Ownership is gradually fading from our digital lives. This shift has been felt by web designers first, but it has now extended to various aspects of our culture, as we trade permanence for convenience and lose control over what we create and consume.
The Shift in Ownership
In the past, being a designer (or even just a consumer) meant owning the tools you used and the things you loved. You paid for software like Photoshop, owned CDs, and had DVDs you could lend to friends. Today, ownership has been replaced by subscriptions, meaning you don’t truly own your design software, music, movies, or even the fonts on your website.
This shift in ownership is subtle but profound, driven by slick marketing that emphasizes convenience and cloud storage, all while consumers became distracted by streaming services.
The Subscription Trap for Designers
Web design was among the first industries to fall into this subscription model. Adobe transitioned from selling software outright to a model where users rent access to programs like Photoshop and Illustrator via Creative Cloud. By paying a monthly fee, users forfeit control over updates and, more critically, their own files; stopping payments means losing access altogether.
Other platforms quickly followed suit. Figma, for instance, initially appeared inviting with a freemium model, but professional users are ultimately pushed into subscription tiers. The files created within these platforms reside in their clouds, not on your device. The same fate has befallen stock assets and fonts, with licenses that can expire and alter your project at any moment.
A Broader Cultural Shift
This trend extends beyond design. Music has largely moved from ownership—think vinyl or CDs—to subscription services like Spotify, leading to a scenario where your music collection disappears the moment you stop paying. The same applies to TV shows, as platforms like Netflix and Disney+ can remove series at their discretion.
Apps that once had a single purchase model now predominantly operate on a subscription basis. Even books have succumbed; with Kindle, you’re essentially licensing your e-books, giving Amazon the ability to remove titles from your library. The rich, personal connection we once had with our media has been diminished to transient access points.
The Illusion of Convenience
The demise of ownership has not been through force but through seduction. Subscription services lure users with ease and immediacy—why buy when you can subscribe? We celebrated instant access and automatic updates, but this has come at the cost of control. Missing a payment means losing access to your creative work or cultural collections, and shifting the terms of service becomes an inconvenient burden.
Why Ownership Matters
Ownership encompasses autonomy, permanence, and memory. It allows us to curate and control our creative processes and the cultures we engage with. Without it, we become perpetual renters, indefinitely depending on various platforms to access our files, music, and memories.
In web design, the loss of ownership means diminished control over creative work. Similarly, in music and media, it translates to reduced influence over the culture we consume. Instead of building personal libraries, we construct subscriptions with no guarantee of access.
The Path Back to Ownership
Though challenging, there are signs of resistance. Open-source software and direct sales from artists suggest a yearning for true ownership. Some musicians are returning to physical media like vinyl, and indie app developers are revamping the traditional purchase model.
Yet, the shift in mindset towards valuing ownership is crucial. We must rekindle our appreciation for freedom and permanence over convenience.
Reflecting on the web design industry’s role as a precursor to this larger trend reveals the extent to which this shift has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. The final question remains: Do we still desire to own anything, or are we comfortable continuing to rent our lives, one subscription at a time?
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