Why I Switched from Canva to Adobe Express | Canva VS Adobe Express!

Andrew Kan
24 Mar 202305:14

TLDRIn this video, Andrew Kan, a former TubeBuddy employee and Adobe Express Ambassador, explains his transition from Canva to Adobe Express for graphic design needs. Despite Canva's popularity, Kan found it wasn't the right fit for him due to its lack of integration with his existing Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. He appreciates Adobe Express's seamless integration with his Adobe libraries and fonts, its diverse Adobe Stock Library, and the advanced tools it offers. He also highlights the benefits of Adobe Express for both beginners and advanced users, including a clear upgrade path to more sophisticated Adobe products. Kan emphasizes the importance of using the tool that best fits one's needs and shares his excitement for creating graphics with Adobe Express.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 Andrew Kan, a former TubeBuddy employee, switched from Canva to Adobe Express for graphic design needs.
  • 📱 Both Canva and Adobe Express are versatile, offering design capabilities on mobile devices and desktops.
  • 🤝 Andrew is an ambassador for Adobe Express, but his decision to switch was made prior to this role.
  • 🤔 Canva, while popular, was not the right fit for Andrew due to personal preferences and workflow.
  • 🔄 Adobe Express's integration with the Creative Cloud Suite was a significant advantage for Andrew.
  • 📚 Manual transfer of assets was a hassle with Canva, which was not needed with Adobe Express.
  • 💼 Many of Andrew's clients were already using Adobe Creative Cloud, making the transition to Adobe Express smoother.
  • 🆓 Adobe Express offers both free and paid versions, with the paid version included in the Creative Cloud subscription.
  • 📈 Andrew appreciates Adobe Express's tools, such as the scheduler and font suggestion feature, which suit his needs better than Canva.
  • 📚 Adobe Express has a good selection of templates, and Andrew finds them more useful than Canva's.
  • 🌐 The Adobe Stock Library's diversity in images was a highlight for Andrew, reflecting a wide range of people and backgrounds.
  • 📈 The upgrade path from Adobe Express to more advanced Adobe tools is a significant benefit for skill development.
  • 👍 Andrew's recommendation is to use the tool that works best for the individual, and he finds Adobe Express more exciting and effective for his graphic design work.

Q & A

  • Why did Andrew Kan switch from Canva to Adobe Express?

    -Andrew Kan switched from Canva to Adobe Express because he found Adobe Express more integrated with the Creative Cloud Suite he had been using for years, and it was more aligned with his personal preferences and workflow.

  • What is Andrew Kan's role with Adobe Express?

    -Andrew Kan is an Adobe Express Ambassador, which means he promotes and advocates for the use of Adobe Express.

  • What was Andrew's biggest issue with Canva?

    -Andrew's biggest issue with Canva was that it wasn't the right tool for him. He found it tiresome to manually bring over his libraries and fonts from Adobe to Canva every time he worked on a new project.

  • How does Adobe Express integrate with the Adobe Creative Cloud?

    -Adobe Express integrates seamlessly with the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, allowing users to access their libraries, fonts, and other saved elements within the Adobe Cloud directly within Adobe Express.

  • What benefits does Adobe Express offer that Canva does not, according to Andrew?

    -Adobe Express offers a free version and a paid version included in the Creative Cloud subscription, which many of Andrew's clients already had. It also provides tools like the scheduler, font suggestion feature, and diverse palette tools that Andrew found more suitable for his needs.

  • How does Adobe Express differ from Canva in terms of templates?

    -While Canva has been around longer and has more templates, Andrew finds that the templates provided by Adobe Express are more to his personal liking and usage.

  • What does Andrew appreciate about the Adobe Stock Library within Adobe Express?

    -Andrew appreciates the diversity of the Adobe Stock Library, which includes a wide range of images representing various backgrounds, ethnicities, and demographics, allowing for a more inclusive design process.

  • Why did Andrew find Adobe Express more appealing for his clients?

