Last week, thousands of artists and designers from around the world tuned in to Adobe’s Creative Meet Up, hosted in the creative hub of London, Shoreditch. And boy, what a night it was, with some of the world’s leading creative minds revealing the latest in creative technology and inspirational projects to blow our minds.
The night kicked off with a bang as senior Adobe evangelist Rufus Deuchler revealed all the latest, not to mention super-exciting, innovations to hit Creative Cloud. It was then the turn of the uber-talented freelance illustrator Dan Mumford to take the stage, who revealed how it all began for him before moving on to showcase some of his truly jaw-dropping artwork.
Next up was award-winning culinary photographer Patrice de Villiers, who wowed the audience with some beautiful – and often hilarious – photography campaigns. And last, but by no means least, was graphic designer Aaron Draplin, who stole the show with a comical and brilliantly insightful keynote speech.
For those who didn’t get chance to catch the live stream or attend this epic event in person, never fear, we’ve rounded up the top insights from the evening. So get ready, it’s time to empower your creativity! And remember, if you want a refresh of any of the talks, you can watch them all on-demand at your leisure on the Adobe UK YouTube channel.
01. Creativity and good design drives great business
In Adobe’s 2016 State of Create study, 67 per cent of participants said they would choose a product or service over its competitors because of a good design, and 61 per cent admitted to being more loyal to a brand that has good design. “Good design is more important than ever,” says senior Adobe evangelist Rufus Deuchler.
02. The life of a creative is changing
As UX design, virtual and augmented reality and 3D technology becomes more common, creating digital experiences for multiple platforms will be the norm, and there will be an increased need to embrace content velocity. “Performance is a key word for developers and vision at Adobe,” Deuchler comments.
03. High demand for creatives on Behance
The growth in creative job postings on Behance has grown almost 30 per cent year-on-year, meaning more and more potential clients and customers are turning to the creative network to find designers and artists for hire. So now is a better time than ever to get your Behance portfolio in tip-top condition.
04. Creatives pave the way for Adobe XD
The latest innovations to Adobe’s popular Creative Cloud suite are quite something, and that includes some impressive updates to Adobe Experience Design (XD). Made for fast, fluid UX design, the latest iteration of XD includes an improved layers and symbols process to significantly speed up workflow. And that’s not all, Adobe is providing new versions regularly, based on feedback provided by the XD community. The Adobe team has seen over 500 requests made for new features and improvements, 100 of which they have already implemented on their quest to make the software as user-friendly as possible.
05. It’s never been easier to create 3D art
Another of Adobe’s Creative Cloud innovations is Project Felix, a new 3D tool that makes the transition from 2D to 3D art seamless and easy. And boy, does Felix look set to be a game changer. During his presentation, senior Adobe evangelist Rufus Deuchler had created, applied textures and materials and rendered a 3D object in just minutes. Due for release in beta by the end of this year, Project Felix is definitely one to watch.
06. Love what you do
For freelance illustrator Dan Mumford, sticking to what he loves has been key to his success. His early career saw him create a number of album covers before moving into movie poster designs. “I love movies, it’s my thing,” he says. “I really love telling stories with my work, finding moments in the movies that encapsulate them.” Dan’s passion clearly shines through his new interpretations of classic film posters, attracting the attention of clients including Disney, Sony and CBS, to name a few.
07. Don't over complicate things
While Dan Mumford’s style may look complicated, the key, he says, is to keep things simple. “My process is basically a digital version of just a pen and paper – there’s nothing fancy going on,” he comments. Mumford process starts with simple black and white work, with his illustration built up in different shades, always limiting his colour palette to no more than five or six colours – a prime example that less is often more.
08. Do something that’s out of the ordinary
The creative world is a competitive place, as Patrice de Villiers knows only too well. When getting started in any creative discipline, but photography in particular, she urges you to ‘do something that’s out of the ordinary’. There’s nothing quite like cutting raw meat up in the shape of different countries to get people’s attention, right?
09. Nailing the basics
“I know my way around a grid – that shit ain’t cool,” says graphic designer Aaron Draplin. Despite his fame and fortune, the straight-talking, no-nonsense designer champions nailing the basics of your trade as a key to success.
10. Dedication to your craft will pay off
Is chasing high-profile clients, money and awards what being a designer is all about? Not for Aaron Draplin. “People would come to me and say, ‘I like what you do, I hear you work for free sometimes?’ And I did! I worked for a bunch of friends along the way and tricked graphic design into hiring me.” And it worked out pretty well for Draplin, who was able to buy his house outright through graphic design in 2009. Dedication to your craft will pay off.