I’m so excited for CreativePro Week this year! For all the usual reasons, of course, but also because everyone will be coming to my city. I’ve only been here 2 years, but I love it, and am excited to share it with old friends and new.
One of the great things about Seattle is the ease of getting around using public transit. So I thought I’d share some transit tips for getting to and around the city, to help make the most of your visit to Seattle.
Getting Downtown
If you’re flying in to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) there are several easy ways to get to the Westin Seattle and the downtown core, including rideshare and the Light Rail.
Both Uber and Lyft rideshare services operate throughout the metro area. From the airport, this option will run you about $32–40 and the ride to downtown takes about 30 minutes. Catch your rideshare on the 3rd floor of the parking garage. Get there by exiting from the arrivals level and following the signs for rideshare pickup.
My favorite hassle-free way to get downtown is to take the light rail. It’s a whole lot cheaper ($3), takes about 40 minutes without any of the sometimes stressful traffic, and drops you two blocks from the hotel. Take the Sky Bridge (one level above baggage claim) to the parking garage and follow the signs to Link Light Rail. There’s even a handy video to explain it all.
There are ticket vending machines to easily grab a ticket and jump on the train headed towards “Seattle/U of Washington,” which come by every 10 minutes or so. If you don’t think you’ll be taking other public transit during your visit, just purchase your one-way ticket and be on your way. Otherwise, see the transit card options in the “Navigating the Transit Options” section below.
If you’re heading to the Westin (or another nearby hotel), exit at the Westlake Station, then head north on 5th or 6th Avenue. You’ll see the Westin’s double-barrel towers looming about two blocks away. The Sound Transit site has more info.
The Westin Seattle and the Seattle Monorail near Westlake Station
Venturing Further Afield
When you’re not at the conference and you want to see the sights that are further out, there are several transit options. The bus system is pretty decent and many buses run super late, or even all night. Fares are generally $2.75.
If you prefer to be in control of your transportation, there are several carshare programs: Car2Go, Reach Now, Zipcar, and Lime; as well as a couple of “free-roaming” bikeshare programs: Lime Bike and Jump. You’ll see the bikes parked all along the sidewalks. (Note that there is a technically a helmet law for everyone in Seattle, and that bikes can be ridden on the sidewalks.)
Free-roaming bike rentals are all over Seattle.
If you are going to check out the infamous Space Needle (and if you don’t, have you even really visited Seattle?) you can certainly walk there in under 20 minutes. Or, you can hop on the space-agey monorail that will take you right there! Catch the Seattle Monorail at Westlake Plaza, mere steps from the Westin (you can see the tracks right outside the hotel). Catch the monorail from within the Westlake Plaza (mall) or via the outside escalators on 5th Avenue. It’s only $2.50 each way and will zoom you from Westlake to the Seattle Center (also home to the Museum of Pop Culture and the Pacific Science Center) in under three minutes. It runs until 11pm.
Seattle also has a streetcar that runs a short distance, with the end of one line sitting right next to the Westin. The short trip runs out to Lake Union and back. After afternoon sessions, you could check out the lake—a favorite activity of mine is watching the seaplanes land on the lake—and still be back in time for that evening’s presentations.
A trip to the waterfront or out on to Puget Sound is also an easy outing. You can easily walk to Pike Place Market and the waterfront or you can catch the free waterfront shuttle. There are two downtown shuttle stops: one at 1st and Pine and one in front of the Sheraton on 6th and Pike. If you’re like me, you might walk down there and save the shuttle for the return ride back up. (Did I mention Seattle is super hilly? If you don’t have “biking calves” before you arrive, you will by the time you leave!)
The waterfront has lots to offer, including the Seattle Aquarium and shops and restaurants. If you want a little water-based sightseeing without spending a lot of money, jump on a ferry out to Bainbridge Island (35 minutes) or Bremerton (60 minutes) for $8.50. I like to jump on the Bainbridge ferry just before sunset: you get to watch a sunset over the evergreen trees along the shore and then return to the city all lit up after dark. The ferry terminal is located at Pier 52.
Navigating the Transit Options
The most confusing part of having all these transit options is that they are run by different agencies, each with their own ticketing and fare systems. If you are going to ride multiple modes (light rail to streetcar to bus, for example), know that you can’t transfer between these with individual paper tickets. In this case it’s best to buy an ORCA card (at the airport and other vending machines) and load up your ORCA “e-purse.” The card costs $5 and you can load from $5 to $300 onto it. It works on the buses, light rail, streetcar, and the ferries (though not the monorail). If you’re going to be using the card a lot, you can also buy a regional day pass for $8/day.
