Whether you’re an individual starting your own business, a small in-house marketing team, or a large multinational ad agency, creating stunning digital media isn’t done off pure talent — it also requires the right tools.
That’s where Adobe Creative Cloud comes in. Adobe has long staked its claim as the software leader in creative digital products. With cutting edge applications, the Adobe Suite offers over 20 different platforms for creating, enhancing, and driving digital innovation. Today, businesses around the world lean on a handful of apps to produce their work.
So as you are testing the waters of the Adobe Creative Cloud, you are probably wondering what apps you need and which ones you don’t. This is a good question to ask as software is hardly ever cheap, especially when it comes to the world’s best creative studio.
For individual users, the entire Adobe Creative Cloud can be used for $52.99 per month, with single applications costing between $9.99 and $20.99 per month. In the case of marketing teams and businesses, access to the entire app studio is $79.99 per month (per license) and $33.99 per month (per license).
So the math is pretty clear, if you anticipate to use or need more than two Creative Cloud applications, it is more cost-effective to pay for the entire suite access. However, sometimes knowing which apps will be of actual use to you (and your company) can be difficult.
Here’s where storyboarding comes in handy. Before you give Adobe your credit card information, write out all the services you wish to provide your consumers. From there, ask how many hands need to touch this product before it is consumer-ready? Then branch out, and understand what tools and help those individuals need to successfully accomplish the task.
Having this product process from start to finish will help best identify what programs might be necessary for delivering the highest quality product to your client or audience. Here are some of the most popular Adobe Creative Cloud applications:
Photoshop
Photoshop has become term on its own in today’s digital world. The application is the premier graphic design, digital painting, and photo editing software on the market. This app is in every digital designer’s tool belt and is highly recommended for anyone dealing with any sort of graphic production.
InDesign
InDesign is another popular tool for designers who are producing products meant for print or digital distribution. This program is built to craft beautiful layouts for books, magazines, posters, brochures, PDFs and more. InDesign is also a favorite tool of UX designers when it comes to wireframing a new project.
Illustrator
If you’re needing to create vector graphics from scratch, Illustrator is the app for your business needs. Built for artists, this program is made for producing web and digital graphics, icons, logos, illustrations, and more — all for the use of everyday products like books, merchandise, billboards, etc.
Premiere Pro
Used by the industry’s best, Premiere Pro is your all-in-one video editing solution. From the making of quick promotional videos to splicing together a full-length feature film, this program ensures any video project is done effectively and professionally.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is taking UX/UI design into the next century. From wireframing to workflows to animations and more, crafting a website has never as diverse and powerful.
Adobe is Built for Creators
Whether you’re in need of just a photo editing software or a full-suite of social media, digital design, and video editing tools — Adobe most likely has a solution for your business needs. More often than not, these programs are designed to deliver more than you will ever need, but always provide real value for your creative needs.