Adobe MAX went virtual this year to create a free event for creatives around the world. With over half a million attendees waiting to see the latest tricks and techniques, this was a great way to enhance your Creative Cloud skills. As a designer, we are responsible to create as fast as we can think.
When taking in a lot of information, I like to spread out my new knowledge over the next 3-6 months and implement my new findings naturally. It’s easier to add new habit/skill one at a time rather than spreading yourself too thin. Time blocking, sticky notes, pen/paper notebook; whatever works best, just make it happen.
Event highlights
- Celebrity appearances
- 3 days of sessions featuring some live content
- Downloadable practice files ready as the session begins
- Slack channel to network with other creatives
Personal Favorites
- Adobe Sensei – Artificial intelligence has been here for a while, but it is important to know how to incorporate this into your daily tasks.
- Days to Hours, Hours to Minutes: Streamlining Your Creative Process – Great session for team leaders.
- Take 5 min to play with Neural Filters in Photoshop (it’s fun!). This is an example of what AI is bringing to the table.
- Want to add a different sky to your perfect, but gloomy photo? Easier than ever with Photoshop’s sky replacement tool.
- InDesign share for review feature. Great for collecting those pesky edits.
Next steps
- Prioritize how you want to grow in your career. There is so much information to takeaway from Adobe MAX, this will help you focus.
- Bookmark this link (yeah, I’m a fan of bookmarks) to the online sessions. Revisit this ever few weeks or when you are in between projects.
- Follow your favorite speakers on social media. This will put inspiration at your fingertips. I like MAX with DAX, positive community with great knowledge about accessibility.
Other Events
If you are a designer who is deep in CC programs on a daily basis, returning to Adobe MAX is the place for you. You’ll always have a wealth of new information to keep you going every year. If you want to dip your toes in a different path, get out of your comfort zone and investigate an event which lightly touches design/production. UX, UI, tech, leadership, marketing, product management; there are a wealth of options out there. Towards the end of the year, there should be lists defining the top events to check out for 2021. Find your passion and see what fits best.