Adobe Illustrator: Favorite New Features Spring 2026

Some of the most useful new Illustrator features are easy to miss if you aren't actively exploring the latest updates and beta tools. In this episode, Theresa Jackson talks with illustrator and toy designer Thaddeus Coates and digital artist Luke Choice about the new Illustrator features they're genuinely excited to use. Thaddeus shares how Illustrator fits into his character design and toy-making process, including using Turntable to communicate ideas to manufacturers. Luke dives into the practical side of Illustrator updates, from snapping improvements and smoother performance to AI-assisted vector workflows inside Illustrator Beta. Whether you spend your days designing logos, illustrating characters, building client work, or experimenting with new ideas, there's probably a feature in this episode you haven't tried yet. Episode Highlights Prototyping with Turntable: Hear how Thaddeus Coates uses Turntable to prototype toy ideas and communicate designs to manufacturers faster. Live Preview Tools: Learn why Illustrator's Live Preview drawing tools feel more natural and responsive for illustrators working on iPad and desktop. Workflow Efficiency: Hear Luke Choice explain how small workflow improvements, including font browsing and snapping updates can save serious production time. Sketch to Vector: Explore how Sketch to Vector in Illustrator Beta is changing the way artists turn rough sketches and low-resolution artwork into editable vectors. Real-World Application: Hear both guests share examples of using Illustrator's newest features for experimentation, iteration, and client work. Resources CreativePro Week 2026: Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026. https://creativeproweek.com/ CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/ Event Savings: Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/ Membership Discount: Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/ Adobe Help: What's New in Illustrator on the Desktop: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/desktop/new-features/whats-new.html Thaddeus Coates: https://www.hippypotter.com/ Luke Choice: https://www.velvetspectrum.com/

Canva's mission is to empower the world to design, and by most measures, it's working. Millions of people create content in Canva every day, which means design is no longer something that belongs exclusively to designers. Now, with the acquisition of Affinity, Canva is making a move into professional territory. So what does that actually mean for those of us who make a living in this space? In this episode, Theresa Jackson sits down with Steve Caplin to dig into Affinity by Canva: what it is, how it works, and why the conversation around it goes well beyond the software itself. They give an honest take on where Affinity genuinely impresses and where it still comes up short for professional work, covering the same questions a lot of designers are already wrestling with about their role in a changing industry. If you've felt friction between your design team and the non-designers who use Canva, or if you've found yourself wondering how your job is evolving, this one's worth your time. Episode Highlights Switching between Vector, Pixel, and Layout within a single document is a departure from everything most designers are used to, and Theresa and Steve get into why that matters Theresa calls Affinity Canva's "olive branch" to professional designers, and unpacks why that framing deserves a second look Affinity's live filters and real-time previews create a noticeably different editing experience, and the episode explores what that unlocks "Free" as a pricing strategy has real implications for who gets to call themselves a designer The episode covers what Affinity still lacks, particularly around publishing workflows, automation, and accessibility, and why those gaps keep professionals anchored to InDesign and Adobe The tension between design teams and non-designers using Canva is real, growing, and worth talking about openly Designers are once again being asked to justify their value, and this conversation doesn't shy away from that The bigger question isn't which tool to use; it's what's shifting in the design industry and how to position yourself within that shift Resources CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026: https://creativeproweek.com/ CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/ Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/ Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/ Steve Caplin: https://stevecaplin.com/ Theresa Jackson's Self Portrait with Photoshop Displacement Map Filter: https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_3840_webp/00bfb313226357.56271a3df0ccf.jpg Canva Create Keynote: https://www.youtube.com/live/9HkO8masPT0 Affinity Download: https://www.affinity.studio/download Affinity for Photoshop Users by Steve Caplin: https://creativepro.com/affinity-photoshop-users/ YouTube: Displace Filter in Affinity: https://youtu.be/_9ZFMs1GkPg

Great design lessons outlive the tools, trends, and even the formats they were created in. In this episode, David Blatner and Mike Rankin revisit the work of John McWade and Before & After Magazine. It's a look at why foundational design thinking still matters and how McWade's work continues to shape how creatives see and communicate. You'll hear how Before & After began in 1990 and why it resonated with both designers and non-designers. McWade focused on clear, practical lessons that helped people communicate visually, not just learn the tools. There's also a personal layer to this story. David and Mike share how the archive found its way to CreativePro, and what it means to bring this work forward for a new generation. Have a memory of John McWade or Before & After? Share it with us in the comments. We'd love to hear how his work impacted you. Episode Highlights Hear how John McWade saw the future of desktop publishing early and made a bold career shift before the industry fully existed Learn why Before & After Magazine focused on teaching people how to see, not just how to use design tools Listen as David and Mike explain why design techniques outlast software, and why that still matters today Hear the story behind how the Before & After archive was recovered and brought to CreativePro after John's passing Explore how these lessons helped non-designers and self-taught creatives build real design skills Resources Design + AI Summit 2026, being held online April 9–10 and September 17–18: https://creativepro.com/event/design-ai-summit-2026/ CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026: https://creativeproweek.com/ CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/ Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/ Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/ The Before & After Archive: https://creativepro.com/before-after-archive/ Gestalt Theory: https://creativepro.com/tag/gestalt-theory/ John McWade LinkedIn Learning Courses: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/john-mcwade?u=2125562 Before & After's Why We Design: http://www.mcwade.com/DesignTalk/2009/04/design-is-worthy-toil/

