The Rise of Creative Problem-Solving & Visual Communication Skills
According to a recent 2023 study by Edelman*, content creation, visual communication, virtual collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills have become more important in recent years, ranking among the top skills sought by hiring managers in the study.
In the U.S. and U.K., the hiring managers point to explosive growth of visual media or social media are the key drivers of these skills, with about half also citing the move to remote or hybrid work. In India, 58% of hiring managers pointed to the rising complexity of problems that require new solutions, compared to 55% in the U.S. and just 39% in the U.K.
*The Creative Edge - How Digital Credentials Unlock Emerging Skills in the Age of AI
- Edelman, 2023
Ready-to-go stock imagery can fuel university digital literacy initiatives...
Stock imagery is an essential part of visual communication in design, businesses large and small, and education, used in everything from websites and advertising, to financial reports and mobile applications to blog posts and research publications. It’s affordable and can help bring just the right image into a communication piece.
Let's learn more about why stock assets in general can help faculty and students alike, and how Adobe can help.
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DIGITAL LITERACY
Let me ask you a couple questions: Have you ever wished that your students used some imagery to help better communicate their ideas, projects or research? If they do use images, have you ever questioned where students find the images they use? Or ever hoped they were of better quality? And you as a faculty member and researcher, perhaps you've needed that definitive image to help communicate your own research, or wanted to update your learning materials or presentations.
Stock assets play a significant role in digital storytelling, both in professional and academic worlds. Access to high quality imagery makes it easier not only for students to become inspired, but also to learn about visual context, the importance of copyright and licensing of content, sourcing (or creating) the right assets for a project, and gaining assistance in developing eye-catching, professional-level presentation material.
The Research
In the academic world, use of stock assets is actually quite common.
Faculty & Staff Usage
According to a report by Edelman Intelligence, faculty and staff already use a wide variety of stock asset types, predominantly for presentations (for teaching and for colleagues), lecture design and research reports. Of those surveyed, use of vector graphics, photographs, video and illustrations ranged from 50% to 86%.
However, this usage is spread across a variety of different stock providers, at different price points and likely different levels of usage rights. This can be problematic from a budgeting perspective and also is a concern when it comes to knowing if images being used have the proper release and usage rights.
Student Usage
While students generally have less awareness of stock providers, they do rely heavily on search engines like Google for both inspiration and as a way to find images to use in course presentations, reports and projects.
However, finding content that is diverse/inclusive as well as honest and relatable is a challenge.
Of the students surveyed by Edelmen, use of photos and illustrations ranged from 54-89%, with video usage over 40%. A significant proportion of the students surveyed were majors in Biology/Life sciences/Health & Medicine, Business and Computer Science/Engineering.
The Risks of "Free" Images
While imagery found through search engines or free services can be easy to find, it can also present problems.
Imagery found online can be subject to vague and/or very limited usage rights and permissions, which presents a risk when that content is published or shared.
According to faculty surveyed, a significant challenge is getting students to use approved stock services instead, often because they are not aware of the process of finding and licensing content.
Imagery found through search engines or free services can also present quality issues. Often the imagery found is not of suitable resolution for printing, for example.
It can also be challenging to ascertain correct attribution for this work.
Stock & Digital Storytelling
Thoughtful curation of imagery that resonates with the audience is critical for effective communication.
Everyone needs to communicate visually.
But how does one communicate visually? When is an image or video clip more appropriate than a paragraph? What about the synergistic effect of combining text with imagery? More often than not, this knowledge must be learned. Stock images can help in a variety of ways:
- Developing student thought process of connecting images to the written word through easy-to-access imagery.
- Sourcing quality imagery from a global market of contributors helps students create more relevant, impactful messaging, while they learn about correct usage and the value of professional-grade content.
- Access to templates across the campus offers a head start on project designs.
The right visual can communicate more effectively, and sourcing the right visual asset can be faster than creating it. The fact is that not everyone is comfortable with their own photographic or illustrative skills. Sourcing the perfect image can be more expedient and more effective than inserting a poorly composed photograph or ill-conceived drawing.
Understanding and employing the dynamic attraction of visuals to support text and vice-versa is critical today in many forms of communication.
The New Normal
So much of our lifestyle, the way we work and play, has changed.
With the current global situation, everyone's routine has changed; we are often working and learning from home, part of remote classrooms.
More than ever before, it's critical that visuals (stills, video, illustrations) be a conscious part of how we create our messaging. But capturing those visuals has also become far more difficult; it's not easy - sometimes not even possible - to plan or execute a photo shoot, thanks to pandemic restrictions.
Engaging, dynamic stock assets can fill that gap.
Generative AI
Students and faculty have yet another creative ideation tool at their fingertips with the introduction of Adobe Firefly If you can dream it, you can create it using your own words to describe what you want Firefly to generate for you.
Best of all, Firefly was designed from the ground up to generate content safe for commercial use!
Adobe Express with Firefly
Included with Creative Cloud Professional is access to Adobe Express and Adobe Firefly - a content creation powerhouse in and of themselves.
Adobe Express - Web and mobile-based, all-in-one content creation tool, designed for ease of use
Adobe Firefly - Bespoke image creation and text effects at your fingertips, using Generative AI
Ours is a visual world, and images can often convey a concept or illustrate a technique, practice, or research finding more completely than just words. Choosing images that resonate with the audience is critical to effective communication.
