In my last post, “Takeaways from Adobe Create Now,” I admitted that I wanted to like Adobe Express, but I found it useless given the considerable lag in the browser. Well, this week, I’ll eat my words.
It turns out Adobe Express hates Safari. On a whim, I tested it out in Chrome. Bam! Instant success. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
Canva 2.0?
My initial impression of Adobe Express is that it feels very Canva-esque. The homepage is quite cluttered. While the intent is to highlight the many options utilizing Express’ Generative AI, it comes across as a little overwhelming. The design space also carries an Eau du Canva with a more streamlined interface. Despite my apprehension that Express was just a redesigned, Adobe-Stamped Canva counterpart, some features set Express apart.
What I Like
Syncing
Express works in synchronicity with other Adobe projects and libraries. Instead of having to recreate all my branding items within another program, my CC Library is readily available within Express. Additionally, the Photoshop and Illustrator files I upload to Express stay as live files. Let’s say I design a banner in Illustrator, upload it to Express, and then decide the color isn’t working with my social media. I can edit it again in Illustrator, and the revised version will sync in Express.
Add-Ons
Express includes a growing collection of add-ons. The integration with Google Drive was one I was most thrilled to see. It allows me to access all of my Google Drive files and assets within Express and save copies of my Express designs to my Drive. I’m also looking at add-ons like Attention Insight, which uses AI to analyze your design and predict users’ visual engagement and attention, Issuu Integration, and Mockuuups Studio. That doesn’t include the dozen or so libraries of 3D assets, videos, chart builders, stickers, icons, flipbook builders, and AI-generated content.
Firefly
Adobe Express includes many features powered by Adobe Firefly, their relatively recent Generative AI, and “Quick Actions” like background removal, resizing images, audio animation, and video captioning. Canva offers similar features in their “Magic Studio,” but I’ve had better overall results in Express.
Quality
To me, the quality of the assets and templates is better in Express. Maybe it’s because it’s “new” to me? Unsure. Visually, I think they look crisper.
Wait a second…
One significant hang-up I have with Express is their social media scheduling feature. The fact that they have one and it works with multiple platforms is excellent; I love that for them.
However, (and this is a big “however”)…
You can only sync to ONE account at a time.
To use a phrase from one of my favorite podcasters—that’s bananagrams.
So, I can set up multiple “brands” within Express, but I can only schedule social media content for a single account? This makes zero sense to me.
If, as I was told at the Adobe Create Now event, Adobe Express intends to become a one-stop-shop for social media content design and management, fixing this egregious issue should be at the top of Adobe’s to-do list.
The Verdict
So, what to do with Adobe Express?
This program makes the most sense if you are already well-engrained within the Adobe environment. The ability to sync projects across platforms is a significant benefit, as is the high product quality.
However, I’m disappointed in the Adobe Express’ social media integration. While this streamlines the process for my personal social media accounts, it doesn’t smooth out anything for my client accounts. I’ve seen some posts online stating that Adobe IS working on resolving this issue, but I have yet to see any specific timeline in that regard.