As you probably guessed from reading this post I love Adobe software and I love Photoshop in particular. For the last 5 months, I've been trying to get Photoshop installed on my work machine, but being part of a large corporation I encountered some serious resistance. I won't go in the details of the story, but basically I've been denied Photoshop because of its price and was told to use Paint Shop Pro, a much cheaper alternative with the same functionality - or so they said.
The result is me being frustrated every single time I design something, wasting hours to find workarounds and slowly losing my skills at Photoshop.
photo credit: kevin dooley via photo pin cc
So here are some lessons for you to take, don't do these 5 mistakes:
1. Looking only at the price
Sure, good software is expensive, but there might a good reason for this and it's always good to remember that there are hidden costs associated with using your software. If the tool is not well designed or you work slowly with it, then it is extra time that you spend on it, and we all know that time is valuable.
2. Not asking for feedback or reading reviews
If you usually ask friends for feedback on a product they bought or a service provider they used before making a decision, then you should do the same at work. Don't impulse buy the software based on an advert or a promotion you received, do some research, get feedback and read reviews. It will probably avoid some surprises down the road.
3. Ignoring the community of software users
Photoshop has a huge community of devoted users and this brings many benefits. If you have a problem when using the software you will find thousands of people willing to help you in forums. It also means that Adobe will continue to develop the software to meet their expectations, so you can be sure that your software will be updated and have proper support. And lastly, the web is full of tutorials teaching you how to use Photoshop. So don't overlook the power of the software user community.
4. Listening only to your IT department
When in need of new hardware or software, you probably outsource the task to your IT department, which is a good idea. But don't always rely 100% on their advice, chances are that they will prefer a tool that is easy for them to install and maintain but not necessarily offers all the functions you require.
5. Not considering your staff preferences
If you are buying the software for one of your employees and not for yourself, please let them choose the tool or at least let them challenge your choice and hear what they have to say. Remember, they'll be the ones using it so it's best if they feel comfortable with it.
The same recommendations can be applied to choosing hardware, print material or even freelance staff. Don't settle if you know you're right! And for the story, I didn't give up and just got granted Photoshop last week.
Have you already faced the same resistance? How did you overcome it?
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