Microsoft Word for Designers: Text Fundamentals

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Although Word is built for documents such as reports, letters, and resumés, many clients expect designers to create professional, reusable templates inside it. Jennifer Parkinson helps InDesign-savvy designers understand Word’s text tools, styles, and layout controls so they can create clean, functional Word documents clients can actually use. You’ll learn how Word handles typography, what maps cleanly from Adobe InDesign, and where Word’s limitations require a different approach.

Topics include:

  • Text formatting and typography tools in Word
  • Creating and managing paragraph and character styles
  • Best practices for layout control using section breaks, lists, bullets, and more

Creative Cloud Enterprise Accounts: What You Need to Know

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If you’ve ever wondered why your Creative Cloud features look different from a colleague’s, this session is for you. In this session, Kevin Stohlmeyer provides a clear, plain-language overview of Creative Cloud Enterprise accounts from the end-user perspective. You’ll learn how these accounts are structured, why certain tools or services may be limited, and how access decisions are typically made.

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of your Creative Cloud environment and the confidence to advocate for the tools and features you need to do your best work.

Topics include:

  • Understand how enterprise accounts differ from individual Creative Cloud subscriptions
  • Identify common reasons features, services, or tools may be unavailable
  • Helping your IT department help you
  • Gain practical talking points to advocate for the tools you want and need

Business Skills for Confident Designers

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Every designer needs a set of business superpowers: the ability to attract the right opportunities, communicate value, negotiate fair compensation, spot red flags early, and build strong, lasting professional relationships. In this session, Michael Flarup shares lessons drawn from two decades of independent creative work, distilling the skills that separate reactive designers from confident, in-demand professionals.

Through honest stories and practical strategies, Michael breaks down how to price creative work, manage expectations, handle difficult situations, and protect your time and energy. These are skills that apply whether you work in-house, collaborate with external clients, or take on occasional side projects. This session focuses on creative independence, professional confidence, and understanding your value—no matter where you sit on the org chart.

Key takeaways:

  • Communicate value clearly to stakeholders and collaborators
  • Handle budget and scope conversations with confidence
  • Spot project red flags early and course-correct
  • Set expectations that stick and reduce rework
  • Build trust-driven relationships that support long-term growth

Wait… That’s Vector? Photorealism in Illustrator

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Photorealistic vector artwork can feel unattainable until you see how it’s built. In this session, José J. Semidei shares his approach to creating strikingly realistic illustrations entirely in Adobe Illustrator. You’ll see how lifelike results emerge from careful planning, observation, and intentional construction.

José breaks down how to analyze a subject, identify key visual components, and translate light, shadow, and surface detail into believable vector form. This session emphasizes patience, craftsmanship, and creative problem-solving—and shows how to push Illustrator far beyond flat shapes and simple gradients.

What you will learn:

  • How to prepare your artwork and workspace for building complex photorealistic illustrations
  • How to break a subject down into manageable visual components before you start drawing
  • How to map highlights, shadows, and imperfections to create realistic depth and form
  • How to blend multiple elements for smooth, seamless visual transitions

Creative Leadership in the Age of AI

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Creative direction is about vision, judgment, and the ability to guide ideas toward meaningful outcomes. As AI accelerates production and multiplies options, the role of creative leadership becomes even more critical.

In this session, Vincent Wanga explores what it means to lead creatively when speed, automation, and generative tools are part of everyday work. Vincent examines the mindset behind strong direction: setting intent, making clear decisions, building trust, mentoring talent, and protecting the quality of ideas in fast-moving environments.

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of where creative leadership adds the most value today—and how strong leadership keeps creativity grounded, focused, and human.

Key takeaways:

  • What does creative leadership actually mean in the age of AI?
  • Where does human judgment still make the biggest difference?
  • How do directors create clarity when options are endless?
  • Understand why strong direction—not faster output—is what defines creative impact

Photoshop Curves: Pro-Level Tone and Color Control

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Photoshop Curves is the most powerful and most misunderstood tool for photo editing. When you understand how Curves actually work, they become a precise, flexible way to control tone and color that no other adjustment can match. This session demystifies Curves and shows why experienced professionals rely on them every day.

