Amid the Content Deluge, Creativity has Never Been More Important [Takeaways from #AdobeMAX]

The products, programming and thought leadership on display at the 2017 Adobe MAX conference were extraordinary.   From the top-quality sessions and labs to sneak peeks of radically innovative new apps, the Adobe MAX conference exceeded the already high expectations of the creative community.

More importantly from our perspective, the conference cast a spotlight on “what’s possible when technology is put in the hands of creatives.”  Indeed, we believe technology can both augment creativity and automate the administrative aspects of creative work that sap valuable time better spent on design thinking. As our own CMO Alex Withers said in a related conference announcement, “Creative brilliance can’t drive revenue if it’s locked up in a creative brief, stalled in review, or forgotten on someone’s laptop.”

Four Takeaways from Adobe MAX

 As both exhibitors and attendees, the inMotionNow team attended sessions and participated in many conversations about creative work on the exhibit hall floor.   If we narrowed down the themes we heard across the conference, it would be the following:

1) The demand for creative content velocity continues.

According to Bryan Lamkin, who oversees Adobe Creative Cloud and Document Cloud, content velocity remains paramount.  The ever-increasing number of devices and platforms continues to fuel the need for marketing and creative teams to quickly and continuously produce high quality content and campaigns.  As the pace of creation accelerates, new artificial intelligence technologies like Adobe Sensei allow for greater control over creativity. The goal is not to replace the need for creatives, but to help ensure designers can bring inspirations to life faster than ever.

2) Content velocity demands better creative collaboration. 

Because teams are required to create at a faster pace than ever before, communication is crucial to the success of creative projects. Jamie Myrold, Vice President of Design, spoke on the need for technology that supports your team’s creative process without getting in the way.  As design becomes increasingly complex, it’s common to work across multiple departments, making cross-team collaboration more important than ever.

3) Creative liberty comes on the heels of transparency

Transparency takes extra effort, but it is important to creative success! Clearer communication means less rework and confusion, allowing for greater acceleration of creative projects. One of our favorite sessions was led by Dropbox creative leaders Aaron Robbs, Creative Director, and Collin Whitehead, Head of Brand, who discussed transparency and the importance “showing your math” to bring stakeholders along through every step of the creative journey.

The benefits for creatives are compelling, allowing you to maintain the right direction and continue to gain buy-in for your work throughout the creative process.

4) Design and creativity have never been more important.

The most important takeaway from the conference may have come from Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen in his talk about creativity. According to Narayen, we are currently experiencing a 21st-century renaissance that is pushing the boundaries of creativity and science.

This renaissance promises to bring us to new heights in human potential and experimentation.  People all around the world can now create and consume content, ushering in a new era of design and innovation.  This means every business must now compete for the hearts and minds of customers with every click across every device. At the core of each great experience is content and that content needs to be relevant to the consumer. It’s crystal clear that great design and creativity, assisted by data and technology, is more important than ever.

Roundup: Social Media Quips and Quotables

The four takeaways we are offering here are just the tip of the iceberg for an event that lasted three days and attracted thousands in attendance.  Here are a few other highlights curated during and after the show we think you might find helpful:

• Session Recording: Adobe MAX 2017; Day 2 General Session (Annie Griffiths)
• Product Preview: Project Scribbler; Adobe MAX 2017 (Sneak Peeks)
• Product Preview: Scene Stitch; Adobe MAX 2017 (Sneak Peeks)
• MarTech Series: 11 Tech Previews that Created A Buzz at Adobe Max
• Graphic Speak: Adobe races to the future
• Webdesigner Depot: A Quick Guide to Everything You Missed at the Adobe MAX
• Creative Bloq: 7 insane tech sneaks from Adobe Max 2017
• Creative COW: Day 1 at Adobe MAX: Things People Said
• Design: Adobe’s Crazy New Tools Destroy Reality As We Know It

Want more ways to be your creative best?

Check out: 13 Ways to Hack Creative Success