Lisa Carney and Jesús Ramirez join the CreativePro Podcast to explore the intersection of Photoshop craft and community in the age of AI. Drawing on years of Hollywood production experience (where every pixel counts) they compare notes on high-end retouching and compositing. The conversation bridges traditional techniques with the latest AI-powered tools. Lisa and Jesús share behind-the-scenes stories, trace Photoshop's AI evolution, and look ahead to the future of mobile and voice-controlled editing. Episode Highlights Hear how Lisa Carney and Jesús Ramirez first met while teaching at CreativeLive in Seattle, a chance meeting that grew into years of collaboration and friendship. Lisa tells Jesús she considers him one of her best friends on the planet and explains why working together has made both of them better creatives. Jesús shares his philosophy of learning with peers: "You go learn X, I'll learn Y, and we'll meet in the middle and see what we discover." Lisa and Jesús compare notes on working behind the scenes on movie and TV posters, where high-end retouching and compositing are part of everyday production. The conversation turns into a thoughtful debate about AI in Photoshop and how much creative professionals should rely on it. Jesús talks about why becoming part of a creative community matters and how sharing knowledge with peers helps everyone improve. Episode Resources Design + AI Summit 2026, being held online April 9–10 and September 17–18: https://creativepro.com/event/design-ai-summit-2026/ CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026: https://creativeproweek.com/ CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/ Khara's Three Minute Max winning tip Three Minute Max Playlist Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/ Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/ Lisa Carney: https://lisacarney.com Jesús Ramirez: https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com Adobe Photoshop: https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Firefly: https://firefly.adobe.com

In this episode of the CreativePro Podcast, David Blatner and Theresa Jackson pull back the curtain on how the CreativePro Week 2026 agenda came together for this summer's event in Nashville. Recorded in conjunction with the agenda launch, the conversation offers a timely look at the decisions shaping the program. If you've ever attended CreativePro Week and felt like the content spoke directly to your day-to-day work, this episode sheds light on why. David and Theresa talk about how listener feedback, community conversations, and real-world creative challenges influence what makes it onto the agenda. They also discuss how CreativePro Week fits into a larger ecosystem of events, membership, and ongoing education. They reflect on how the needs of creative professionals have evolved over time, why certain topics return year after year, and how particular constraints affect what ultimately makes it onto the schedule. This is a candid conversation about learning, community, and the invisible work that supports meaningful professional development for designers who want more than surface-level inspiration. Episode Highlights Theresa describes agenda planning as solving a difficult puzzle, and the relief of finally locking in the 2026 CreativePro Week schedule David and Theresa share where session topics actually come from, including speaker submissions, focus group surveys, and ideas shaped through conversations with each other and the community David admits that even Adobe designers still have to work in a Microsoft world Theresa shares what matters most when deciding whether to work with a new CreativePro speaker Why switching to Miro changed the entire agenda-building process, from color-coded topics to drag-and-drop scheduling and real-time collaboration Episode Resources CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026: https://creativeproweek.com/ CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/ Speaker submissions: https://creativepro.com/speak-at-our-events/ Miro online white board https://miro.com/ Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/ Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/

Theresa Jackson and Mike Rankin kick off the new year by reflecting on 2025 before looking ahead to 2026. They share their thoughts on design trends for 2026, framed less as visual styles and more as shifts in behavior and mindset. They also react to the Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, and what it suggests about the current cultural mood. AI enters the discussion, as it has become part of nearly every conversation about the creative industry. Theresa and Mike talk about AI as one piece of a much bigger picture—how it's influencing tools, workflows, and expectations without defining the entire creative process. The episode wraps with a practical perspective on skill building for the year ahead and a look forward at what's coming next for CreativePro, including the 2026 content direction they're excited about. This episode offers a grounded reset for the new year—reflective, forward-looking, and focused on helping creative professionals move into 2026 with intention and confidence. Episode Highlights Theresa and Mike reflect on what stood out in 2025 and what they were proud of accomplishing. They discuss design trends for 2026 and why those trends are not about colors or type. Hear their reactions to the Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, and what that choice suggests about the current cultural moment. Follow how AI enters the conversation naturally, as part of ongoing discussions about design tools, workflows, and expectations. Hear how talking about AI leads to a broader conversation about fundamentals, judgment, and experience. Get a preview of what's coming next for CreativePro, including what Theresa and Mike are excited to share in 2026. Episode Resources CreativePro Events Design Trends for 2026 – Adobe Blog Pantone Color of the Year 2026 Color and Culture by Nicte Cuevas Rebranding CreativePro – article by Nicte Cuevas Before&After – articles by John McWade How to Keep AI-Generated Presentations Fully Editable – tutorial by Camille Holden CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

