The Affinity Suite is FREE for Educators

The Hope

If you're an educator looking of high quality design tools for free, then you're in luck. Affinity is giving their suite of tools to educators and non-profits for FREE. T For those that unfamiliar, Affinity is a design suite of apps in the spirit of Adobe. They are lightweight and a lot easier to maneuver in many ways in my opinion as well. It's really a great suite of tools and for Free.99? Fuhgetaboutit.

The Dope

1. It's familiar. Affinity Publisher is essentially Adobe InDesign. Affinity Designer is Adobe Illustrator. Affinity Photo is Photoshop. They come with tutorial videos and sample projects so that you can upskill at your own pace.
2. Everyone is a designer. Even if you don't consider yourself a "designer," you can now download and experiment with the tools. A low risk investment with no monthly fees.
3. It's mobile. Adobe hasn't caught up to the inherent mobility of Affinity. It's a great tool for iPads if you have one or are thinking of purchasing one.

The Nope

1. No Android. Right now, there is no Android app so if you have an Android tablet...no dice.
2. Chromebooks are a "no." Chromebooks don't have the hardware to run these apps. If you were a classroom teacher, you'd need access to a computer lab or you're students would need iPads.
3. Upskilling. This are tools you're going to be instantly proficient with. There is a learning curve, but the tutorials available as well as the community make learning a lot easier if you have the time.