs 12.19 euros per month, or you could choose to subscribe to each programme individually, or to the Adobe photo library. 

Their subscription plans do not change often; the price system is as good as written in stone, but they do continually change and reconstruct the system, which is not outwardly apparent. Back when creative tools were not yet a part of the cloud, but came on a CD, the programmes were updated every 18 months – today, it can be done much more frequently. You never have to buy the latest version, you simply upgrade what you have. 

Photo: Pine Watt/Unsplash

Adobe is also thinking about how to perfect the third transformation mentioned by Lynch; the integration of man and technology. They are facing a true challenge of creativity – as is anyone working in their Creative Cloud.