While there is no substitute for attending a MAX Creativity Conference in person, Adobe conquered the virtual attendee experience with this year’s event. Over 350 sessions and hundreds of inspiring speakers enabled attendees to take part in a global celebration of creativity.
With the virtual MAX event open to the public and free to attend, creative professionals worldwide flocked to sessions featuring interviews, follow-along labs, demonstrations, chats, and meet-the-team experiences. Attendees lounged in the comfort of living room couches, swayed in outdoor hammocks, or took advantage of other unique learning venues. Over half a million people joined the conference provided on a virtual platform supporting a number of languages including English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
The star-studded conference included co-host appearances by Awkwafina, Chelsea Handler, Common, Conan O’Brien, David Tennant, Dirk Nowitzki, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marshmello, Naomie Harris, Nick Offerman, Offset, Stanley Tucci, Taika Waititi, and Zach Braff. Just to drop a few names. A couple of audience favorites, Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co. and Unmesh Dinda of PiXimperfect shared their tips and insights into all things Adobe and more.
As Catto & Catto’s Graphic Designer, I was overwhelmed by the effort Adobe put into its buffet offering of session topics and presenters, all the while accommodating time zones, ensuring connectivity, and providing space for interaction in a virtual environment. My highlight of the conference was an interview and studio tour with legendary type designer and information architect Erik Spiekermann. He is an honorary professor at the University of the Arts Bremen and Art Center College of Design. He was the first designer to receive the honor of being inducted into the European Design Awards Hall of Fame. He earned a Lifetime achievement award from the German Design Prize for his incredible contribution to the design industry. With life experience that would leave most attendee’s greatest achievements in the shadows, his perspective on life and design is surprisingly simplistic. He prefers a bicycle to a flight. He embraces the old while creating the new. His poster, “Better done than perfect,” are four words that have changed the life of this ex-perfectionist.
Once again Adobe, you have managed to inspire your attendees to think and act beyond their current ambitions. But with one major difference, you never even stepped in the room. Mind-blown Adobe, hats off to you.
By Kristin Cedillo
Graphic Design & Communications Specialist
Catto & Catto