u/GemmaTeeFineArt333

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Hi everyone,

I’m a professional mixed-media artist with zero coding background who has recently started exploring a workflow frustration I keep running into in layer-based creative apps like Procreate and similar software.

The issue is essentially this:

Most undo systems appear to function linearly across the entire canvas rather than independently per layer.

So for example:

\- I work on Layer 1

\- Then continue onto Layers 3 and 4

\- Later realise I need to erase or revert part of Layer 1

At that point, editing backwards becomes destructive, awkward, or risks affecting later work.

As an artist, it feels unintuitive because creative thinking rarely happens linearly.

I’ve started conceptualising an artist-first workflow idea called Echo, centred around something I’m currently calling “Echo Layers” — essentially exploring whether independent layer memory / non-destructive layer timelines could exist in a more fluid way for digital art workflows.

I’m absolutely not pretending to understand the technical complexity here (I don’t!), so I’m genuinely curious from a developer perspective:

\- Is this technically feasible?

\- Are there rendering or memory limitations that make this difficult?

\- Have similar systems already been explored?

\- Does this problem interest anyone else working in graphics or creative software?

I’d genuinely love to hear thoughts from people who work closer to the engineering side of things.

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I’m a professional mixed-media artist (not a developer/designer) and I’ve recently become fascinated by what feels like a surprisingly unintuitive UX limitation in many layer-based creative apps.

Most undo systems seem to function linearly across the entire canvas history rather than independently per layer.

So for example:

- an artist works on Layer 1

- continues building several layers above it

- later wants to erase or revert part of the original layer

At that point, editing backwards often becomes destructive or awkward because the workflow prioritises chronological history over contextual/layer-specific history.

As an artist, this feels strange because creative thinking is rarely linear. We constantly revisit earlier decisions while continuing to build forwards.

It’s made me wonder whether current undo paradigms in creative software are more technically inherited than genuinely artist-centric from a UX perspective.

I’d genuinely love to hear thoughts from UX designers or developers who work in interaction design, creative software, or complex editing systems:

- Is linear undo considered a UX UI compromise?

- Have non-linear or contextual undo systems been explored successfully?

- Are there usability reasons why most creative apps still work this way?

- Does “per-layer history” introduce more confusion than benefit from a UX standpoint?

I’m finding the intersection between creative cognition and interface design really fascinating.

Hi — I’m a professional mixed-media artist exploring a digital art app concept called Echo, centred around a non-destructive workflow system called “Echo Layers”. The idea came entirely from real frustrations with current layer-based creative software, particularly the inability to revisit earlier layer decisions without risking later work.

I’m interested in connecting with Android developers who enjoy graphics architecture, rendering systems, stylus workflows, creative tools, or experimental UX ideas for digital artists. I come from the artist side rather than a coding background, so I’m especially interested in hearing from people who find the workflow problem itself intriguing.

Hi — I’m a professional mixed-media artist exploring a digital art app concept called Echo, centred around a non-destructive workflow system called “Echo Layers”. The idea came entirely from real frustrations with current layer-based creative software, particularly the inability to revisit earlier layer decisions without risking later work.

I’m interested in connecting with Android developers who enjoy graphics architecture, rendering systems, stylus workflows, creative tools, or experimental UX ideas for digital artists. I come from the artist side rather than a coding background, so I’m especially interested in hearing from people who find the workflow problem itself intriguing.