Courtney’s First Adobe MAX

What do 10,000 people and I have in common? 

Well, on the week of October 28th-30th, creatives from all over the world arrived in the city of Los Angeles to attend the much-anticipated annual conference, Adobe MAX. 

With this being my first Adobe conference and first time touching California soil, it felt as if Mother Nature and the Adobe gods had a much-needed debrief to ensure that my time would be worth my while, because just as equally as the conference was inspiring, the weather was perfect.

Over the course of three days, I was able to gain invaluable knowledge and build community, which in turn refueled my creative juices. Every day I attended several creative labs that added something valuable to my artistic artisanal. So I’ll highlight three of my favorites.

Highlight 1: Shh…The Photoshop Wizard is at Work

Magdiel Lopez is a multidisciplinary visual artist who has mastered the ability of meshing color and composition. Sitting in his creative lab felt as if I had peered behind the curtains of a creative wizard to get a first-hand look into his Photoshop process. 

One piece of advice that was emphasized was understanding composition. Before laying anything down, Magdiel placed lines and circles on an artboard to determine the focal point of his work. He explained that his most used tools were the pen and paintbrush. We got to see how he used them in tandem to add the textures and colors that define his style.

He also demonstrated how AI has found its way into his workflow. The Harmonize tool, which is a new AI feature in Photoshop, blends colors from a sourced image to match the images surrounding it. The Generative Expand tool added sophisticated texture (i.e., sand and glass) to objects within his design.

Highlight 2: The Power of Play

Up next was Thaddeus, also known as Hippy Potter. As an illustrator-based artist, Thaddeus uses play and curiosity to celebrate black stories, black characters, and black joy. His presentation emphasized the Power of Play (which was also the title of the seminar). To Thaddeus, play is “what gives you purpose” and is the energy creatives need to keep exploring because it is through exploration that leads to unexpected skills and breakthroughs. 

It was this mindset that helped him launch his collaborations with CAVA (where he made their first plushie), Poptarts, and Kleenex. Towards the end of his talk, he reminded us: “It’s not marketing, it’s memory making. When you smile at something, you remember it longer.”

Highlight 3: Lessons from a Logo Legend

The last MAX session I will highlight is with Allan Peters, a world-renowned logo designer. Throughout this presentation, he shared four lessons that he’s learned throughout his career:

1. Fill your portfolio with the type of work that you want to create. 
2. Use your gifts to help others
3. Chase your dreams
4. Make every project your best project.

He also gave insight into his creative process that’s evolved over the last 10 years. He starts by creating a brand noun list (No adjectives allowed!), which is followed by quickly sketching 50-100 logos. Afterwards, he chooses his top 10-15 favorites and vectorizes them in black. The client will decide their three favorites, of which Allan will refine further. One thing Allan emphasized was to ensure designers are speaking with the decision maker from the very beginning. This simple yet intentional decision will make a world of difference.

The People I Met Along the Way

With this being my first MAX, I dispelled a major myth that I had subconsciously created. I had presumed that the only takeaway from attending would be learning the latest features in Adobe. While that is certainly a major takeaway, it was not the only one. I now understand that the people are the crux of MAX because at the end of every single day, human connection will always be the heart of creativity. 

Those in-between-session interactions really added the cherry on top to my overall experience. From waiting in endless lines to talking with creative strangers on the shuttles, conversations about what led us to attend inspired me and sparked new and genuine connections.

And That’s a Wrap!

The three words I’d use to describe Adobe MAX are “a fever dream.”’ To be one of 10,000 attendees to experience this whirlwind of an event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Thank you, Grova, for investing in my professional career. I’m excited to use all of the skills that I learned to tackle every creative problem that lands on my desk.