Is AI a "nice-to-have" or a "must-have" for the creative industry in 2026? In this episode, Luis Mendes sits down with Joe Atwood, Lead Creative Manager at Vistaprint, to discuss the evolution of image manipulation and why we’ve reached a definitive tipping point in creative production.

The conversation moves beyond the AI hype to focus on the practical realities of high-volume workflows—from the importance of brand-trained models to the growing need for data-centric creative specialists.

Speakers
- Luis Mendes – Director for Integrations Solutions, Santa Cruz Software
- Joe Atwood – Lead Creative Manager, Vistaprint

In this episode, we discuss:
- From Photoshop to GenAI
- Brand-Trained Models
- The Metadata Pain Point
- Visionaries vs. Doers
- Global Creative Workflows

Listen to the full conversation to learn how to bridge the gap between manual craftsmanship and AI-powered scale in 2026.

It's 2026, and Digital Asset Management is heading into a defining year. In this episode of the Santa Cruz Software Labs Podcast, an international panel breaks down what’s changing for DAM in 2026—from deeper integrations and evolving standards to AI-powered workflows and rising expectations around authenticity and provenance.

AI is part of the story, but the real differentiator will be fundamentals: metadata, governance, and DAM as the source of truth for creative tools and automation.

Speakers:

• Frédéric Sanuy – CEO & Co-Founder, Activo
• John Horodyski – Managing Director, AVP
• Ralph Windsor – Publisher, DAM News
• Mark Hilton – CEO & Co-Founder, Santa Cruz Software

In this episode, we discuss:

• Integrations, interoperability, and connected workflows
• Metadata standards and controlled vocabularies (including IPTC)
• Provenance, authenticity, and emerging regulation
• Practical AI use cases: tagging, localization, agentic assistants
• The “AI gap,” governance, and operational readiness

Listen to the full conversation to understand what’s coming in 2026—and what your team can do now to stay ahead.

Is what you're seeing real? In an age where every marketing visual and advertisement is increasingly assisted or even entirely generated by AI, the line between reality and fabrication is blurrier than ever. This shift is challenging consumers, designers, and marketers alike.

Join Santa Cruz Software Labs as we dive deep into The Authenticity Factor with two guests:

• Stephane Bee: Creative Presentation Lead at OLIVER Agency
• Santiago Lyon: Head of Advocacy and Education at Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) by Adobe

In this episode, we explore:

• What does authenticity truly mean in graphic design and promotion—truthfulness, transparency, or something more?
• Is AI a creative constraint or an opportunity for designers? The discussion tackles the "pride in skill set" and the fear of human value disappearing.
• The acceptable boundary between manipulation and authenticity, particularly in high-stakes fields like photojournalism and financial services.
• Who is responsible for enforcing authenticity? Is it the creators, the publishers, the entire operational chain, or a societal movement?
• The crucial difference between disinformation and misinformation, and why transparency, education, and legislation (or "Prep") are the keys to navigating the future of visual content.

Listen now to understand the new dynamics of trust in our visual world and how the industry is working to create a transparent, authentic future.