How to Become a Digital Design Expert

I often hear it from my college students and, surprisingly, from some of my design colleagues, “Illustrator takes up to five years to get good at it.” they say. I know what they mean because I went through months of difficulty trying to learn it back in the day of version 3 when there were no books written about it yet and no guide other than the manual that came with it. There is no reason to go through such a struggle today, given two factors. First, the software has matured enough, and second, we have gained a better understanding of its mechanics. 

With the explosion of the internet and people using computers, usability has become a common term among designers, especially software designers. Adobe has done a good thing by establishing a foundation framework for all of its software, and if you look carefully, you can see the foundation very clearly. However, Adobe still needs to clarify how the foundation works for users. It was a struggle learning Illustrator or Photoshop back in the day because I needed to learn its foundation or mechanics, and there was no one around to explain it. It was actually by accident that I discovered it. I was trying to understand what I was doing with the tools when creating ‘Vectors.’ I did not understand what a vector was or what was happening on the screen as I dragged a tool. Initially, I learned to use the software by doing rather than understanding. Learning this way, I usually forgot it after a few weeks of not using it. I had to re-learn it repeatedly—a very frustrating task.

For the last 25 years of teaching, I am amazed that, still, as I am writing this, many of my students do not know what a vector is and how it relates to the software they are trying to use. I’m talking about older adults who come to take my classes. They find sitting at the computer intimidating and do not understand how the software works or behaves the way it does. I see them returning to take the same class they took from other instructors, sometimes several times before, because they don’t understand its use. 

It is rewarding to see the expression of awe on their faces when I explain it and when they get it; “Why no one explained these concepts before?” They complain. “It would have saved me a lot of grief learning Photoshop, Illustrator, or Indesign,” they say. 

The answer is that this foundation, an integral part of what we call ‘usability,’ is lacking in any manuals.

If you are a Photoshop, Illustrator, or Indesign user already and think you know it well, I challenge you to take the quiz at the end of this article to find out where you are with the software. Is there something else you could learn that would be a game-changer?

Consider this, which I tell my students at the beginning of each new class: what if I could take you from 0 to 100 in only five weeks? What if you become proficient in a short time to become a master designer competing with pros who have been using the tools for years already? 

I always start my classes with the same premise: whether you have used Photoshop, Illustrator, or Indesign for ten years or more, you will learn something new in my class. I had a student who had been using Photoshop for as long as I have; I started with version 0.5 in the early Nineties. He came to class because it was a requisite for graduation, so he thought he would not learn anything new. He was wrong, and he had the humility to come to me at the end of the class and say: “Mr. Mora, I have to admit to you, I did learn many new things in your course. I did not know my gap until you pointed it out.”

In my course, Mastering the Creative Cloud, you can learn or re-learn if you already use it. There is no need to go back to college—it is all right here.

I will teach you the foundation you need to help you become a master of digital design. Whether you are a photographer, designer, painter, game designer, or Illustrator, you will learn many new things. You will learn the techniques to become more productive and a better artist. Not only that, but I also need the knowledge to understand and use any new tools in future software updates. 

Here is a glimpse at some of the topics you will learn:

• The technology to learn and master the creative cloud in as little as 15 weeks. Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
• How Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign relate to each other.
• The technology to understand the Creative Cloud, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. 
• The only two actions you can and will do in the software. 
• The foundation of Object-Oriented Design.
• How properties and their attributes relate to the objects, you use.
• How Layers and Channels relate to each other.
• How to create color adjustments that will wow your clients.
• Everything about Layers, the core of Photoshop and Illustrator.
• How to increase productivity to achieve professional results.
• What are vectors and their relationship with objects
• A system to understand the toolbar and the arrangement of the tools.
• How to effectively create collages and composites.
• The foundation for building professional-looking assets.
• The way to monetize the creative cloud and increase profits.
• How to create original paintings and illustrations.
• How to understand and use photo-retouching tools effectively.

Take action today and learn what other teachers and the manuals don’t teach.

If you are interested in one-on-one mentoring, please use the contact form to send me a note. I will send you more information and help you get the most out of Adobe Software.

Author: Eddy Mora

Is an Adobe Certified Creative Cloud Instructor, professional graphic designer, fine artist, writer, and college professor. He is the founder of identitybox.com, a professional online mentoring service at identitybox.com