Adobe Creative Cloud is a powerful set of tools no matter which way you look at it. With more than 25 programs, and numerous non-software benefits, this package of apps has the potential to create almost anything you could dream up.

It’s one thing to think something is innovative and to see the potential, but it’s quite another to understand where those skills can be used in the professional world. Let alone how to begin learning. You might wonder if you’d use enough of the perks to make it worth your while.

The good news is that there are numerous professions and industries using Adobe applications. Most of them use multiple programs, although rarely does any job use all programs and perks.

Once you learn one program, it’s also easier to pick up knowledge and skills for others. The interfaces and tools are designed to have a similar look and feel, which means that once you understand the Adobe setup, you have the power to learn almost anything else within the subscription. This is excellent if you need more than one technical skill for a new career or simply want to have options when you’re getting a job (or starting a business).

12 Common Jobs that Use Adobe Graphic Design Software

These jobs use Adobe graphic design software in their everyday workflows. Could one of them be your dream career?

Graphic Designers

At the most basic level, Graphic Designers are professionals who communicate through visual representations. They can inform, inspire action, and connect directly with their audience through beautiful graphics.

There are graphic designers who specialize in almost every type of design work and work within different industries. Some work on business branding like logos & letterhead. Some design promotional materials such as flyers. Some offer multiple services and act as a jack-of-all-trades for design. In a growing digital market, there are virtually limitless options for skilled Graphic Designers.

Common Adobe programs Graphic Designers use include:

Digital Designers

Digital Designers create digital assets, such as logos and interactive pages, for businesses. They can also specialize in moving image art, such as animation, typically working on a freelance basis, or as part of marketing teams.

The difference between Graphic Designers and Digital Designers is primarily the types of work they do. Graphic Designers tend to work mostly with static images that don’t move. On the other hand, Digital Designers work with moving elements like 2D and 3D modeling.

Common Adobe programs Digital Designers use include:

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Video Editors

Video Editors work closely with multiple forms of media to create professional videos. They can add sound and graphics to video projects, as well as work with raw video footage to get it ready for editing.

These motion graphics professionals can specialize in a number of areas such as TV editing, film editing, event video editor, and web video editing. Video editing skills serve multiple purposes in creative industries, especially for businesses that hire creatives who will be helping with more than one type of project.

Common Adobe programs Video Editors use include:

Photographers

Since the advent of digital cameras and camera phones, most people can take a picture at almost any given moment. Despite the fact that photography is pretty accessible, Photography is a profession and falls into a specific set of categories.

With all kinds of specialties, taking photos and working with them is what unites the profession. There are generally five categories or services Photographers provide: sports photography, commercial or industrial photography, individual or group portrait photography, wedding & special occasion photography, and school portraits.

Common Adobe programs Photographers use include:

Marketers

Marketing perhaps gets a bad reputation due to the sales-y nature of advertising, but the truth is that they’re different specialties. Marketing is the industry, and advertising is a practice that falls within it. Good marketing is about strategy—developing products people actually need and making sure they’re satisfied with it—not pushy sales.

Marketers develop marketing campaigns and execute them with the goal of driving sales. They’re often responsible for managing a team of Marketers, as well as analyzing campaign results. They work to develop and maintain brand identity for the businesses and partners they work with.

Common Adobe programs Marketers use include:

Illustrators & Artists

Illustrators and Concept Artists create drawings, paintings, and other illustrations for creative projects. They produce custom art for clients, books, or even concept art for products, depending on their specialty. But what’s the difference between an Artist and an Illustrator?

An Illustrator is “an artist who creates two-dimensional images for various companies and industries, such as fashion design, children's books, magazines, medical manuals, websites, technical designs, and advertising.” Essentially, an Illustrator is a specialized Artist.

Other common careers that fall under the Artist umbrella include Calligraphers, Printmakers, Painters, and Sculptors.

