Adobe MAX London 2025: The magic of creativity unleashed
On April 24th, Adobe MAX returned to London, and it was truly electrifying. Hosted at The Magazine London, the 2025 edition brought together a vibrant community of creatives, tech visionaries, and design leaders to celebrate innovation and imagination. More than 1,600 people attended in person, and tens of thousands more tuned in online across the globe.
From jaw-dropping product reveals to in-depth explorations of generative AI, Adobe MAX acted as a playground for bold ideas — and a launchpad for the future of creativity.
Where big ideas come to life
In his opening at Adobe MAX London, David Wadhwani, president of the Digital Media group at Adobe, said,
“We continue to enjoy the privilege of spending time with many of you. We’re hearing increasingly about your creative process, from exploration and concepting to creation and production; many of you want your creative ideas to diverge before they converge.”
Wadhwani and Deepa Subramaniam, Adobe’s VP of Product Marketing, introduced new tools to enhance workflows and turn concepts into reality more efficiently and effectively. The key takeaways were:
- AI as a Creative Partner: They reinforced Adobe’s stance that AI, especially Adobe Firefly, is designed to support and enhance human creativity, rather than to automate or replace it.
- Platform Evolution: They emphasised Adobe’s transformation into an end-to-end creative platform across surfaces and skill levels, from ideation to delivery.
- Ethical Innovation: The pair spoke passionately about responsible AI, content authenticity (through the work of the Content Authenticity Initiative), and Adobe’s commitment to creator rights and transparency.
“Firefly is an amazing way to jumpstart your creative exploration”
– David Wadhwani
Focusing on Adobe Creative Cloud, the keynote highlighted how Adobe integrates generative AI at every stage — from concept to completion. Whether you are an experienced professional or just beginning your journey, this year’s event offered a wealth of inspiration and practical insights.
Highlights from the keynote
This year’s announcements were a testament to Adobe’s commitment to creative acceleration and the evolution of Firefly.
Firefly & AI innovations
- The Firefly Image Model 4 was launched with enhanced structural awareness and style conditioning.
- The Firefly web app has expanded into video and audio, offering features such as Generate Video, Translate Video, and Translate Audio.
- With the new Firefly mobile app, coming soon to iOS and Android, you can transform ideas into stunning visuals with just a few taps.
- Firefly Boards (formerly known as Project Concept) helps you storyboard creative concepts. Boards is now in public beta and can be found in the Firefly App.
- Generative Fill upgrades: This hugely popular feature is now more accurate, more context-aware, and faster.
- AI Scene Editing: You can alter 3D-like compositions using natural language prompts.
Adobe Express 2025
- Express is now fully integrated with Firefly across all content types.
- Real-Time Brand Kits: Upload brand guidelines and Adobe Express will automatically apply them across your projects.
- Collaborative Editing: Multiple people can now work on Express projects simultaneously.
- Quick Action Enhancements: We debuted more powerful one-click tools for removing backgrounds, resizing assets, and creating animations.
Creative Cloud updates
- Photoshop & Illustrator now have new AI-powered tools to help with creating mock-ups, generating vectors, and matching fonts.
- Premiere Pro features faster text-based editing and AI-assisted sound cleanup.
- New Templates & Presets available: The new assets reduce the time required to publish social and brand content.
Eric Snowden, Adobe’s SVP of Design, announced that Adobe and Creative Mornings are launching a global “Level Up” series, featuring events and conversations designed to help people kick-start their creative careers. Snowden also detailed Adobe’s partnership with LinkedIn, which provides every Creative Cloud member with three months of free access to LinkedIn Premium, helping them develop career opportunities. Finally, Snowden announced the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship program, a new initiative designed to help emerging creators get started through training, mentorship, and real-world experience.
Simon Morris, Adobe’s VP of International Marketing, highlighted brands’ need to produce more content quickly without sacrificing quality or brand consistency. He stressed the importance of scalable creativity — adapting content for various markets, channels, and formats.
Morris also announced the return of the Adobe MAX Creativity Awards for 2025.
Creators, united
Collaboration was a central theme throughout the day. MAX was a hub of shared energy and fresh perspectives, from breakout sessions to impromptu brainstorms in the demo zones.
“Stories are magical. They have the power to lift us up and carry us into a world filled with wonder, mystery and excitement.”
– Brandon Baum
Brandon Baum, founder of Studio B , a social media agency in London, took to the stage to discuss the essential nature of storytelling. Baum emphasised that while technologies like AI are powerful, they are merely tools — the emotional core of a great story comes from the storyteller. Baum said he sees AI as a catalyst, not a threat. He challenged AI fearmongering, pointing out that every significant leap in film (sound, CGI, digital editing) was initially met with resistance. AI, he said, is no different.
“We’ve become so obsessed with the mechanics of creativity… we’ve forgotten why we create in the first place.”
– Brandon Baum
Attendees heard from a varied speaker lineup, including:
- James Barnard — A visual identity designer and educator known for his sleek logo systems and storytelling approach.
- Karina Anglada — Strategic development manager at Adobe Pro Video, who shared insights into next-gen video workflows.
- Rob de Winter — Adobe Certified Instructor, musician, and creative powerhouse.
- Liz Mosley — A branding expert helping small businesses create standout digital identities .
What you might’ve missed (but can still catch)
Don’t stress if you couldn’t attend MAX London in person or join the online stream. You can still watch the keynote on demand and explore session highlights that break down everything from AI-enhanced editing to career-building or emerging creatives.
The full Adobe MAX London 2025 keynote and select session highlights are available to stream on demand. Whether you're after practical AI tips, the latest design trends, or a creative energy boost, it’s all just a click away.
"I have never attended an event and learnt as much as I have today. It's great to learn what people are doing in the industry and to learn new skills"
- MAX Attendee