    -Andrew found Adobe Express more appealing for his clients because many of them were already using the Adobe Creative Cloud, and Adobe Express covered all their graphic needs more comprehensively than Canva.

  • What is Andrew's view on the learning path provided by Adobe Express?

    -Andrew believes that Adobe Express offers a clear learning path for users, from beginners to advanced users, and that the skills learned in Express can be transferred to more advanced Adobe products like Photoshop.

  • What was the final reason Andrew stopped using Canva?

    -The final reason Andrew stopped using Canva was the ability to use Adobe Express, which was already included in the Creative Cloud, and it met all the graphic needs of his clients more effectively.

  • How does Andrew encourage viewers to choose the right tool for them?

    -Andrew encourages viewers to use the tool that works best for them, whether that's Adobe Express or Canva, based on their personal preferences, needs, and the specific requirements of their projects.

  • What does Andrew offer for those who want to start using Adobe Express?

    -Andrew offers a video with five beginner-friendly features of Adobe Express that viewers can start using to create content right away.

Outlines

00:00

🛠 Transition from Canva to Adobe Express

Andrew Kan discusses his personal decision to stop using Canva and switch to Adobe Express for graphic design. He shares his background of growing a YouTube channel and using various design softwares, including Canva. Andrew, an Adobe Express Ambassador, highlights his preference for Adobe Express due to its seamless integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, which he has been using for years. He appreciates the availability of his libraries, fonts, and other saved elements within Adobe Express, contrasting this with the manual effort required to transfer assets in Canva. Andrew also mentions that Adobe Express was more appealing to him and his clients, who were already familiar with the Adobe Creative Cloud.

05:03

🌟 Endorsing Adobe Express for Graphic Design

Andrew concludes the video by expressing his enthusiasm for Adobe Express and its ability to reignite his excitement for creating graphics. He emphasizes that the tool's features, such as the scheduler, font suggestion, and color options, align with his design preferences and workflow. Andrew also appreciates the diversity of Adobe Stock Library images, which he finds important for representing a wide range of people and backgrounds in his designs. He encourages viewers to choose the tool that works best for them and offers a resource for beginners to get started with Adobe Express. Andrew ends with a playful twist on his name, suggesting that if he can use Adobe Express to create YouTube art, so can the viewers.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Canva

Canva is a free graphic design platform that allows users to create visual content for various purposes, such as social media graphics, presentations, and YouTube thumbnails. In the video, Andrew Kan mentions that he used Canva alongside other design softwares, but eventually found it was not the right fit for him. Canva is positioned as a user-friendly alternative to more complex design software like Photoshop, which is evident when he discusses the ease of use and the transition to Adobe Express.

💡Adobe Express

Adobe Express is a design software that is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud suite. It offers similar functionalities to Canva but with a more integrated experience for users already familiar with Adobe's ecosystem. The video emphasizes Andrew's preference for Adobe Express due to its seamless integration with his existing Adobe libraries, fonts, and tools. It also highlights the benefits of Adobe Express for both free and paid users, including access to Adobe Stock Library and advanced design features.

💡Creative Cloud

The Adobe Creative Cloud is a collection of software and services offered by Adobe Inc. that includes a wide range of applications for graphic design, video editing, web development, and photography. In the context of the video, Andrew mentions that Adobe Express is integrated with the Creative Cloud Suite, which he has been using for years. This integration allows for a more efficient workflow as it provides access to his saved libraries and fonts without the need to manually transfer them as he would with Canva.

💡Thumbnails

Thumbnails are the small, clickable images that represent videos on platforms like YouTube. They play a crucial role in attracting viewers to click on the video. Andrew Kan discusses his experience using various softwares, including Canva, to create YouTube thumbnails while growing a YouTube channel. The quality and design of thumbnails are essential for video marketing, which is a central theme in his discussion about design tools.

💡Templates

Templates in design software like Canva and Adobe Express are pre-designed layouts that users can customize to create their own content quickly and easily. The video mentions that Canva has been around longer and therefore has more templates, but Andrew finds the templates provided by Adobe Express more to his personal liking. The use of templates is a significant aspect of the video as it speaks to the ease of use and the creative possibilities offered by design software.

