What is Adobe Creative Cloud?
Adobe Creative Cloud is a suite of applications used for graphic design, video editing, web development, and photography.
As a student, you have free access to Adobe Creative Clouds if you are registered for a qualifying course. Any currently enrolled BYU-I student can use the full Adobe suite for free on university hardware, regardless of their major or class schedule.
The Graphic Design Essentials
While the full suite covers a massive range of multimedia production, graphic designers primarily rely on three core programs. You will learn the basics and advanced features as you complete your required coursework.
Photoshop
What it is: A pixel image editing and digital manipulation software. It is the industry standard for any design asset that relies on complex textures, lighting, and pixel-level control.
What it is used for: Adjusting photographs, compositing multiple images together, digital painting, and color correction. You learn how to work with non-destructive editing techniques (using layers and smart objects), color theory adjustment, photo restoration, and precise selection tools to seamlessly mask and isolate image elements.
Illustrator
What it is: A vector-based graphics editor that uses mathematical formulas (paths and anchor points) rather than pixels to create imagery.
What it is used for: Designing logos, iconography, typography, branding assets, and complex vector illustrations. You learn how to master the Pen and Anchor Point tools, construct complex shapes using the Pathfinder, create custom typography, manage precise geometric grids, and prepare clean vector files suitable for screen printing or commercial output.
InDesign
What it is: A professional desktop publishing and layout application designed for multi-page documents. It is the standard tool for books, magazines, brochures, resumes, and interactive PDFs.
What students learn: You learn about the mechanics of typography, parent pages (for consistent layouts), paragraph and character styles, multi-column grids, and how to format text around imagery. You also learn technical print preparation, including margins, bleeds, and pre-flight checking for press.
Learning the AI Tools
AI is directly integrated into the menus of Adobe tools to automate repetitive tasks. These features are noninvasive and stand as powerful, but optional, tools that can make the design process more efficient. How you employ these tools is up to you, directed by the department, curriculum designers, and instructors. The product is up to you to create.
The Tools are in Your Hands
You will become familiar with these tools throughout your degree. It is essential that you master these tools, and even if you decide that graphic design isn’t for you, being familiar with these tools will demonstrate your ability to adapt to complex industry standard software and your creative problem-solving skills.
Sources
Adobe products: desktop, web, and mobile applications | Adobe
Graphic Design