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Today, I want to take you on a journey through my Adobe experience – from my early days of photo editing to mastering the tools that I use today to support my business.
Back in the 2000s, my first exposure to Adobe products was with Photoshop Elements for basic photo editing. I was an early adopter of a digital point and shoot camera which I took with me when I moved to London on a working holiday visa. I was surprised to recently discover that Photoshop Elements still exists and it's not on a subscription model like the main Adobe products are these days.
Fast forward to 2015, back in Brisbane, now married and a baby on the way. I was working in IT but craving a creative outlet and studying a Diploma in Surface Design via distance in my spare time. It was during this time that I was introduced to the art of creating patterns in Adobe Illustrator.
After welcoming my son into the world, I returned to completing my diploma. I was eager to learn more about Adobe Illustrator. There wasn't much around at the time specifically relating to Surface Design. A friend told me about Bonnie Christine's Immersion course that was launching in 2018 and it was just what I was looking for. Through Bonnie's expert guidance, I delved deep into the world of Adobe Illustrator and Surface Design, honing my skills and gaining the confidence to pursue my Surface Design journey.
Whilst I dabbled in creating repeat patterns in Photoshop, it was Illustrator that became my creative playground and my go to tool for a myriad of tasks. From laying out designs for products and the packaging for them, to preparing files for licensing.
And then there's Adobe Express, where I've been able to create quick and easy graphics and videos for social media, presentations, and even slides for workshops. The templates provided by Adobe Express are a godsend, offering a quick and easy way to create eye-catching graphics in a pinch or as inspiration to get things started. Adobe Express has become my go to solution for all things graphic design. Today, I'm honoured to serve as a proud Adobe Express ambassador.
My love for Illustrator and Adobe Express shines through in the online classes I've created, where I share my expertise and passion for these tools with others.
The AI-powered features from Adobe Firefly promise to revolutionise the way I work, opening up new avenues for creativity and innovation. From generative fill in Photoshop, which enables seamless integration of images, facilitating transformative design iterations; to the generative recolouring function in Illustrator which offers enhanced flexibility, simplifying the exploration of diverse colour schemes and revitalising illustrations with ease. Plus, Firefly's integration with Adobe Express introduces capabilities such as the transformation of text prompts into images.
Today, Photoshop remains my go-to for creating and adding designs on mockups and Lightroom for for photo editing. These two products come together in Adobe's Photography plan.
As I look forward to the future, I am excited to witness the progression of AI within Adobe's tools. Despite societies apprehensions surrounding AI, it's essential to acknowledge the abundance of valuable features that can significantly enhance our workflows.
But enough about me – I want to hear about your Adobe journey! Share your story in the comments below.
You can access Adobe Express on desktop via express.adobe.com or download the app via Google Play or iOS App Store. It's free to use by anyone. If you have a Creative Cloud subscription you will also get access to premium features. If you don't have a Creative Cloud subscription and would like to try out the premium features, you can access a free 30 day trial HERE.