You either know how to use the Adobe creative suite or you don’t. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out the most simple of features in Illustrator, and can admittedly use Indesign as a word processor, but after many unsuccessful attempts alas I am not a designer. My sister on the other hand has a creative mind and the functionality of the Adobe programs came intuitively to her. She is self-taught and can handle the most complex design problem. She whisks through the range of design and layout functions with ease as if they were as simple as typing a Facebook status update.

Aside from the Flash/Html 5 debate (which admittedly is significant), Adobe has created the ultimate competitive advantage, creating a complimentary suite of design programs that are unrivalled. With their core business based on full-featured programs, they are innovatively turning their competitive advantage to bring design to handheld devices. Adobe are reaching their tried and true audience on their mobile devices in addition to picking up new supporters with their iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch app, Adobe Ideas.

Featured on countless lists of top free applications, Adobe Ideas is extremely simple to use. In fact I just picked it up in under five minutes, which means that you can too. I was pleasantly surprised as it perfected the curvature of the lines I was drawing, to correct for my unsteady hands.  Adobe Ideas also allows me to e-mail myself what I’m working on, or I can send myself a .pdf file.

There are other drawing programs available for handheld devices, but Adobe Ideas is a perfect example of a company being flexible enough to provide their customers what they want, and taking advantage of a new opportunity. Although Adobe Ideas is a free app, Adobe are suddenly widening their customer base as millions of users get creative and start looking into more power and functionality, and perhaps will become Creative Suite users.

Bringing design to the masses is also helping Adobe to maintain their competitive advantage by helping reaffirm their awareness among techies. Adobe is also demonstrating that although tools are important, that creativity and innovation cannot produce stylistic, cutting edge design. I once read a review for the Creative Suite 5 where the reviewer was describing all the amazing new features, and then noted that if you lacked creativity and vision, that investing in the next Creative Suite would not suddenly make you a better designer.

Although Adobe Ideas is incomparable to their Creative Suite of programs, any and all aspiring designers can test out creativity and vision on this new free app.

Tags: Adobe, Adobe CS 5, Adobe Ideas, competitive advantage, Creative Suite, handheld, Indesign, ipad, iPhone, iPod

This entry was posted on Friday, September 10th, 2010 at 8:30 am and is filed under Design, apple, competitive advantage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.