Adobe+Muse

= Adobe Muse = toc Adobe Muse (currently in Beta) is a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) tool used for creating websites. Unlike Adobe Dreamweaver and other software, with Muse, there is no option for writing the website in code. All work is done using the WYSIWYG editing tool. The public Beta of the Muse software was announced on the Adobe Blog on August 15, 2011. With the creation of Adobe Muse, Adobe is attempting to make it easy for anyone to create a professional looking web site, without having to learn how to write code. The Features listed on the Adobe Website indicate that the point is to allow for greater creativity, by allowing designers to focus on looks rather than code. Webpages created using Adobe Muse can be uploaded to any webhosting service with additional FTP software.

Pricing
Currently, the only pricing offered for Adobe Muse software are two subscription rates. Customers can commit to a 1-year contract for $15/month or remain month-to-month for only $20/month. This means that at most, an institution would pay $240 per year for the use of the Muse software. This is significantly less than other software such as Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expression Studio. This savings can be significant, particularly if the institution only needs access to the software for a few months. As the project is still in Beta, this pricing tier may or may not be finalized, or could change over time as Adobe determines the best pricing options for customers. However, the code produced by the current version of Muse may cause those savings to be reduced, as it is difficult to edit the Muse Code with another program.

Criticism
Many web designers are of the opinion that Adobe has made a mistake in the creation of Muse. It appears to cater to print designers, and ignores the needs of the web’s many complex interfaces such as accessibility and user experience. The project appears to cater to print designers. This can be a problem, because print designers may not understand the best way to lay out a web site for users to best experience the site. Code created in Adobe Muse is cumbersome, making it difficult to edit a website created with the software in any other program, without having to completely rewrite the code. The project is currently in Beta, and it is possible that some of these concerns will be addressed in additional upgrades before the system goes live. There are other web design programs available for lower cost than the more popular commercial software for institutions that cannot afford the more expensive programs including other WYSIWYG programs that produce better code that is easier to edit.