Tag Archive for: design

Ignite CreativePro 2024

Come join us for dessert, plus a heaping helping of tips, tricks, and fun! Or sign up to present 20 slides in 5 minutes. It’s your opportunity to have five minutes of fame, in the relaxed and friendly confines of an after-hours get-together with your colleagues.

When: Tuesday, July 9, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Where: Arlington Ballroom

Who’s Invited: All conference attendees, speakers, sponsors, paparazzi, etc.

Cost: Free!

We’re putting on our annual fun “IGNITE”-style show and need your help! Do you have:

  • An unusual design or production-related technique that you use?
  • A “from the design trenches” anecdote to share — funny or serious?
  • Some hard-won lessons you’ve learned? Or wish your clients would learn…
  • Tips for getting the most out of a conference?
  • An incredibly complex table you created, or special effect, or the world’s best workspace?
  • Advice for designers or computer users or ?
  • Some other pro design topic that you’re passionate about?

Yes? Then take this opportunity to share it with your colleagues in 5 minutes or less! Only 12 spots are available, and it’s first-come first-serve, so don’t wait till the last minute. We’ll confirm via email with our final roster of 12 Ignite presenters and 2 alternates by Friday, June 28. If you’re not sure of a topic yet, but definitely want to do this thing, then fill out the form with a placeholder idea now to save your spot! You can fill it out again later (before June 28) once you’ve decided on a topic.

Rules (for audience members)

  1. Relax, have fun, and enjoy.
  2. Be supportive of your fellow attendees!

Rules (for presenters)

Sign-up for your slot below, but first read the rules:

  1. No prior speaking experience required. Don’t worry—the audience is very supportive. You’re among friends.
  2. Create a series of exactly 20 pages or slides in landscape format, which you will export to PDF and we’ll project it on screen during your talk. The first one’s your opener, the last one is your closer. Email the 20-page PDF to us or bring it with you on a USB Flash drive. Keep your slides simple!
  3. Content: Your topic must be about something related to the field of design or graphic production — tools, projects, tips, rants. It’s okay to be funny, but keep it clean and appropriate. Please don’t use this as a sales presentation or portfolio review. Violators will get “the hook”! If in doubt, ask Khara, your friendly MC, beforehand.
  4. Be prepared to talk about your topic for 5 minutes while we project your slides on the screen.
  5. The slides will auto-advance every 15 seconds! That’s the Ignite rule. And what makes it fun for the audience, too! 20 slides x 15 seconds = 5 minutes.
  6. When your five minutes are up, take a bow, enjoy the applause, and hand the mic back to the MC.

That’s all… nice and simple! Fill out the form below to sign up for fame, fortune, and hilarity. (And did we mention all IGNITE speakers earn a special conference keepsake for their efforts?)

Notes

2024 CreativePro Ignite Sign-up Sheet

Closing Session

It’s time to bring this five-day CreativePro extravaganza to a close. Join us for one last opportunity to catch a tip, win a prize, and learn what’s next on the horizon.

Creative Cloud Unleashed

Explore new avenues for your creativity with professional-level design tools on the iPad. Photoshop and Illustrator have been re-imagined for a touch-enabled experience — and offer a whole new dimension for designing unique and engaging content.

Whether you use your fingers, or Pencil, you’ll discover new ways to seamlessly work across your desktop and iPad apps while creating professional-level content.

We’ll also take a look at Fresco. This natural-media based app brings truly unique features to the iPad for drawing and painting. See how these applications can enhance real-world design projects for any medium.

Topics include:

  • Introduction to Photoshop, Illustrator and Fresco on iPad.
  • How common desktop features translate to the iPad.
  • Unique tools, features and workflows only available on a touch device.
  • How to create, edit, and share documents across devices, projects, and other designers.
  • Drawing and sketching techniques that you can use in any creative project.

Hands-On Design & Creativity

Studies show that creating with our hands is as good for the brain as it is for the soul. As designers, our software skills are a huge advantage, making it easy for us to branch out into new creative realms, but—only if we’re willing to put down our mouse now and then. In this session, Khara shares what’s possible when you mix Adobe know-how with analog play, some glue, and an endless amount of curiosity.

You’ll (re)discover:

  • Easy ideas for adding more hands-on creativity to your life
  • Resources for ongoing exploration and experimentation
  • Delightful ways analog elements can enhance your digital projects

Pocket Guide to Design Law in the Age of AI

In this session, legal expert Kathryn Goldman will delve into the three pivotal legal areas every designer must navigate: contract, copyright, and trademark. As AI continues to revolutionize the design industry, understanding its impact on these legal domains has never been more crucial. Kathryn will break down top-line best practices, offering a clear, concise guide tailored to the needs of today’s designer.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, this session will equip you with the knowledge to handle legal challenges in your creative work confidently. Expect to walk away with practical tips that will serve as your go-to reference in the rapidly evolving world of design law. Don’t miss this opportunity to turn complex legal concepts into your competitive advantage in the age of AI.

Figma—What’s the Hype About?

You’ve heard everyone talking about Figma, but what exactly is it? Join us in this introductory session where we’ll explore Figma from the perspective of a Creative Cloud user. We’ll start with the interface and design techniques, then expand into the truly unique features of Figma, including components, dynamic layouts, collaboration, and even prototyping. Check out this new trend in design, where designers, writers and developers can all exist peacefully in a creative environment.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Navigate the Figma interface
  • Work with components
  • Design elements with an “awareness” of layout
  • Collaborate
  • Make the most of prototyping and animation capabilities
  • Understand the ways Figma is (and isn’t) like Adobe InDesign

25 Years of Timeless Tips and Tricks

Since 1999, CreativePro has been dishing out amazing tips and tricks to help graphic designers work more efficiently, be more creative, and have more fun. In this session, CreativePro Editor in Chief Mike Rankin will share his favorite tips that have stood the test of time. This is no trip down Memory Lane; these tips are all just as cool and useful today as when they were first published.

This session includes awesome productivity tips for:

  • Photoshop
  • InDesign
  • Illustrator
  • Acrobat

Designing for the Real World

Working on a screen all day is one thing, but bringing your work into the physical world and creating with your hands (using something other than a mouse) is something else entirely! Atlanta-based illustrator and muralist, George Baker III, shares what he’s learned from transforming your digital world into real-world, physical designs.

You’ll discover:

  • Why you should step out and create physical products with your digital designs
  • Ways to use your digital tools to create tangible goods (i.e murals, clothing, screen-printed pieces, hand-drawn type, etc.)
  • How to bring a hand-made component into your digital world
  • Infinite ways to traverse back and forth between the digital and analog realms

CreativePro Partner Panel: Finding Solutions

We all know that Adobe makes powerful tools. But these days, the only way to be truly efficient and productive is to think outside the box and look at the ecosystem of services, resources, and third-party tools that are available to you.

Join us for a panel discussion that looks at how to expand efficiency, improve workflows, and plan for a successful future.

Watch the session here:

Make an Impact! How Designers Can Promote Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion

We know that diversity and inclusiveness are crucial components of every design. But what does that look like in practice and how do you know if you’re doing it right?

In this session, designer and brand strategist Nicte Cuevas shares best practices and strategies for:

  • Approaching designs with mindfulness to create more effective and authentic connections with your audience
  • Increasing empathy and understanding across lived experiences
  • Expanding representation and inclusion with diverse content