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Introducing Adobe Muse (codename)!
I will admit that I am one of the few web designers out there who use WYSIWYG-type tools to create my designs and even a basic framework for a blogging/CMS system with a very hefty theme templating system such as WordPress. Even with this portfolio site design I used Artisteer 3 heavily just for its generated framework and Adobe Photoshop CS2 for all my graphics (as well as using a lot of freebies such as background images and Dingbat fonts and such from various graphic freebie sites) to build it. If it was a standard website, I make things a little faster and easier by using the SiteGrinder3 plugin for Photoshop. Back in those days designers used to brag a lot and about regarding their web designing tools with only Notepad (or some similar text program) for coding and professional graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Fireworks for their images and graphics used. Today, not only that web designing trends evolved thanks to the evolving of structure markups such as HTML5 and CSS3, but the web designing community with backup from web developers are making things easier by developing instant web designing software that would help both designers and developers alike to give a blast of visual oomph on their website projects.
With those being said, Adobe is now joining in the convenience innovation trend by introducing the beta version of their upcoming product, now only known as Adobe Muse (codename). An addition to their product lineup of professional graphic programs, illustration programs and web designing programs, Adobe Muse (code name) is their version of their WYSIWYG-type web design generating software that enables both web designers and web developers design and build websites without learning a single line of code. This not only gives a lot of convenience for designers and developers alike, especially for freelancers, but this also gives a chance for an everyday user with little or no graphic and/or web designing background to build their own personal websites.
The pricing for the usage of this product will be on a subscription basis rather than purchasing it as one single software altogether. Nothing is cheap with Adobe, people. At the moment the software is now in beta mode so those who would like to test and check this software out may download the beta for free. Users already built websites using this product while reporting its bugs (if there were any) at the same time. The first version of Adobe Muse (codename) is scheduled to be released sometime in early 2012. Designers and developers who don’t have the “leet” skills to do either one, rejoice!
Why is there (codename) right after the name? Because “Muse,” according to Adobe’s FAQ, is not the final name of the product. They still have yet to come up with the final name of the final release. I still have yet to try the program, but once I get to it I’ll be sure to write a full review when I can.
Themify First Anniversary Special!
I’m one of the very few WordPress newbies who still have yet to master the rather complicated templating system. Though mastering the templating system shouldn’t require a vast knowledge of PHP, still, the system itself is still intimidating. With that being said, newbie designers like me have to rely on using existing pre-made themes and templates and do some custom modification to personalize it and make it as our own. However, as a web designer in this competitive field I feel that with this, I wouldn’t be taken seriously by fellow designers (and developers?) as one of their own by modifying pre-existing frameworks and then claim the entire design as my own.
That was the past though where real web designing was defined as doing everything from scratch from graphics to full fluency to markups such as HTML and CSS, and in some cases, added other server-side scripting languages such as Javascript and PHP. Today, the web designing and development community have come up with various methods and styles that should simplify web designing work as trends continue to change (ie. using pre-made frameworks such as the 960 Grid, etc.), and made the field a lot more welcome to those who want to get in to the field. With this, and with a lot of patience and enthusiasm, any ordinary person can learn (at least the basics) web designing with the right tools and methods that are now available all over the net for free (and in some cases, for a fee).
In this case, for a fee, Themify, a known web designing service that create and sell pre-built WordPress templates (and Photoshop PSD files for overall customization instead of using the default design) for those who don’t have much experience in overall designing and markup, as well as for those who would like to have those special features to be used for a client’s website project, is celebrating their one-year anniversary of their successful firm presence in the net by selling their fee-based Developer Club-level membership and all of their existing templates for only $69 (USD). Best of all, this one-time price of $69 is a lifetime fee, meaning unlike their regular membership pricing where there is a one-time membership fee and extra recurring fees a month right after. For designing professionals, this may be worth it, but for the starters who can barely afford to purchase the right software for web designing, may even find these intricately-designed themes too expensive.
You can take advantage of their Anniversary Pack today, as this huge blowout sale will end this Sunday, August 14th. I immediately took advantage of it as I want to use different templates to create custom designs for future projects (personal projects that is) and for future potential clients yesterday and I’m already excited and motivated.
Yup. This is actually the first time that I’m plugging a WordPress theme service site and also promoting its awesome sale. 
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