If your goal is to generate awareness, emotional response, or acquire funding, images can ignite these actions.
Stock and young entrepreneurs
Build personal and global brand through sophisticated use of high-quality images.
For all the reasons discussed so far, it’s clear that visual literacy is closely tied to digital literacy. As students move through their lives at school, encouraged to become creators, communicators, and self-starters, to plot their own destiny and success, many of them could find themselves coming up with their own ideas for a product or service to market to others. These fledgling entrepreneurs often find the support they need in small business incubators that are part of their school.
Creating a business proposal to generate funding or awareness will likely require images, illustrations, and even video footage. Accessing high-quality visual assets without concern for usage permission or copyright infringement can be key for a start-up entrepreneur, especially one with limited financial resources.
What is CCE Pro?
Creative Cloud + Unlimited Access to Stock Photos, Illustrations and Vector Art = Inspiration and Creativity at the Speed of Thought
That's what Adobe is offering through a new program called Creative Cloud for Enterprise - Professional (CCE Pro). Along with access to all the Creative Cloud desktop and mobile applications, faculty and staff (and - optionally - students) can:
- Access and freely license and use all our core stock assets - more than 300 million photos, illustrations and vectors, design and motion-graphics templates.
- No longer worry about licensing or usage - all assets Adobe Stock come with an enterprise-level extended grant of rights.
- Experience tight, native integration between Adobe Stock and Adobe desktop applications.
- Optionally via plugins, use Adobe Stock directly within Microsoft Powerpoint and Google Slides.
- Work faster, smarter and more seamlessly than ever before.
What's Included in Creative Cloud Pro Edition
Unlimited Standard Images
Unlimited standard Images include photography, illustrations, and vectors from our core collection of images, as well as design templates and motion-graphics templates. You will have unlimited access to these asset types under an Extended License.
Access to more than 1 million FREE assets, including curated subcollections of video and premium photography.
Extended License
The Adobe Stock Extended License includes:
- Unlimited physical print runs and viewership
- Unlimited impressions and digital duplications
- Unlimited seats, users, and re-uses
- Unlimited sharing and archiving globally
- Perpetual use rights to licensed assets
- All content is royalty-free
- All creative content (non-editorial) is required to have model and property releases
- Stock assets can be used in ALL media worldwide
*Illustrative Editorial content is for editorial use only and cannot be used for commercial purposes, such as advertisements or for reselling products.
Creative Cloud Professional subscribers can also:
- Re-download previously licensed assets
- See a blue checkmark when an asset has been licensed
- View the full License History report
Fast and Easy Access
Using Adobe Stock is fast and easy. Because Adobe Stock is part of the Creative Cloud Pro entitlement, you can quickly access Adobe Stock using the Creative Cloud Desktop app. No urls, passwords or ID's to remember! You are automatically logged in because Adobe Stock is tied to your Creative Cloud account.
Real World Student Examples
Below are just a few examples of student projects both before and after the student gained access to Adobe Stock and Creative Cloud tools.
Integration
Finding the right image is only half of the battle. Getting those assets into your projects quickly is the other half. Creative Cloud Professional gives you quick access to professional-grade stock assets, along with native Creative Cloud desktop integration and - through plug-ins - integration with Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides.
Seamless Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Stock search and licensing is integrated directly into Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, XD, Creative Cloud Express and our full range of mobile apps.
Take, for example, InDesign.
There’s a CC Libraries panel with an Adobe Stock preview image. And where that Adobe Stock asset is placed in the layout, there’s an icon right on the image frame that you can click to license that image and keep moving forward in the design and production process at all times.
More on Adobe Stock integration with Creative Cloud
Inspiration to create the right image—or the perfect image itself—is only a search term away.
Seamless Integration with Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides
The Adobe Stock add-in is free to download in the Microsoft Office store, giving access to search and place Stock images directly in PowerPoint.
Of course, limiting this goodness to Adobe Creative Cloud and Photoshop users would be restricting Adobe Stock from the millions of Microsoft PowerPoint users who want relief from the horrible clip-art of yesteryear.
For them, Adobe introduced an Adobe Stock add-in, which is free to download from the Microsoft Office store.
When logged into this add-in with an Adobe ID, a user has full access to search and place Adobe Stock images directly in PowerPoint.
ADOBE STOCK - MORE THAN PICTURE PERFECT
All through this presentation, you’ve seen examples of the quality and variety of photographs available through Adobe Stock. CCE Pro for Education gives you access to more than 220 million photos, illustrations and vectors.
If you want to go beyond that, however, Adobe Stock is there for you. Talk to your Adobe Account Executive if you're interested in learning about Adobe Stock offerings in 3D, Audio, Video, Motion Graphics Templates and Premium Photography.
CCE PRO - Summary
Digital literacy
- Source professional-grade imagery to create a more impactful message
- Access to starter templates
- Compete in a global marketplace
- Build your personal brand
Creative Cloud integration
- Search and license seamlessly within Adobe desktop apps
- Open directly in Adobe apps from web searches
- Image-based search and aesthetic filtering powered by Adobe Sense
World-class collection
- 200 million+ assets including images, vector art and illustrations
Adobe Express with Firefly
Included with Creative Cloud Professional is access to Adobe Express and Adobe Firefly - a content creation powerhouse.
Adobe Express - Web and mobile-based, all-in-one content creation tool, design for ease of use
Adobe Firefly - Bespoke image creation and text effects at your fingertips, using Generative AI