Discover how to make your illustrations stand out and captivate people with Catalina Estrada, renowned illustrator and pattern designer, who will share her insights on how beauty can communicate powerful messages and influence emotions. Throughout her career, Catalina has witnessed how her vibrant designs, featured on various products, have deeply resonated with people, sparking greater interest in the projects they support.
Catalina will cover:
Transforming inspiration: How to transform inspiring elements around you into your own workable images with Adobe Capture and Fresco, making your workflow simple and efficient
Streamlining patterns: Tips for speeding up pattern creation and the color adjustment process in Illustrator
Visualizing potential: How she uses Photoshop to apply illustrations in realistic mockups to fully visualize their potential beauty
In this session, join designers Andrew Hochradel and Flyn Tracy as they dive into a community-driven recap of the MAX keynote, breaking down what the latest updates mean for real-life artists. Discover how these changes can impact your creative process and elevate your work.
Each of us sees and experiences the world in our own unique way, including how we interact with type. Join Sarah Hyndman, author of Why Fonts Matter and founder of Type Tasting, as she lays out a toolkit for designers that explores cultural, neuro, and perceptual diversity through the lens of typography. An awareness of how diversity shapes meaning can empower you to create great typography that is both functional and emotionally accessible.
You’ll learn how:
We read between the lines and why this varies from person to person
Inclusive typography makes an appropriate emotional connection
You can separate myth from research-based font recommendations for neurodiversity
If you struggle to find inspiration for your character designs, this is the perfect exercise to get your creative juices flowing. Follow along with illustrator Cody A Banks as he walks through the steps of creating a character in Illustrator while pulling inspiration from everyday objects.
Topics include:
How to implement the Pen and Pencil tools and Pathfinder effects to create abstract shapes
Adding personality to your characters
Using Draw Inside mode to add detailed tattoos to a character
Tips and keyboard shortcuts for fine-tuning body parts
Join graphic artist Anthony Burrill as he shares how he combines his handwork craft skills with digital media to generate uniquely powerful visuals. Bridging the gap between content that is handmade and digitally native, Anthony’s workflow includes turning high-res scanned original letterpress type into artful layouts with Photoshop as his main digital tool.
In this session, you’ll explore:
Modern and old techniques to create powerful visual statements
Combining analog craft and digital techniques
How Anthony creates layouts that are then used to make artwork
Discover how to leverage your graphic design skills and become adept in essential motion design tools like After Effects. Join Victoria Nece, principal product manager at Adobe, along with Michelle Higa Fox, group creative director of experience, and Paola Chen Le, Senior 2D animator, from award-winning animation and design studio BUCK. BUCK is known for creating lushly detailed 3D worlds for Airbnb and original content like Netflix’s award-winning Love, Death & Robots.
You’ll learn:
How to amplify your skills in Illustrator and Photoshop through the dynamic, rewarding, and in-demand field of motion design
How motion fits in with classic graphic design brand guidelines
The big picture story of motion design and where it’s headed: from dynamic typography to experimental animation, organic 3D to charismatic characters — and everything in between
How creative thinking and storytelling evolve with the addition of motion
Collaboration is a buzzword used to describe everything from partnerships in sneaker design to relationships between illustrators and art directors. But a genuine collaboration is more radical: it erases creative hierarchies and personal aesthetics to make something new. Join Nicholas Blechman, creative director of The New Yorker, for this session to discover how collaboration at its core is a tool for generating work. It’s open-ended, experimental, and difficult. But it can lead to stunning results.
You’ll learn how to:
Deconstruct collaborative relationships and redefine what it means to be a creative partner
Know when to collaborate, when to go solo, and how to choose the right partner
Establish the dos and don’ts of a successful collaborative relationship
Maintain your sense of self while working with others
Effectively self-promote and market your work
When it comes to drawing and painting on iPad, raster has become the standard, while vector drawing is a game changer. Adobe Fresco combines both formats to form a winning team. Join renowned sports illustrator Rob Zilla as he explores 10 tools and features in Adobe Fresco that will supercharge your workflow and produce MVP-level illustrations.
In this action-packed, play-by-play session, Rob will break down:
Vector brushes that are in a league of their own
Awesome tools used by the pros
The latest features that will level up your illustration game
With competition ramping up across all industries, it’s crucial to be remembered and recognized and to evoke emotional resonance as you shape your legacy in business. Join Kristy Campbell, brand identity specialist and founder of Pink Pony Creative, as she reveals why seamlessly integrating your personal brand with business can underpin success. Discover innovative methods to cement your brand’s presence in the hearts and minds of your audience, crafting an unforgettable and instantly recognizable identity in today’s fiercely competitive market.