To use the ORCA Card, tap your card on the yellow card readers at light rail stations, at the front of the bus, or at the streetcar stops and certain bus stops. Using an ORCA card on the light rail also requires you to tap again as you exit the station…but if you forget, it just charges you the maximum fare difference (like, maybe 50 cents more). The nice thing about the card is that you have a 2-hour transfer window, which means you can board the streetcar to grab a quick coffee by Lake Union and jump back on within 2 hours and not pay an additional fare. Also, transferring between bus and light rail with a card automatically figures out any fare difference and pulls it off the card. Bottom line: If you’re going to use a lot of transit during your visit, it might be worth buying and loading up an ORCA card; if not, pay as you go might be the best option.
Also there is an app for buying tickets called TransitGO and the One Bus Away app for checking on upcoming buses, trains, streetcars, etc. is a must.
Whew! As you can see there are many ways to get around the city, the hardest part is actually navigating the system for buying tickets. Your next big task to figure out is, what to see when you’re not filling your head with all the great info at CreativePro Week!
I love to help people find cool stuff in Seattle, so if you’re coming to the conference, reach out to me on the Connect Forums.
Announcing first round of speakers at CreativePro Week 2020
/in News /by Brad MillerCreativePro Week 2020 is excited to announce the first confirmed speakers who will be sharing their knowledge, June 1–5 in Austin. The in-depth sessions presented by these experts will help you become more efficient and effective in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
CreativePro Week is the best place to be face-to-face with these experts who’ll help you stay on top of your game.
Learn more about our experts!
Register now to take advantage of our Early Bird pricing.
Your registration includes access to 2020 session videos; breakfast, lunch, receptions; full speaker handouts and bonus tutorials; networking opportunities and more for each day you attend.
Click here to register now!
2020 Registration is Now Open!
/in News /by Brad MillerOne city, one week, four premier conferences, dozens of expert presenters, and hundreds of creative pros from around the world.
CreativePro Week 2020 features five days of expert sessions, all designed to keep you on top of the latest techniques and best practices:
48-hour special!
Register by end of day Friday, August 16
Use the code FIRST48 for $400 off any multi-day registration!
($400 off + $100 automatic Early Bird discount = $500 total savings!)
All attendees get hundreds of pages of in-depth handouts and videos of the sessions—it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Register for one conference, two, or get a Platinum pass for access to every conference session and tutorial!
Questions? Contact us at events@creativepro.com or 206-935-6135.
We look forward to seeing you in Austin!
Super Early Bird Discount — 48 hours only, starts August 15
/in News /by David BlatnerRegistration opens for CreativePro Week Austin on August 15
On Thursday, August 15, we’ll open registration for CreativePro Week 2020, and for just 48 hours you can get $400 off any multi-day pass.
(Actually, it’s $400 off the normal “early bird” price — which is $100 off normal regular pricing. So really, you’re saving $500 off the regular conference pricing when you use the code below!)
Join us next June for the essential “how-to” events for CreativePros, including:
Be sure to use the discount code FIRST48 when you register to get your discount.
We look forward to seeing you in Austin!
p.s. Are you interested in speaking at CreativePro Week 2020? Our presentation submission form is here.
p.p.s Are you interested in sponsoring CreativePro Week 2020? Contact us here.
CreativePro Week 2019 Virtual Passes On Sale Now!
Can’t wait til next June? You can still get all the essential training from the CreativePro Week 2019 in Seattle with a Virtual Pass! The virtual pass gives you access 80+ recorded sessions, 100+ page PDF of speaker handouts, private forum access, attendee freebies and discounts, and more! Click here to learn more!
Save the date: CreativePro Week 2020, June 1-5 in Austin
/in News /by Brad MillerWe’re bringing CreativePro Week to Austin, June 1-5, 2020!
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and CreativePro Week 2020 in Austin is bound to be our biggest and best event yet. Join us next June for the essential “how-to” events for CreativePros, including:
Be on the lookout for early registration information coming your way in early July! We’ll be offering a limited number of super-discounted tickets for the first 48 hours once registration is live, so be sure to sign up to be on our newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest info!