Common Adobe programs Illustrators & Artists use include:

Social Media Content Creators

Social Media Content Creators manage social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, including writing copy and creating graphics. They also implement campaigns and sometimes run strategic ads to attract business.

Some Content Creators specialize in certain social media sites. Others focus more on the type of media—graphics or videos. There are several types of social media videos, some short, such as TikToks and Instagram Reels. Others can be longer like Youtube videos.

Common Adobe programs Social Media Content Creators use include:

User Experience (UX) Designers

User Experience (UX) Designers ensure that websites are intuitive and easy to navigate. They do quite a bit of research and are experts in how people navigate the web. Their job is essentially to figure out what users want, what businesses need, and combine the two sets of desires into one cohesive, well-functioning package.

UX Designers are in charge of showcasing the strengths of a brand through the product’s user interfaces and making sure their personality is best represented in their digital presence. More about the inner-workings and functionality, UX Designers figure out what’s possible and how to make it happen.

Common Adobe programs UX Designers use include:

Technical Writers

Technical writers can do a number of writing tasks for businesses such as designing documents, creating training materials, and keeping company documents up-to-date for technical and compliance topics.

There are multiple specializations for tech writers. The most common are traditional, end-user documentation, and technical marketing documentation. Traditional technical writers work on projects such as medical documents and repair manuals. Tech writers who work on end-user documents write instructions for people to follow, often in highly technical fields. Writers who work on technical marketing documents often complete projects such as catalogs or press releases.

Common Adobe programs Technical Writers use include:

Motion Graphics Designers

If you’ve ever seen a film, TV show, or Youtube video, you’ve seen motion graphics. Motion graphics are simply graphics that are moving. Whether short videos or full length feature films, motion graphics are created using similar processes and software behind-the-scenes.

Motion Graphics Designers, sometimes also referred to as Motion Designers, are in charge of designing the graphics for these motion graphics. Some types of graphics these professionals design include commercials, animation of static images, movie trailers, and visual effects for television, films, or other types of video projects.

Common Adobe programs Motion Graphics Designers use include:

Creative Director

Creative Directors are big picture people. These talented professionals lead teams of creatives through the brainstorming and early stages of a project. They help to build a first look at the client’s vision and then work with their team to determine what steps need to be taken to make that dream a reality.

Although the big picture is their specialty, they’re also leaders and decision makers. They head up their team and provide a creative vision for everyone to work off of, even when the product hasn’t been completed yet.

Common Adobe programs Creative Directors use include:

Art Director

While Creative Directors are big picture people, Art Directors are detail people. These professionals take the big picture and make it a reality through creative decisions such as visuals.

Art Directors are in charge of choosing what art to use in a film, TV show, or commercial (among other visual projects), reviewing photography, approving copy, and determining how to put the project together. Not to mention determining how long a project will take and the ever-important budget.

Common Adobe programs Creative Directors use include:

Where to Learn Graphic Design Skills

If you’d like to work in the graphic design industry, you’ll need some technical skills to get started.

Noble Desktop has free seminars that cover topics such as Intro to Adobe Creative Cloud, Get Started in Graphic Design, and How to Get Started in Web Design. These seminars provide a great way to get to know a little about the industries and softwares before you enroll in a paid program.

If an Adobe program has already caught your eye and you know you want to learn foundational skills, Noble has in-depth courses for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, & Premiere Pro. Offered in-person in New York City and live online, there are all levels of learning available from one-day courses to Bootcamps to advanced topics.

You can use the Classes Near Me tool to compare courses from different training schools for each of the technology skills you’re interested in learning. Noble developed the tool to be a convenient and reliable way to compare your learning options at reputable tech schools.

If you’re looking for a more well-rounded or inclusive approach to learning, you might consider taking a certificate. Noble has many certificate programs in the design fields to choose from. You can read about them on the website (including the syllabi and timeframes) or check out this in-depth guide to see what makes each program unique.