Yesterday Adobe Software released a major upgrade to its Creative Suite, including Photoshop CS3, Photoshop CS3 Extended, Illustrator CS3, Flash CS3 Professional, Acrobat 8.0 Professional, Fireworks CS3, Contribute CS3, Dreamweaver CS3, InDesign CS3, After Effects CS3, Premiere Pro CS3, Soundbooth CS3, and Encore CS3. It’s exciting whenever Adobe releases new software package, but since Adobe and Macromedia have merged, it’s the single source for software most interactive professionals use on a daily basis. Most of my day is spent shuffling between the browser, Photoshop and Dreamweaver, so anything that makes that a more seamless, productive and creative experience is welcome. Prices & features below:

Adobe: Launch Event Webcast, Creative License Promo

It’s expected to ship April 30, 2007.

Think Secret: Adobe Creative Suite 3 pricing revealed

Wired Magazine reminds us that The Importance of Being Pretty applies to websites as well. “Internet users can give websites a thumbs up or thumbs down in less than the blink of an eye, according to a study by Canadian researchers.”

I don’t know why this should surprise anyone. We make these kinds of snap judgments all the time. This was the subject of Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent book Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. People make the same kinds of judgments about websites based on looks that they do with other people or any print-based advertising or physical location. How you look communicates something to your prospective customers. It’s important to look good and it’s important to communicate the right message.