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
We look forward to seeing you in Austin. Until then, we will see you online!
Anne-Marie Concepcion and David Blatner
co-hosts, CreativePro Week, CreativePro Network
p.s. Are you interested in speaking at CreativePro Week 2020? Our presentation submission form is here.
p.p.s Are you interested in sponsoring CreativePro Week 2020? Contact us here.
CreativePro Week 2019 Virtual Passes On Sale Now!
Can’t wait til next June? You can still get all the essential training from the CreativePro Week 2019 in Seattle with a Virtual Pass! The virtual pass gives you access 80+ recorded sessions, 100+ page PDF of speaker handouts, private forum access, attendee freebies and discounts, and more! Click here to learn more!
Ten Tips Every Beginning InDesigner Needs to Know
/in News /by Brad MillerA Free 30-minute Webinar with David Blatner
Are you new to Adobe InDesign? Join David Blatner, author of “InDesign Essential Training,” as he explores 10 tips every beginning user needs to know. From tool techniques to essential workspace changes, David puts the “FUN” in fundamentals!
How to join this 30-minute webinar:
Click here on Thursday, May 30th just before 10 am Pacific. You should be taken right to the meeting, which will be available about 10 minutes before the start time.
If you’re not familiar with the Zoom Webinar format, check out this helpful tutorial:
http://bit.ly/2Ic1rHE
Seats are limited and may fill up quickly!
A Free 30-minute Webinar with David Blatner
Top 10 Things to Do in Seattle for Designers
/in Stuff To Do /by Erica GametSeattle is chock full o’ awesome-ness for people who love design. Here are 10 of our favorite places to visit:
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum
The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the world’s greatest glass artists—Dale Chihuly—and you can find some of his incredible work here. The museum is on the grounds of the Seattle Center, near the Space Needle—which you have to go see anyway, right?
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum
Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum—or SAM—maintains three facilities, with this main location encompassing varied art from all over the world. Collections include Islamic, Oceanic, and African art, decorative arts and furniture design, and a large Native American collection with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. Get a selfie with the iconic “Hammering Man” statue out front!
Olympic Sculpture Park
The nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park is a free outdoor art venue featuring permanent and temporary pieces. Part park, part open-air museum, you can wander around on your own or take a guided tour about the sculptures, as well the park’s landscape design.
Living Computers Museum
This museum provides a one-of-a-kind, hands-on experience with computer technology from the 1960s to the present. The collection comprises the world’s largest collection of fully restored—and usable—supercomputers, mainframes, minicomputers and microcomputers. A new main gallery offers direct experiences with robotics, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, big data, the Internet of Things, video-game making, and digital art.
Frye Art Museum
This free museum offers art in many forms, dating from the 19th century right up to the present. Don’t miss the “salon style” viewing, where over 150 paintings are hung from floor to ceiling to be viewed as it might in a stately home.
Frye Art Museum
Fremont: Center of the Universe
The Fremont neighborhood is the self-proclaimed “Center of the Universe.” What better place to view a statue of Lenin, take a selfie with a giant troll, or gaze upon Rapunzel brought to life in neon? There’s always some new artistic discovery in this funky enclave on the northwest edge of Lake Union.
Artwork in the Fremont neighborhood, just outside Adobe’s Seattle offices
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
Located next to Seattle’s historic Space Needle, MoPOP houses some of the world’s most legendary pop culture artifacts. Hands-on experiences, iconic artifacts, and award-winning exhibitions featuring luminaries in the fields of music, literature, television, and film make MoPOP a destination unlike any other. The extraordinary (and crazy-shaped) building was designed by Frank Gehry, who apparently tried to imagine a combination of an electric guitar and a heart.)
Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)
This museum sits right on beautiful Lake Union and showcases the rich and innovative history of the Puget Sound region. The permanent and visiting exhibits run the gamut from maritime history to technological innovation to civil rights.
Archie McPhee
Archie McPhee is both a toy shop and a local institution, proudly offering up a strange and wonderful collection of toys, miniatures, novelties, and games. A visit wouldn’t be complete without a tour through their world-famous Rubber Chicken Museum!
Seattle Glassblowing Studio
This interactive art gallery and working studio lets you peek in on the world of glassmaking. You can even create your own glassy masterpiece, with sessions as quick as a mere 15 minutes long!
