Adobe
The Problem:
Adobe creators currently rely on external platforms to learn new skills, find inspiration, and connect with one another, which splinters the creative experience across disconnected spaces. This fragmentation limits meaningful community-building, reduces brand engagement, and makes it harder for emerging creators to gain visibility within Adobe’s ecosystem.
Spring 2025
My Notes!
Working for Adobe was honestly a dream come true. I’ve been a die-hard Lightroom user for years, so getting to design for a company that literally fuels my creative side felt surreal. One of my favorite moments was getting to visit the San Francisco office to present my findings in person. Walking into Adobe HQ with my designs and insights felt like a full-circle moment. Sharing my ideas with the team, getting feedback, and seeing how my work fit into the bigger picture made the experience even more meaningful.
Step 1.
Identifying the Opportunity & Research
Amanda Zheng
Community Product Manager @Adobe
Amanda Zheng and I explored the various ways creators currently engage with one another, namely through Discord, Reddit, and other fragmented third-party platforms. While these spaces foster discussion, they often live outside of the Adobe ecosystem, leading to a disjointed experience. Together, we landed on the idea of centralizing Adobe’s creative community within a tool-native platform—one that lives directly inside Creative Cloud.
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Survey Responses
Competitor Landscape
Canva: Attracts users with beginner-friendly tools and a strong freemium model; builds community through challenges, sharing, and user features.
Figma: Excels in real-time collaboration and handoff; faces critique for prioritizing AI over usability.
Picsart: Embraces remix culture and viral prompts; mobile-first design and trendy AI tools resonate with Gen Z.
Primary Research
To validate this idea, we launched a survey that received over 300 responses from Adobe users and non-users. We gathered data on:
Tool usage patterns
Platform preferences
Barriers to adoption (like pricing and learning curve)
Desire for community features
Key Takeaways
54% of users said the steep learning curve prevents them from using Adobe to its full potential
Community need was a top trait among high-potential user personas like Collaborative Casey and Curious Charles
Users expressed a desire for support, peer feedback, and more low-pressure spaces to grow their skills
Step 2.
Personas
Who I was designing for
Through a user survey, we identified five distinct Adobe user personas shaped by learning styles, motivations, and creative needs. Studious Sarah is a budget-conscious learner who looks for affordable tools and beginner-friendly tutorials. Collaborative Casey thrives in social environments, valuing forums, feedback, and group creation. Curious Charles is an overwhelmed beginner who learns best through trial and error with ample support. Effortless Evan prefers polished, intuitive tools that make creation fast and seamless. Lastly, Frugal Fred only adopts tools that are free or clearly valuable, often seeking AI features to boost efficiency. Each feature we designed is mapped to these personas to enhance accessibility, foster engagement, and support long-term retention.
So.. How Might We…
Bridge the gap between curiosity and creation to turn casual Adobe users into confident creators through seamless, personalized learning and design experiences?
Step 3.
Brainstorm & Ideation
My Hypothesis
If Adobe’s internal app provides intuitive, role-specific tools for sharing and collaboration, users will be more likely to stay within the Adobe ecosystem—reducing the need to outsource platforms for creative work & communication.
My Design Goals
Make it easier and more fun for creators to stay engaged with Adobe by building interactive features such as duels, templates, and social prompts that encourage experimentation.
My Long-Term Vision
Build a creative-first internal space where Adobe employees feel inspired, supported, and heard. Over time, this platform will adapt to user roles and behaviors, turning everyday touchpoints into moments of discovery and connection.
Community Chats
Project Timelines
Featured Artists
Templates
Features Added
We reimagined the Adobe creator experience by designing a centralized platform that aligns with how creatives actually work. Features were selected to boost engagement, minimize friction, and spark inspiration.
Peer Feedback
Project Updates
Social Motivation
Skill-Building Challenges
Discovery of New Tools
Ecosystem Loyalty
Community Home Page
The hub for everything community related. Find direct messages with friends, new community spaces, featured artists, and a community marketplace to browse templates, tutorials, challenges, new creator, etc!
Lightroom Community
Each platform within Adobe has its own community space, tailored towards features of the different apps. In every community you will be able to find a "Post to Community" site where you will be able to post, ask questions, and find friends. This is your one stop shop to everything Lightroom related!
Lightroom Chat
This chat is no longer just a site to troubleshoot. This site is here to allow creators to post their own projects and get feedback, find inspiration, see Adobe announcements, and learn different tips & tricks from other creators/professionals.
Adobe Template Marketplace
Finally you can post and find different templates curated by other creators.
Don't want to do it yourself? No worries, somebody already made it for you.
Projects
Track your creative journey from start to finish: upload sketches, and final designs in one place. Share progress, receive feedback, and let others follow along or discover your work through project storytelling.
Adobe Live
Currently hosted on Behance and focused on the UK audience, Adobe Live now becomes accessible to all, bringing real-time lessons, live demos, and expert tips directly into the platform for global creatives to learn and grow.
Duel
Adobe Duels introduce friendly, time-based challenges that let users test their creativity against each other. Compete, vote, and rise on the leaderboard while exploring new tools and creative prompts in a fun, engaging way.
"Our team was so impressed with the caliber of your work and the strategies and insights the team delivered."
Amanda Zheng
Interactive Walkthrough
My Prototype in Action!
Huge thanks to Sarah Mou for her UI design contributions
Reflection
I couldn’t stop talking about this project for months. As an avid Adobe creator, I was so excited to design something I’d actually want to use. I wanted to bring together everything I love from different platforms and shape it into one creative space. With the help of my team, we brainstormed and built out features that felt both fun and practical.
This project helped me grow not just as a designer, but also as a collaborator and creative thinker. I taught my team UX design (S/O Sarah Mou for the help too), learned to turn raw ideas into user-centered experiences, and built confidence in presenting and iterating. Throughout the process, I also had the chance to connect with so many amazing Adobe employees.
One Big Happy Family
Couldn't have done it without them ❤️
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