Sunday, May 24, 2020

Bluprint Closing

Before you purchase a subscription to Blueprint (formerly Craftsy), reconsider! According to Craft Industry Alliance, NBCUniversal will be closing Bluprint. The letter to instructors stated:

It is with profound sadness and disappointment that I write you this email. When we started the business in 2010, our goal was to provide passionate enthusiasts access to the best teachers in the world. Your classes have made people's lives better across the globe.


After 10 years and virtually millions of customers served, NBCU has made the decision to close the Bluprint business over the next few months.

On behalf of all the Craftsy/Bluprint employees, I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to you for being with us on this journey. The remarkable work you have all done is unforgettable and has made a difference; however, our business is not sustainable in the current economic climate.

We also understand that you may have questions for us, and we will share additional details as they are available in the coming weeks. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Sara Ewell or Meredith de Souza at instructors@mybluprint.com.

Thank you and please stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,
John Levisay
CEO, Bluprint (Craftsy)"

A note to customers has been posted on the website.

Classes can be downloaded to a tablet or phone using the app. However, classes are viewable only within the Bluprint platform, so if the app is not kept functional after the closure, access may be discontinued.

Customers who have purchased "own forever classes" are concerned that they may not be able to view the content they have purchased. Many are now discovering that forever may have meant during the duration the service is made available, rather than the lifetime of the customer.


Screen recording has been contemplated by some, but is legally a copyright violation, as the content, rather than the right to view the content on the Bluprint platform while the company remains in business, is not owned by the customer according to the terms of service.


If you bought Craftsy/Bluprint classes in the past, what are your thoughts? Will you purchase online content in the future? Are you more open to subscription models, outright purchasing a class download, or viewing a live online course that is accessible temporarily? Will you shy away from paid content? Do you invest in in-person events exclusively?


Update: 

This is the latest letter on the Bluprint website:

May 24, 2020 
To our Bluprint community: 
This is not an easy letter to write. For the last ten years, my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly on Craftsy and then Bluprint. When we started the business in 2010, our goal was to provide passionate enthusiasts access to the world’s best experts and make it easier to learn new skills. Our hope was to make people’s lives better through creativity, and we’ve been honored to serve millions of customers over the last decade. 
I am disappointed to inform you that Bluprint will be closing over the next few months. Like so many customers, instructors, designers, and employees, I am devastated by this news. Please know that our team is working quickly to finalize details, and we will provide more information soon. 
For now, I wanted to let you know that we are looking at various options to allow those of you who have purchased individual classes to receive a copy of your classes. This includes individual classes purchased with own forever credits. We are also planning to issue prorated refunds for paid subscribers based on the last day our service will be available, which will be communicated when that date is finalized in the near future. 
On behalf of all the Craftsy/Bluprint employees, I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to you for being with us on this journey. 
If you have questions, please use the Contact Us feature below, and we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible. 
Thank you and please stay safe and healthy. 
Sincerely, 
John Levisay 
CEO, Bluprint (Craftsy) 

May 24, 2020
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3 comments:

  1. Wow..verrrrry disappointing to All of us.. :(

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  2. Afton - thank you for the heads up about Blueprint. I just went to my account and made sure that the patterns I had purchased were downloaded; not sure what I'll do about the classes. While online classes and demos are terrific, this is not the first time I've seen a site go belly-up. I'll continue to follow blogs of my favorite quilters/designers and, if given the chance, take classes in person from them. But, unless I can physically own the video (like a DVD), I doubt I'll purchase online classes again. A shame really, since I'm sure this was a great way for artists to get their patterns, tips, and techniques out to the public.

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  3. This has been the best, most informative resource for understanding, accessing, and navigating the Bluprint drama unfolding over its closing. Thanks so much!

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