Adobe today announced that its XD design software is now free via a new Starter plan while also releasing a host of new features and assets for XD users.
Adobe XD CC Starter plan
The new Starter plan includes XD desktop apps for Mac, Windows, as well as mobile XD design apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices and the ability to share up to one active shared prototype and design spec at a time. XD apps support Creative Cloud features for integration with existing workflows and apps like Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC.
The plan also includes Typekit Free and integration with Creative Cloud Libraries for easy sharing and asset management. Adobe claims XD is now the only cross-platform experience design platform to combine both design and prototyping with industrial-grade performance.
The new plan is available to Adobe XD users.
Other Adobe XD features
Adobe teamed up with prominent designers like Daniel White, Ana Miminoshvili, Zhenya Rynzhuk, Steve Wolf and others to bring you free UI templates and resources. Additionally, six new font packs are available to download, with a new pack due every week for the next six weeks. To find more about pricing and how to get started with Adobe’s new Starter plan, check out the official FAQ.
Additional Adobe XD highlights
The following new features are available across XD apps.
- Sketch and Adobe Photoshop CC integration improvements: First announced earlier this year, Adobe launched improvements to opening Sketch and Photoshop CC files directly in Adobe XD. The release allows users to import stroke and image effects, and import Photoshop files more quickly to Adobe XD, as well as several conversion fidelity improvements when importing Sketch files.
- Password-protected Design Specs (Beta): Users can enable password protection for design specs to restrict access. The user inputs a password in the Share popup window, before passing the links out, to ensure the security of proprietary designs.
- Simple drag and drop options to swap symbols: Drag a symbol from the assets panel and drop it over another symbol to an artboard to update all copies of that symbol.
- Paste to multiple artboards: Copy one element and then select multiple artboards and paste the element to each artboard.
Check out Adobe’s blog post for more information on today’s updates.
$10 million fund for design
Aside from the Starter plan and new CD features, Adobe also unveiled a $10 million fund for designers and developers that’ll be distributed in the form of grants and equity investments.
Recipients get access to industry experts, early access to new technology and much more.
According to data from Adobe, 87% of managers believe hiring more user experience designers is a top priority for their organizations, as they play a crucial role in developing world-class customer experiences.