In this session, Ben Wilmore focuses on real-world workflows for retouching, photography, and design, highlighting practical techniques that deliver polished, professional results without guesswork. With this deep dive, Curves will finally “click” for you. You’ll gain a clearer understanding of how to shape tone and color with intent—and the confidence to make Curves a natural part of your everyday Photoshop workflow.

Key takeaways:

  • Control highlights, midtones, and shadows with precision
  • Shape color intentionally using Curves instead of trial and error
  • Apply Curves confidently across retouching, photography, and design workflows
  • Understand why pros rely on Curves

Sneak Peek:
How to Change a Black Object to Any Color in Photoshop

Workflows for InDesign and Adobe Express

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Adobe Express isn’t a replacement for InDesign, but it can be a powerful extension of your workflow. In this session, Bart Van de Wiele shows when Adobe Express makes sense for social, internal communications, and marketing handoffs—and when it doesn’t. You’ll see real examples of how Express fits into professional design workflows, especially when stakeholders need access to branded layouts without opening InDesign.

Bart walks through how to move designs between InDesign and Express in both directions, covering steps, limitations, and best practices. Learn how to translate brand styles, fonts, and layouts between apps, and how to set up, manage, and use on-brand templates that others can safely edit. See what translates cleanly, what requires adjustment, and how to prepare files so templates stay consistent and usable. This session focuses on practical workflows, realistic expectations, and smart setup choices that help InDesign users collaborate confidently with teams who don’t design for a living.

You will learn:

  • Translate brand styles, fonts, and layouts between InDesign and Express
  • Set up, manage, and use on-brand templates
  • Move designs from Express back into InDesign when needed
  • Set realistic expectations around current limitations and workarounds
  • Build repeatable workflows that support collaboration without sacrificing quality

Fun, Fast, and Fearless Illustrator Workflow

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Illustrator should feel fluid, expressive, and energizing. In this session, Thaddeus Coates reframes how you approach Illustrator so ideas move faster and friction fades into the background.

Explore how thoughtful setup, flexible habits, and a simplified approach to core tools can transform the way you work. The focus stays on building momentum, staying loose, and keeping creativity front and center while working efficiently and intentionally.

Expect a playful mindset, practical perspective shifts, and encouragement to trust your process. Walk away seeing Illustrator as a space where speed, confidence, and creativity coexist—and where fun is part of working smarter.

You will learn how to:

  • Build illustrations that stay clean, flexible, and easy to evolve
  • Work faster by simplifying decisions and reducing friction
  • Approach Illustrator with confidence instead of caution
  • Keep play and experimentation at the center of your workflow

Smarter, Faster Photoshop: New Tools, Real Results

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Work faster, cleaner, and with more control in Photoshop using tools and workflows most users overlook!

In this session, Jesús Ramirez from the Photoshop Training Channel shows how modern Photoshop features, including Beta tools and AI-powered workflows, actually fit into real professional work. This is not a feature tour. Every technique shown is used in his professional practice, creating TV and movie posters. Even seasoned users will walk away with a few “I didn’t know Photoshop could do that” moments.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Use new Photoshop Beta features
  • Integrate Generative AI tools without losing creative intent
  • Speed up production using professional shortcuts and tool combinations
  • Replace slow manual steps with modern AI-assisted techniques

Join Jesús for a free Webinar: Photoshop Power Hour, Tuesday, May 5 at 10 am Pacific

Creative Cloud Mix Tape

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Kick off CreativePro Week with a high-energy, music-themed morning keynote. Chris riffs on the idea of creative cross-training by mixing InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects (and more!) in ways you wouldn’t expect. Think fast-paced demos, playful surprises, and a healthy dose of rock-and-roll attitude.

Each segment spins a new challenge and a new app, intentionally breaking “rules” about what each tool is supposed to be used for. The result is part performance, and part creative jam session, reminding you that experimentation is often where the most interesting ideas start.

Come for the entertainment. Stay for the shift in mindset. Leave with fresh inspiration to remix your own Creative Cloud workflows—no matter which apps you use every day.

Mix tape mystery tracks:

  • Turn it up: live spins, creative curveballs, and a rock-and-roll remix mindset from the first beat
  • Apps in the mix: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, and Express (and more)
  • Creative moves on deck: photo editing, web graphics, video effects, 3D modeling, and motion experiments
  • Rule-bending workflows: familiar apps pushed into unfamiliar territory