Seattle Glassblowing Studio
And that’s not all…
Oh my, we can’t stop at 10! Here are five more must-experience Seattle sites that designers will love:
Seattle Pinball Museum
Want even more ideas? Check out our earlier list of great spots to visit around Seattle!
Free InDesign Plug-ins for Every CreativePro Week Attendee
/in News /by Brad MillerNews flash: Our partner, Em Software, is offering every CreativePro Week 2019 attendee a complimentary subscription for their InDesign workflow plugins, WordsFlow and DocsFlow!
WordsFlow is the InDesign plug-in that CreativePro Week co-host David Blatner called “the thing I’ve been waiting for for 20 years!” And DocsFlow is similar, but uses Google Docs as the editor.
You can learn more about WordsFlow and DocsFlow here:
WordsFlow: http://emsoftware.com/try/wordsflow
DocsFlow: http://emsoftware.com/try/docsflow
These subscriptions are worth over $250 and are good until December 31, 2019—so the sooner you sign up, the more value you’ll get.
For registered attendees, click here to redeem this amazing offer now! (Must be a registered attendee signed into our Connect site to view.)
And if you’re not yet registered… sign up today!
InDesign Styles: Beyond the Basics!
/in News /by Brad MillerA Free 30-minute Webinar with Anne-Marie Concepciòn
Join Anne-Marie “Her Geekness” Concepcion, co-host of CreativePro Week, this Thursday, May 16th at 10 am Pacific for a FREE fast-paced tour of her favorite text style tips and tricks. From the under-appreciated Redefine Style (the best way to clean up broken styles!) through Based On, Next Style, Nested Styles, and the world’s easiest GREP styles, you’ll pick up great techniques you can apply to your own documents today!
How to join this 30-minute webinar:
Click here on Thursday, May 16th just before 10 am Pacific. You should be taken right to the meeting, which will be available about 10 minutes before the start time.
If you’re not familiar with the Zoom Webinar format, click here to view a helpful tutorial.
Participation via Zoom is limited and may fill up quickly! If you’re not able to get in once we’ve reached capacity, you can watch on Facebook Live on the CreativePro Week page:
Please note that you won’t be able to participate in Q&A if you watch on Facebook.
A Free 30-minute Webinar with Anne-Marie Concepciòn
A Coffee Lover’s Guide to CreativePro Week 2019
/in Stuff To Do /by CreativePro Network[Guest post by Jeff Carlson]
When I travel to another city, one of my first questions is: where can I find good coffee?
Sure, there’s coffee in the hotel, and especially here in Seattle you don’t have to stumble far before running into one or more Starbucks stores—but this is a coffee city! Much of what we know as current coffee culture started here.
So, to ensure that you’re caffeinated with the good stuff, here’s a list of good coffee and espresso destinations I recommend surrounding the conference. Fair warning: I’m a coffee snob, so this won’t be exhaustive by any means.
I’m ordering these by proximity to the Westin:
Venturing further away from the hotel? I’ve put together a list of my favorite places in the area here.
Getting To and Around Seattle
/in Uncategorized /by Erica GametI’m so excited for CreativePro Week this year! For all the usual reasons, of course, but also because everyone will be coming to my city. I’ve only been here 2 years, but I love it, and am excited to share it with old friends and new.
One of the great things about Seattle is the ease of getting around using public transit. So I thought I’d share some transit tips for getting to and around the city, to help make the most of your visit to Seattle.
Getting Downtown
If you’re flying in to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) there are several easy ways to get to the Westin Seattle and the downtown core, including rideshare and the Light Rail.
Both Uber and Lyft rideshare services operate throughout the metro area. From the airport, this option will run you about $32–40 and the ride to downtown takes about 30 minutes. Catch your rideshare on the 3rd floor of the parking garage. Get there by exiting from the arrivals level and following the signs for rideshare pickup.
My favorite hassle-free way to get downtown is to take the light rail. It’s a whole lot cheaper ($3), takes about 40 minutes without any of the sometimes stressful traffic, and drops you two blocks from the hotel. Take the Sky Bridge (one level above baggage claim) to the parking garage and follow the signs to Link Light Rail. There’s even a handy video to explain it all.
There are ticket vending machines to easily grab a ticket and jump on the train headed towards “Seattle/U of Washington,” which come by every 10 minutes or so. If you don’t think you’ll be taking other public transit during your visit, just purchase your one-way ticket and be on your way. Otherwise, see the transit card options in the “Navigating the Transit Options” section below.
