Stage 3: Ripping you off · Creative tools

Ads, fees, dark patterns, and worse defaults as incentives tilt from pleasing users toward harvesting value.

Adobe Creative Cloud
3

The industry-standard creative suite, subscription-only since 2013, with rising prices and a $150M settlement over hidden cancellation fees.

Creative tools Tool Since 2012
Canva
3

Easy design for everyone, but team prices jumped up to 300% in 2024 and your designs only stay editable inside Canva.

Creative tools Tool Since 2013
Figma
3

Collaborative design in the browser; files, libraries, and plugins embed teams so deeply that leaving feels like a migration project.

Creative tools Tool Since 2016