What to Learn After Adobe

As mentioned previously, Adobe is an industry-standard creative software, and employers will look for applicants proficient in multiple applications. But some companies may also use other programs to augment what they get from Adobe or promote collaboration with colleagues who may be familiar with less complex programs. So, after you are comfortable with Adobe, consider learning Figma, Sketch, JavaScript, or Cinema 4D, depending on the industry you want to enter. Continue reading below for information on design theory, HTML/CSS, and project management to help you decide what skills you want to tackle next. 

What is Adobe?

Adobe Creative Cloud is a computer software application that allows users access to all the different Adobe programs. Creative design and marketing professionals typically use it to create content for print, video, or online distribution. You can find professionals in nearly every industry that uses Adobe Creative Cloud, including advertising, website design, and video editing.

At the center of the creative community, Adobe Creative Cloud connects creativity with collaboration, as the cloud-based systems allow you to share work with fellow creatives and work from anywhere. Adobe’s spectrum of programs allows you to edit photos, create stunning digital designs, build websites, and edit videos. Adobe Creative Cloud stores all your programs under the same roof, allowing you to switch easily between programs as needed. Using Creative Cloud can also introduce you to new programs you have not used before to help upgrade your career. 

Read more about what Adobe is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Adobe?

Adobe Creative Cloud is a one-stop shop for all creative projects, and several applications are industry leaders for creative software. Adobe has over 20 applications, though typically, when referring to Adobe Creative Cloud, people think of the top five most popular; After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. However, Adobe Creative Cloud has much more to explore. 

Adobe offers applications to fit every project, from allowing users to view and edit PDF files to designing and publishing web pages. The top five applications allow users to edit photos and videos, create visual effects and motion graphics, and create page layouts, typography, and illustrations. With other programs like Adobe Spark, users can create social media or web content directly from their computer or phone. Dreamweaver allows users to publish web pages with a simplified code engine. Adobe Aero focuses on the world of augmented reality. There are endless possibilities for creating with Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Design Theory

Graphic design is about visually communicating ideas and experiences through graphics and text. Design theory encompasses this visual communication with an understanding of why certain elements work to convey specific messages. To use Adobe to create compelling graphic designs, you will need to understand several design theories, including color theory, functionalism, symbolic interaction, change theory, the meaning of place, and place identity. Using these theories appropriately will help elicit the desired responses. 

You can learn these skills in art courses covering various design theories. However, if you want to learn theories related explicitly to graphic design, consider taking the Graphic Design Certificate course through Noble Desktop. 

HTML/CSS

If you are interested in web design and spent time learning Adobe XD or Dreamweaver, the next step may be to learn HTML or CSS. HTML and CSS are universal coding languages for front end web development. Learning to code web pages enhances the skills you learned creating websites with Adobe applications. 

Noble Desktop offers a Web Design Certificate covering HTML, CSS, and other coding languages necessary for web design and front end web development careers.

Project Management

When you bring your Adobe skills to careers in most creative industries, you will likely be working as part of a creative team and may even come to manage team projects. Project management skills will allow you to take charge of those projects and complete them efficiently.

Noble Desktop offers a Project Management Bootcamp that covers the theories and methodologies of project management, the five phases of a project, and tools and strategies to lead a team through a project. 

Key Insights

After learning Adobe, you may want to continue expanding your skills and wonder what should come next. The skills you learn will depend on your career aspirations and industry. 

If graphic design is your goal, design theory is essential for creating the desired effects in your work. Aspirin web designers and front end developers should consider learning HTML or CSS. And if one of your longer-term goals is to be a team leader or project manager, project management skills are vital. 

Once you’ve conquered Adobe, you’re well-positioned to expand your skillset.

Learn Adobe with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop provides several Adobe Creative Cloud Classes that meet any schedule or learning style. Participants have the option to attend in-person courses at Noble's campus in Manhattan, or they can opt to take courses virtually from anywhere in the world. Each option has students working closely with expert instructors in small groups. Noble also provides a free retake option within one year, allowing students additional time and opportunities to hone their skills without paying for another course. 

Learning Adobe Creative Cloud can be daunting; however, the Intro to Adobe CC Bootcamp is available for students who want to learn only a few applications quickly. This course covers several Adobe applications, introducing students to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. Students use each application to work through real-world exercises and projects. For those with a little more time on their hands who want in-depth training on more programs, the longer Adobe Creative Cloud Bootcamp devotes more time to work with each application. 

Additional options are available for those looking for more career-oriented learning. The Graphic Design Certificate dives into Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, while covering concepts surrounding the graphic design career. For more training on using Adobe programs to design web or mobile interfaces, there is the UI Design Certificate. As part of this course, you will work closely with Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition to learning the programs for your field of interest, you will develop a portfolio to send to potential employers.