Regarding the Pen tool, the rubber-band preview reduced cognitive load for novice users but was frequently disabled by expert users who prefer traditional manual control. This suggests Adobe is targeting both new learners (education market) and professionals simultaneously.
The 2021 iteration introduced a new color wheel interface that allows designers to recolor vector artwork globally. Unlike previous versions, this tool utilizes Adobe Sensei (AI) to detect harmony rules (Complementary, Triadic, etc.) and automatically adjust gradients and patterns. The paper finds a 40% reduction in manual swatch editing time based on user tests. Adobe illustrator CC 2021
CC 2021 fully integrated Adobe Cloud Documents, enabling version history access and cross-device editing (iPad to Desktop). The paper evaluates the latency of cloud saving and conflict resolution when two designers access the same asset. Regarding the Pen tool, the rubber-band preview reduced
| Task | CC 2020 (Avg Time) | CC 2021 (Avg Time) | Improvement | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Logo Tracing (Pen Tool) | 420 sec | 310 sec | | | Poster Re-color | 180 sec | 95 sec | 47% faster | | Complex Gradient Map | 45 sec (render) | 22 sec (render) | 51% faster | Unlike previous versions, this tool utilizes Adobe Sensei