In this vibrant session, you’ll delve into:
Creating your vulnerable character
Carving your brand into people’s minds
Why people buy from people
Taking risks, one step at a time
Who says an old dog can’t learn new tricks? To stay ahead of the creative curve, even renowned designer Aaron Draplin needs inspiration and an up-to-date toolkit. Come join Aaron as he entertains and delights on a journey of self-discovery and creative breakthroughs. You’ll find out what it means to learn from the American graphic underbelly, explore things he uses in his day-to-day design toolkit, and hear a few tips and tricks he’s learned along the way from others.
On this journey, you’ll discover:
How you can learn from old stuff and put it to work for you
Design using “subtraction” and other mind-blowing tips
Some current tips and tricks he’s found on social to maintain his edge
His opinions on things like AI and life
Cool stuff he’s made
- Nicte Cuevas, Brand Strategist and Founder, Nicte Creative Design
Join us for a session with Nicte Cuevas, a vibrant visual strategist and designer, as she shares her journey in crafting impactful brand identities. Learn about her creative process, inspirations, and how she uses design to tell compelling stories for her clients.
- Michael Fugoso, Sr. Design Evangelist for Next Gen Creative Pros, Adobe
- Teresa Au, Community Advocacy and Customer Empathy Manager, Adobe
Join Michael Fugoso, a visionary graphic designer and creative strategist, as he shares his unique approach to blending art and technology. Gain insights into his innovative design process, and discover how he tackles challenges to create impactful visual experiences.
Join artist Arynlei as she unwraps the narrative design layers of her viral At the Table playing cards. Learn how her passion project turned commercial success used real stories and education across cultures to tap into a communal longing for IRL connection, create portals for viewer participation, and win an audience’s emotional investment. To bring everything together, Arynlei will also share her top Illustrator tips and workflows for creating storytelling designs.
In this project’s origin story and deep dive, you’ll find:
How embracing the warm and fuzzies of nostalgia birthed a fan base
An ode to Easter Eggs — how design intention keeps viewers’ attention
Illustrator tips and tricks that earn “my mind is blown” comments on social media
Join visual artist Cey Adams as he discusses his artistic career spanning over four decades, from teen graffiti artist in New York City to founding creative director at Def Jam Recordings. He co-founded The Drawing Board, the label’s in-house design firm, that “defined the visual culture of Hip-Hop” and created some of the most iconic album covers and logos including Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige. Today Adams creates fine art, drawing inspiration from 1960s pop art, vintage sign painting, and comics. His work focuses on themes including pop culture, brand identity, and cultural and community issues.
As Cey shares insights from his creative journey, you’ll learn about:
Creating your own blueprint by harnessing your passion, creativity, and drive
The importance of relationships and community — from collaboration to inspiration
Giving back — using art as activism to inspire and promote change through community engagement
Have you ever wanted to turn your art doodles into a pattern, but aren’t sure how? Join lettering artist and instructor Shelly Kim, creator of Letters By Shells, to learn how to turn your art creations into fun patterns that can be applied to anything like stationery, gift wrap, or other products for your online shop.
In this fun online session, Shelly will share:
Her workflow using both Illustrator and Adobe Fresco to create fun patterns
Tips and tricks for ideating, creating, and lettering in Adobe Fresco
Favorite Illustrator shortcuts when creating illustrations
Ways to turn your art creations into various patterns in Illustrator
How to quickly make flowers, stars, and other fun shapes and patterns in Illustrator
Explore how Adobe Express integrates seamlessly into creative workflows to boost efficiency and innovation. Learn how this tool simplifies design tasks while enhancing your creative process.
Join acclaimed graphic designer and illustrator Javier Jaén on a conceptual journey from ideas to images as he showcases how creativity informs societal conversations. From book covers to movie posters and ad campaigns, his unique approach embodies a fusion of simplicity with deeply profound messages, addressing social and cultural issues with humor, wit, and imaginative flair. Javier will offer a glimpse into the transformative power of art in editorial illustration and cultural communication.
In this session, you’ll:
Explore the intersection of art and social commentary
Discover the process behind Javier’s iconic work, from inception to final execution
Gain an understanding of how to convey ideas effectively
Join Europe-based evangelists as they recap the key product announcements from MAX Day 1. Get insights into the latest updates and features, and learn how they impact creative workflows.
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