all things design
November 21, 2010
Adobe MAX
Last month, from October 24-27, I was privileged to attend an amazing conference for graphic and web designers and software developers, Adobe MAX. If you don’t know who Adobe is (see April’s blog – Adobe CS5 Release), it is the company that created and sells the premier photo manipulation program, Photoshop, along with a lot of other highly respected software titles. Each year they host this conference and the theme for this year was very relevant to our day-to-day living – how to make sure great content stays great looking on the many different types of displays we now use.
It doesn’t take too much to realize we are in the midst of a technology revolution with content streaming at us across a variety of screens with new input methods and new formats. We have become very dependent on this data and is available in an instant on many different types of devices and screens. If this content comes across correctly, we are happy campers. But, if it looks broken up, cut off or compressed, we feel a personal affront and move on quickly. Adobe believes that with their software suites, we can create relevant content that looks great on any device screen.
To prove their point, in the first day’s general session, Adobe brought out a cast of celebrities and Senior Executives. Martha Stewart (yes, you read that correctly) was there to show how her magazine, Martha Stewart Living, celebrating its twentieth anniversary, is being re-imagined for tablet viewing using Adobe’s tools. The issue includes an Alaskan narrative with immersive photography, panoramic photographs of Martha’s garden, a live display of Martha’s Twitter feed, step-by-step “how to” slideshows, and a beautiful animated cover. The cover features 180 photos taken over a period of 10 hours and animated to show a flower blooming. The experience allows the viewer a much more immersive interaction with the content and the brand. Check it out at the link to the right.
Along with Martha, Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO of Research and Motion, the people who bring you the Blackberry series of smart phones, demonstrated content on the Blackberry PlayBook, their new tablet and iPad competitor. The CTO of the Conde Nast publishing empire also made a brief appearance to let everyone know that Conde Nast has selected the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to create all their magazine content. While this sounds like one big commercial for Adobe (well what did you expect?), for the faithful who use these tools everyday to envision, create and get paid for it, it was well received. The conference then got underway with many, many hands on and tutorial sessions. See check this out on the right for links to many of these sessions.
I look forward to next year’s MAX, in LA and what Adobe will come up with to wow and amaze.
‘til next time, take care.
Bob
