kishy

UI/UX shortcomings in Free Creative Software and Design workflows using Inkscape and GIMP

We are trying to address the design issues in Free Software. All of us find that the Free Software counterparts to proprietary software are often greatly lacking in their UI/UX. We wish to bring these issues more specifically in view of the community so that we can together find solutions that can make our beloved software more accessible and friendly to use for those who’re not experienced in the same. We also find that many software have a steep learning curve, we will be attempting to practically make these workflows easier until we can together build better designs.

Creative software is no stranger to that problem. For the past few decades, the field has been dominated by proprietary giants like Adobe and Canva. These makes the approach to graphic design a lot simpler and Adobe’s creative software brings convenient tools to the hands of users.

But these also come at a cost, the cost of money and the cost of freedom. Adobe has an expensive subscription model whereas Canva needs a premium subscription for anything advanced. On the other hand, free software like Inkscape and GIMP let you use them absolutely at no cost and also respect your freedom.

In the later section of the talk, We’ll be showing you a simple free software graphic design workflow using Inkscape and GIMP that were used to create posters and promotional content for MiniDebConf, Kanpur.