Show, don’t tell with gripping graphics: Five must-take graphic design sessions at Adobe MAX

When done right, compelling visuals make us feel something. They connect, inspire, and tell your audience a story — without “telling” it at all. Our Graphic Design track at Adobe MAX is geared toward helping you accomplish just that.

If you’re a graphic artist, art director, creative director, print production pro, student, or designer in any discipline — 3D, graphic, print, or publication — there is something for you in this track. We’ve gathered pioneers and thought leaders in the design space who will inspire you by sharing their strategies and techniques. They will help you make the most of Creative Cloud by learning key techniques, time-saving tips and tricks, and innovative ways of working across multiple design disciplines. The track covers topics in image compositing, retouching, photo modification, print design, digital publishing, and, of course, spectacular graphic designs.

If you’ve registered for MAX, you know there are more than 350 courses to choose from. Here are five of our picks for the pro or aspiring graphic designer:

Mastering Infographics and Visual Communication with Adobe Illustrator — Amy Balliett, CEO and Founder, Killer Visual Strategies

Illustrator is used to produce countless infographics and other forms of visual communication, from data visualizations to motion graphics to social media micronarratives. Join Killer Visual Strategies CEO and founder Amy Balliett as she shares fundamental techniques for producing the best possible infographics, data visualizations, and visual content in Illustrator for any audience.

You’ll learn how to:

• Lay the foundation for infographic design and data visualization best practices
• Balance high-quality design with accurate information and data visualization
• Build your designs to achieve specific client goals and reach their target audience

How Illustrator Is at the Heart of Every DKNG Project — Nathan Goldman, Creative Director, DKNG Studios and Daniel Kuhlken, Lead Illustrator, DKNG Studios

The design and illustration duo behind DKNG pride themselves on being style chameleons in the wide variety of client and personal projects they produce, and Adobe Illustrator is the workhorse at the heart of each one. Learn how DKNG founders Dan Kuhlken and Nathan Goldman unlock the power of Illustrator, including live demos of the tools and techniques they value most. Along the way, they’ll reveal their design thinking and the importance of concept development, offering a peek behind the scenes at the working files of recent and favorite projects.

Join Kuhlken and Goldman as they unpack how to create their signature look using Illustrator, including:

• The core techniques and tools they use on every project to maximize efficiency
• New Illustrator tools they’re exploring
• Their design thinking and how it translates from concept to artboard
• A look inside some of their most recent and exciting projects

Building Powerful Instagram Assets in Photoshop: Techniques From a Brand Strategist — Kladi Vergine, Visual Strategist and Founder, Studio Printmysoul

The goal of every designer, marketer, and strategist is to protect and maintain the distinctive elements of a brand while building engaging visuals. Find out how Photoshop provides the flexibility to develop striking social media assets to represent powerful and recognizable business identities. Visual strategist Kladi Vergine will show you real-world seamless Photoshop and Illustrator workflows for developing branded professional Instagram assets.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Leverage professional vector assets from Adobe Stock
• Take advantage of Creative Cloud Libraries to speed up your workflow between apps
• Use Capture to create a color theme from any image
• Generate social media templates to promote your brand
• Use the video timeline to increase your online engagement with animated content

Logo Design with Illustrator on the iPad — Part 1 — Nathaniel Dodson, Commercial Photographer, Graphic Designer & Educator, tutvid

Join graphic designer, photographer, and educator Nathaniel Dodson in this follow-along lab to learn how to go from sketch to finished logo using Illustrator on the iPad. Beginning with traditional sketches or sketches made with the Pen and Pencil tools in Illustrator on the iPad, you’ll move to shape building and working with paths, then designing with type and Adobe Fonts. You’ll finish by developing a presentation template for your final design, ready for client review. Discover how you can design from start to finish anywhere with the detail and precision you expect from Illustrator on the iPad.

In Part 1 of this three-part lab, you’ll learn how to:

• Bring sketches and photographs into the iPad
• Begin building shapes and working with paths
• Work with type and Adobe Fonts

Automating Photoshop: Indispensable Timesaving Techniques — Jesús Ramirez, Photoshop Instructor, Photoshop Training Channel

Join Jesús Ramirez, expert instructor from the popular Photoshop Training Channel (PTC) on YouTube, as he teaches key timesaving workflows to increase your productivity by automating Photoshop. You’ll find out how to avoid time-consuming, repetitive tasks and automate just about anything in Photoshop. This information-packed session will provide many useful tips and tricks to save you time and help you create your best work.

You’ll learn how to:

• Create actions to automate repetitive tasks
• Use Creative Cloud Libraries to save color grades, brushes, and more
• Create Photoshop scripts to set up documents or combine images
• Make presets from your favorite adjustments

There are many more workshops and sessions to choose from in the Graphic Design track. Each is especially crafted by industry-leading experts to inspire you to push the boundaries of your creativity and pick up practical tips and tricks you can apply right away.

If you haven’t registered for MAX yet, there’s still time, but not for long! Register now.