Theresa Jackson kicks off this episode of the CreativePro Podcast by digging into one of the most common frustrations for creative teams: review and approval chaos. She's joined by Mike McHugh from PageProof. Listeners are invited to learn alongside Theresa as she asks the questions many teams wrestle with every day. Together, they unpack why creative reviews break down, why email and ad-hoc tools fail at scale, and how centralized proofing changes the way designers, marketers, legal teams, and executives work together. They also explore accountability, reporting, and the human side of approvals, including why people—not tools—are usually the biggest bottleneck. The conversation closes with a look at how AI is beginning to support review and compliance, and why clear processes matter more than ever as creative work scales. Episode Highlights Hear Theresa slowly realize this is way more than a proofing tool—and why her workflow brain kicks into overdrive. Listen as Mike calls out email as the quiet culprit behind most approval chaos. Catch the moment when replacing copy without breaking styles feels almost too good to be true. Feel seen as Theresa and Mike put words to what you already know: people, not tools, are where things usually get stuck. Hear how visibility and accountability change reviewer behavior once everyone's progress is out in the open. Listen as the conversation turns to AI, content credentials, and spotting what changed—and what shouldn't have. Episode Resources PageProof – website PageProof Adobe Add-on – learn more Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) – website ​​CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

Mike Parkinson and Jody Wissing join the CreativePro Podcast for a candid conversation about their unexpected paths into presentation design. They explain that presentation design isn't what most people think it is. It's not about making pretty slides. It's about understanding and caring about the content well enough to turn it into a story. They walk through their favorite features for building slides in PowerPoint plus other essential apps for outlining, note gathering, and creating visual elements. Their conversation includes open and honest thoughts about the growing role of AI in presentation design. They share what's helping them, what's changing their workflows, and what keeps them curious—or cautious. They also talk about where they hope AI will take the industry and where they'd prefer it not to go, all while emphasizing the human thinking that still guides great presentation work. Episode Highlights Hear how Jody's very first presentation on a kindergarten playground set the tone for a lifetime of storytelling. Follow Mike's winding path from fine art to bioengineering to comic books before he ever opened PowerPoint. Learn why Jody sometimes shows 300+ slides in a 45-minute presentation, and how audiences never notice. Hear Mike describe AI as a Friction Fixer or Accelerator. It is part of the process, not the product. Listen as both designers share how AI is already part of their daily process, what it helps them do, and why the human element still matters. Catch their honest fears and hopes for AI—including how far they think avatars might go. Resources and Links Mike Parkinson – Website Jody Wissing – Website Inkscape – Free vector graphics editor Slidewise – Add-in for managing and inspecting PowerPoint content NXPowerLite – Windows file compressor Creative Cloud Libraries for PowerPoint – Add On The Presentation Design Conference 2026, February 17–20, 2026 CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

David Blatner and Theresa Jackson return from Adobe MAX 2025 with stories, insights, and a few surprises. They recap the biggest announcements, their favorite new features, and the feeling of creative inspiration that had nothing to do with Adobe. From AI showing up in nearly every app to Firefly credits, new collaboration tools, and what it all means for creative professionals, they break down the most important takeaways from Adobe's flagship event. Episode Highlights David and Theresa share their experiences at Adobe MAX 2025 —  what makes it both inspiring and overwhelming. Why David calls Adobe MAX a "double-edged sword" — part innovation showcase, part marketing machine. Theresa's favorite new Lightroom feature: AI-powered photo culling. Their cautiously optimistic thoughts about Firefly Boards and Creative Cloud Projects. An honest conversation about AI credits, ethics, and the future of Adobe's business model. What tools and gadgets inspired their friends at MAX — from painting software to portable lighting. The unexpected creative tip from Jason Hoppe that had everyone laughing (and rethinking their Halloween jack-o'-lanterns). How attending events like Adobe MAX and CreativePro Week builds real creative community. Links & Resources Adobe MAX Sneaks 2025 Escape Motions: Rebelle Painting Software Harlowe Lights Jason Hoppe's Pumpkin Carving - https://www.youtube.com/@JasonHoppe  The InDesign Conference 2025, December 9–12 The Presentation Design Conference 2026, February 17–20 ​​CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3 Next Office Hours, Friday, December 19, at 3PM ET

During Adobe MAX, Canva dropped a bombshell announcement: the entire Affinity suite—Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher—would be free forever. In this episode, David Blatner, Theresa Jackson, and Mike Rankin share their reactions to the news and unpack what it means for creative professionals. They discuss how Canva's move shakes up the design software landscape and whether Affinity can ever rival Adobe's Creative Cloud. The team also explores why this announcement might be good news for everyone, from professional designers to the next generation of creatives. Episode Highlights Canva's surprise move announced during Adobe MAX Why David says "free" doesn't necessarily mean "professional-grade" Theresa's take on Adobe's shifting focus toward hobbyists Mike's look at Affinity's strengths (and key limitations) The gap between Adobe's "everyone" tools and enterprise solutions How Affinity compares for pros: what's missing and what's impressive The bigger picture: education, accessibility, and competition in creative software Resources Canva's official announcement: Affinity now free forever Affinity Suite overview (Photo, Designer, Publisher) Adobe MAX on demand sessions CreativePro InDesign Conference