Frustrating UX from Adobe

1. Google search Photoshop Elements
2. Taken to Adobe site with info on Photoshop Elements, no link for trial
3. Google search for Photoshop Elements Trial
4. Taken to Adobe site with link, US version
5. Append URL to UK version
6. Click Download now button, nothing happens (Chrome)
7. Try again in FireFox, get prompted to update Flash player
8. Update Flash player, get prompted to quit all open browsers
9. Quit all open browsers and update Flash player
10. Navigate back to previous page
11. Button still doesn’t work in Chrome, works ok in FireFox
12. Get prompted to update Adobe Application Updater, which I download
13. Double click the updater installer, get prompted that the installer is broken and cannot be used
14. Go back to FireFox and re-click the Download now button
15. Get pop-up called Adobe Download Assistant which tells me that they have automatically updated my password due to being hacked recently
16. Wait 5 minutes for email to arrive
17. Reset password
18. Sign in with new credentials and click download
19. Get prompted for install location, select Applications
20. Get prompted stating Download may fail to folder /Applications due to restrictive access privileges…
21. Select Downloads folder instead
22. Wait for download to complete…
23. Install app.

This is a fine example of a frustrating user experience and I think that many users would have given up at step 6, button not working. By making it difficult for your customers to try your products or use your services, you are effectively telling them that you don’t care. I can tell by my experiences here that this has either not been fully tested by the Adobe web team or that they don’t think it’s important to make it as easy as possible for their potential customers to get hold of their products.

It’s disappointing because I have been very happy with their Creative Cloud software and the upgrade process when it was launched, for me, was painless and efficient. Their Photoshop Elements software is aimed at the non-professional or hobbyist and it’s those who will probably suffer most from having to jump through hoops.

Please, Adobe, try this and fix it!