5 things we learned at the Adobe Creative Cloud Creative Meet Up 2015

The Adobe Creative Cloud Creative Meet Up 2015 hit London recently, and what a line-up it was! Thousands of creatives from across the country joined us in person and online to celebrate the biggest ever release of Adobe Creative Cloud.

Not only did our very own Principal Evangelist, Rufus Deuchler, give us a taste of some of the new updates, we were also treated to inspirational talks from Radim Malinic of Brand Nu and Jonathan Ball of POKEDSTUDIO, who shared their tips for success. The final speaker of the evening, UX guru Paul Boag, outlined the skills that every designer needs to have in their armoury in 2015 and inspired by that, we’ve made a small mashup of our speakers’ advice to give you the five key things we’ve learned from the event (If you missed out, on the actual event don’t fret—you can watch the whole thing on-demand here at your leisure)

1. Every designer must be able to adapt.

Charles Darwin

You can apply this quote from Charles Darwin to the world of creative design. It isn’t the necessarily the most well-known or talented designers who succeed; it’s those that are most adaptable. Don’t get left behind.

– Paul Boag

2. If you’re not reading books, start. If you already are, read more.

Inspiring books

Broaden your mind and your skilllsets. Reading (books) widely and frequently is a fantastic way to achieve both, and perhaps just as importantly, it’ll give your eyes a break from a computer screen.

– Paul Boag

Paul listed seven of his recommended books, including his own works Digital Adaptation and Rework, as well as Nudge_, Made to Stick, Write to Sell, _Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion and John Maeda’s Laws of Simplicity.

3. Understand the value of creating personal work.

Illustration

It’s important to create personal work. It sets you apart, gives you a niche, and ultimately is what will secure you commissions. Only by embracing your own quirks and flair can you establish truly unique design.

– Jonathan Ball

4. Learn the commercial process.

Commercial Process

When designing something for commercial use, remember that you’re ultimately designing for someone else – the consumer. This project won’t only be consumed by you, and it’s therefore key to understand the whole process; from design through to marketing, sales, advertising, and finally the end retail experience.

– Paul Boag

5. Don’t forget to have fun!

Learning by play

It’s important to have fun, and in turn, learn through play. By tweaking, meddling and messing around with both software and ideas, you’ll come to appreciate the power of making mistakes.

This idea is not a new one, granted. But it’s all too often overlooked and underestimated. Remember to have fun with what you’re doing and by no means be scared of getting something wrong – it’ll force you to progress.

– Radim Malinic

Let us know what you think in the comments, or tweet to #CreativeCloudUK.

For more information on Creative Cloud 2015 visit the website.