💡Adobe Stock Library

The Adobe Stock Library is a collection of high-quality images, videos, templates, and other assets that can be licensed for use in creative projects. Andrew highlights the extensive and diverse range of images available in the Adobe Stock Library, which is a key feature of Adobe Express. The library's diversity is particularly important to him, as it allows for better representation of various backgrounds and ethnicities in his designs.

💡Diversity

Diversity in the context of the video refers to the representation of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures in the Adobe Stock Library. Andrew emphasizes the importance of diversity in stock images, as it allows designers to create content that is more inclusive and reflective of the global audience. This concept is closely tied to the video's theme of creating designs that resonate with a wide range of viewers.

💡Integration

Integration, as discussed in the video, refers to the compatibility and seamless interaction between different software and services. Andrew appreciates Adobe Express's integration with the Creative Cloud Suite, which allows him to access his existing libraries and fonts without additional effort. This integration is a key factor in his preference for Adobe Express over Canva, as it streamlines his design process.

💡Upgrade Path

The term 'upgrade path' in the video refers to the progression from using basic design tools to more advanced ones within the same ecosystem. Andrew mentions that Adobe Express offers a clear pathway for users to develop their skills and then transition to more sophisticated Adobe products like Photoshop. This is an important aspect of the video as it addresses the long-term value of the design software for creators.

💡Personalization

Personalization is the ability to customize and tailor design elements to one's own preferences or branding. Andrew discusses how he was only using Canva when his clients requested it, not because it aligned with his personal preferences. With Adobe Express, he finds the tools and features more aligned with his personal style and needs, which is crucial for creating unique and personalized content.

💡YouTube Art

YouTube Art, as mentioned in the video, refers to the visual elements associated with YouTube content, such as thumbnails, channel art, and video graphics. Andrew Kan's journey from using Canva to Adobe Express is centered around creating compelling YouTube Art. His switch to Adobe Express has reinvigorated his excitement for creating these visual elements, which is a testament to the impact of the right design tool on a creator's passion and productivity.

Highlights

Andrew Kan, a former TubeBuddy employee, grew their YouTube channel significantly and used various software for thumbnails, including Canva.

Canva is a free graphic designer available on mobile and desktop, but it wasn't the right fit for Andrew's needs.

Adobe Express is a browser-based design tool that integrates well with the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, which Andrew was already using.

Andrew appreciates Adobe Express's integration with his existing Adobe Cloud libraries and fonts.

Unlike Canva, Adobe Express allows Andrew to access his Adobe Cloud resources without manual transfer.

Many of Andrew's clients were already using Adobe Creative Cloud, making the transition to Adobe Express smoother.

Adobe Express offers a free version and a paid version included in the Creative Cloud, which is beneficial for Andrew and his clients.

Adobe Express provides tools like the scheduler, font suggestion feature, and advanced color options that Andrew finds more aligned with his preferences.

Canva has been around longer and offers more templates, but Andrew prefers the templates available in Adobe Express.

Adobe Express has a robust and diverse Adobe Stock Library, which Andrew appreciates for its representation of various backgrounds and ethnicities.

The diversity of Adobe Stock images is important to Andrew as it reflects the global audience he aims to reach.

Adobe Express is included in the Creative Cloud, which was a deciding factor for Andrew and his clients who did not need Canva for more than graphics.

Andrew believes Adobe Express offers a clear pathway for users to elevate their skills over time, whether they are beginners or advanced users.

Andrew's friends who create Canva content often get asked when to move to Photoshop, a question he doesn't want to encounter with Adobe Express.

Adobe Express has reignited Andrew's excitement for creating graphics, which he considers invaluable.

Andrew encourages viewers to use the tool that works best for them, whether it's Adobe Express or Canva.

Andrew is an Adobe Express Ambassador and shares five beginner-friendly features to start creating content with Adobe Express.