If you’re heading to the Westin (or another nearby hotel), exit at the Westlake Station, then head north on 5th or 6th Avenue. You’ll see the Westin’s double-barrel towers looming about two blocks away. The Sound Transit site has more info.
The Westin Seattle and the Seattle Monorail near Westlake Station
Venturing Further Afield
When you’re not at the conference and you want to see the sights that are further out, there are several transit options. The bus system is pretty decent and many buses run super late, or even all night. Fares are generally $2.75.
If you prefer to be in control of your transportation, there are several carshare programs: Car2Go, Reach Now, Zipcar, and Lime; as well as a couple of “free-roaming” bikeshare programs: Lime Bike and Jump. You’ll see the bikes parked all along the sidewalks. (Note that there is a technically a helmet law for everyone in Seattle, and that bikes can be ridden on the sidewalks.)
Free-roaming bike rentals are all over Seattle.
If you are going to check out the infamous Space Needle (and if you don’t, have you even really visited Seattle?) you can certainly walk there in under 20 minutes. Or, you can hop on the space-agey monorail that will take you right there! Catch the Seattle Monorail at Westlake Plaza, mere steps from the Westin (you can see the tracks right outside the hotel). Catch the monorail from within the Westlake Plaza (mall) or via the outside escalators on 5th Avenue. It’s only $2.50 each way and will zoom you from Westlake to the Seattle Center (also home to the Museum of Pop Culture and the Pacific Science Center) in under three minutes. It runs until 11pm.
Seattle also has a streetcar that runs a short distance, with the end of one line sitting right next to the Westin. The short trip runs out to Lake Union and back. After afternoon sessions, you could check out the lake—a favorite activity of mine is watching the seaplanes land on the lake—and still be back in time for that evening’s presentations.
A trip to the waterfront or out on to Puget Sound is also an easy outing. You can easily walk to Pike Place Market and the waterfront or you can catch the free waterfront shuttle. There are two downtown shuttle stops: one at 1st and Pine and one in front of the Sheraton on 6th and Pike. If you’re like me, you might walk down there and save the shuttle for the return ride back up. (Did I mention Seattle is super hilly? If you don’t have “biking calves” before you arrive, you will by the time you leave!)
The waterfront has lots to offer, including the Seattle Aquarium and shops and restaurants. If you want a little water-based sightseeing without spending a lot of money, jump on a ferry out to Bainbridge Island (35 minutes) or Bremerton (60 minutes) for $8.50. I like to jump on the Bainbridge ferry just before sunset: you get to watch a sunset over the evergreen trees along the shore and then return to the city all lit up after dark. The ferry terminal is located at Pier 52.
Navigating the Transit Options
The most confusing part of having all these transit options is that they are run by different agencies, each with their own ticketing and fare systems. If you are going to ride multiple modes (light rail to streetcar to bus, for example), know that you can’t transfer between these with individual paper tickets. In this case it’s best to buy an ORCA card (at the airport and other vending machines) and load up your ORCA “e-purse.” The card costs $5 and you can load from $5 to $300 onto it. It works on the buses, light rail, streetcar, and the ferries (though not the monorail). If you’re going to be using the card a lot, you can also buy a regional day pass for $8/day.
To use the ORCA Card, tap your card on the yellow card readers at light rail stations, at the front of the bus, or at the streetcar stops and certain bus stops. Using an ORCA card on the light rail also requires you to tap again as you exit the station…but if you forget, it just charges you the maximum fare difference (like, maybe 50 cents more). The nice thing about the card is that you have a 2-hour transfer window, which means you can board the streetcar to grab a quick coffee by Lake Union and jump back on within 2 hours and not pay an additional fare. Also, transferring between bus and light rail with a card automatically figures out any fare difference and pulls it off the card. Bottom line: If you’re going to use a lot of transit during your visit, it might be worth buying and loading up an ORCA card; if not, pay as you go might be the best option.
Also there is an app for buying tickets called TransitGO and the One Bus Away app for checking on upcoming buses, trains, streetcars, etc. is a must.
Whew! As you can see there are many ways to get around the city, the hardest part is actually navigating the system for buying tickets. Your next big task to figure out is, what to see when you’re not filling your head with all the great info at CreativePro Week!
I love to help people find cool stuff in Seattle, so if you’re coming to the conference, reach out to me on the Connect Forums.