Meet Manal Elias, mixed media master and Adobe MAX Creativity Award honoree
To describe Manal Elias as multitalented is an understatement. The 2024 Adobe MAX Creativity Award honoree for Mixed Media is an accomplished designer, filmmaker, photographer, and digital storyteller, but what truly sets Elias apart is the way she combines these skills to build captivating brand experiences that resonate with audiences on a deeply personal level.
Nowhere is that more evident than in the 360-degree campaign Elias developed for VidCon 2024, one of the world's largest conventions for digital brands and content creators. Elias worked with a team of talented designers and agencies to create more than 1,000 assets for the conference using Adobe solutions. Those assets ranged from VidCon’s visual identity to character design, to social media ads, to billboards, to immersive experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Most importantly, Elias helped VidCon create a space where 55,000 people could come together and celebrate their love for digital creativity and self-expression. “If I were to meet Beyoncé in real-life, I would collapse. Each of the influencers on stage at VidCon are as big as Beyoncé for their fans, who engage with them every day,” she says. “That love and passion shaped every aspect of my designs for the 2024 conference.”
Building a unique visual language
Elias was always drawn to the arts, but her career path as a creative was anything but linear. Born in Dubai years before the city became a cultural hub for the Emirates, her exposure to design came through television and from magazines she would encounter on trips abroad or that her family and friends would bring her from their travels.
“Magazines were my window into the rest of the world. They were like my social media,” Elias says. “I couldn’t wait for visitors from Beirut and France to bring me a new stack of inspiration to leaf through.”
The rise of the internet introduced Elias to web design and the work of digital creators from around the world. In addition to learning from these digital pioneers, Elias began to develop her graffiti and lettering skills, filling notebooks with sketches and collages of magazine clippings. “Scrapbooking allowed me to express myself in a way that wasn’t traditionally accessible to Arab kids of my generation. It was liberating,” she says.
When she reached college age, Elias initially wanted to become an interpreter and was accepted by the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut, one of Lebanon’s most reputable schools for political science. But Israel and Hezbollah went to war in 2006, soon after she arrived in the country, forcing Elias and her mother to flee to Syria and destroying her academic plans. The trauma of the experience made Elias reevaluate her priorities, return to Dubai, and pursue her true passion: graphic design.
Creating community through 360-degree experiences
Elias dove into her studies, developing skills in graphics, photography, and typography. Thirsty for more, she also got into branding and visual identify, which would become the focus of her early years as a creative professional in Dubai. But it was Elias’s move to Los Angeles to pursue a master’s degree in filmmaking that would lay the groundwork for her career as a master of mixed media storytelling.
Eleven years later, Elias has become the go-to designer for one of the most relevant and forward-thinking digital conferences in the world. “VidCon is a Mecca for people who want to make their name in content creation. It’s like Adobe MAX for designers,” she says. “I always knew they would be a dream client, and I am immensely proud of the work we do together.”
On a technical level, VidCon gave Elias a rare opportunity to develop integrated brand experiences for a uniquely receptive audience. From digital advertisements to merchandise and swag, to interactive experiences at VidCon itself, Elias’s output for the conference saw her apply every tool in her creative toolbox to engage with its digitally savvy fanbase.
Above all, Elias loved the sense of community VidCon creates for its fans. The conference is a beacon of self-expression for digital creators and a safe space for the countless LGBTQ2+ individuals they inspire each day.
“I never could have imagined being in a hall with hundreds of LGBTQ2+ kids waving flags that represent them and supporting creators who give them hope. It feels like a full-circle moment to be part of that experience.”
-Manal Elias, creative director
VidCon 2024 was also a must-attend event in the gaming world, with the 15-year anniversary of Minecraft, widely regarded as one of the best video games of the 21st century and one of the most-watched games in YouTube history. YouTube honored its beloved Minecraft community with a special booth at VidCon, and the celebration helped inspire Elias’s designs for the conference.
Combining the power of Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Frame.io, Elias and her team gave the VidCon brand a refresh and a new 3D shape library inspired by the inclusivity, child-like fun, and wonder that the creator and gaming communities bring to VidCon.
3D design features in Illustrator proved invaluable in this regard, allowing Elias to imagine playful new ways to connect with VidCon attendees. For instance, she created balloon-effect typography and icons for VidCon by preparing the necessary vectors in Illustrator and extruding them using the application’s Inflate tool.
“Adobe Illustrator makes it easy to create 3D assets, even if you only have a background in 2D design. It’s a great capability that literally adds a new dimension to my storytelling,” she says.
“The cross-functionality of Adobe apps allows me to move between assets and tasks while staying in one design environment, and with Adobe Firefly that even includes image generation. Best of all, the technologies get better each day.”
-Manal Elias, creative director
Elias is now exploring Adobe Firefly, models and services that power generative AI capabilities in Adobe creative apps and looks forward to experimenting with features like Structure Reference and Style Reference on future projects. The ability to use an existing image as a structure and style reference template for generating new images while ensuring safe commercial use is a major selling point for Elias, who believes all artists can benefit from the responsible use of emerging creative solutions.
“Every designer should keep up with the latest technologies, even if they don’t necessarily use them,” she says. “Learning and experimentation are the best ways to keep growing and developing new skills, which helps you gain self-assurance and earn the confidence of clients that excite you.”
Learn more about Manal Elias, her collaboration with VidCon, and her other work on Instagram or visit her website.
For the full list of 2024 Adobe MAX Creativity Awards honorees and their projects click here.