Canva's mission is to empower the world to design, and by most measures, it's working. Millions of people create content in Canva every day, which means design is no longer something that belongs exclusively to designers. Now, with the acquisition of Affinity, Canva is making a move into professional territory. So what does that actually mean for those of us who make a living in this space?

In this episode, Theresa Jackson sits down with Steve Caplin to dig into Affinity by Canva: what it is, how it works, and why the conversation around it goes well beyond the software itself. They give an honest take on where Affinity genuinely impresses and where it still comes up short for professional work, covering the same questions a lot of designers are already wrestling with about their role in a changing industry.

If you've felt friction between your design team and the non-designers who use Canva, or if you've found yourself wondering how your job is evolving, this one's worth your time.

Episode Highlights

• Switching between Vector, Pixel, and Layout within a single document is a departure from everything most designers are used to, and Theresa and Steve get into why that matters
• Theresa calls Affinity Canva's "olive branch" to professional designers, and unpacks why that framing deserves a second look
• Affinity's live filters and real-time previews create a noticeably different editing experience, and the episode explores what that unlocks
• "Free" as a pricing strategy has real implications for who gets to call themselves a designer
• The episode covers what Affinity still lacks, particularly around publishing workflows, automation, and accessibility, and why those gaps keep professionals anchored to InDesign and Adobe
• The tension between design teams and non-designers using Canva is real, growing, and worth talking about openly
• Designers are once again being asked to justify their value, and this conversation doesn't shy away from that
• The bigger question isn't which tool to use; it's what's shifting in the design industry and how to position yourself within that shift

Resources

• CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026: https://creativeproweek.com/
• CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/
• Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/
• Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/
• Steve Caplin: https://stevecaplin.com/
• Theresa Jackson’s Self Portrait with Photoshop Displacement Map Filter: https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_3840_webp/00bfb313226357.56271a3df0ccf.jpg
• Canva Create Keynote: https://www.youtube.com/live/9HkO8masPT0
• Affinity Download: https://www.affinity.studio/download
• Affinity for Photoshop Users by Steve Caplin: https://creativepro.com/affinity-photoshop-users/
• YouTube: Displace Filter in Affinity: https://youtu.be/_9ZFMs1GkPg

Great design lessons outlive the tools, trends, and even the formats they were created in. In this episode, David Blatner and Mike Rankin revisit the work of John McWade and Before & After Magazine. It’s a look at why foundational design thinking still matters and how McWade’s work continues to shape how creatives see and communicate.

You’ll hear how Before & After began in 1990 and why it resonated with both designers and non-designers. McWade focused on clear, practical lessons that helped people communicate visually, not just learn the tools.

There’s also a personal layer to this story. David and Mike share how the archive found its way to CreativePro, and what it means to bring this work forward for a new generation.

Have a memory of John McWade or Before & After? Share it with us in the comments. We’d love to hear how his work impacted you.

Episode Highlights

• Hear how John McWade saw the future of desktop publishing early and made a bold career shift before the industry fully existed
• Learn why Before & After Magazine focused on teaching people how to see, not just how to use design tools
• Listen as David and Mike explain why design techniques outlast software, and why that still matters today
• Hear the story behind how the Before & After archive was recovered and brought to CreativePro after John’s passing
• Explore how these lessons helped non-designers and self-taught creatives build real design skills

Resources

• Design + AI Summit 2026, being held online April 9–10 and September 17–18: https://creativepro.com/event/design-ai-summit-2026/
• CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026: https://creativeproweek.com/
• CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/
• Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/
• Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/
• The Before & After Archive: https://creativepro.com/before-after-archive/
• Gestalt Theory: https://creativepro.com/tag/gestalt-theory/
• John McWade LinkedIn Learning Courses: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/john-mcwade?u=2125562
• Before & After’s Why We Design: http://www.mcwade.com/DesignTalk/2009/04/design-is-worthy-toil/