Quick Summary / TLDR
➡️ Problem: Adobe’s internal teams often need high-quality presentations on short notice when internal design resources aren’t available.
➡️ Role: I provided creative strategy, art direction, and presentation design across many Adobe business units.
➡️ Solution: Delivered polished, on-brand presentations and executive keynotes that upheld Adobe’s high design standards under tight deadlines.
➡️ Impact: These consistently high-quality deliverables reinforced trust across Adobe’s corporate teams, while contributing to recurring vendor engagements and supporting top-tier products like Acrobat (and others).
Keep reading to see how it all came together.
Intro / Background
Some projects feel like just another job. This one felt like coming home. Adobe has always been more than a client to me. It’s where I started my design career and learned what it means to work in a truly design-led culture. Those early years shaped how I approach creativity, collaboration, and quality.
Years later, after starting my own design agency, I had the rare chance to reconnect with Adobe — not as an employee, but as a trusted creative partner. When they first reached out, it didn’t feel like a new client relationship. It felt like picking up where we left off.
Years later, after starting my own design agency, I had the rare chance to reconnect with Adobe — not as an employee, but as a trusted creative partner. When they first reached out, it didn’t feel like a new client relationship. It felt like picking up where we left off.
I already understood the people, the culture, and the brand voice. That familiarity made it easy to deliver work that looked and felt unmistakably Adobe. Over time, I became a go-to partner for various internal business units that needed high-quality design work fast. A major focus was presentation design for executive keynotes, product launches, and events.
The question at the heart of this case study:
How do you create visually powerful presentations that stay true to Adobe’s brand while helping leaders tell stories that inspire?
How do you create visually powerful presentations that stay true to Adobe’s brand while helping leaders tell stories that inspire?
The Problem
When Adobe’s internal presentation team is at capacity, even critical projects can get stuck. Product launches, analyst events, and keynotes can’t wait. These presentations require a deep understanding of Adobe’s brand and audience, as well as the ability to deliver top-tier quality under pressure.
The key challenges or pain points were:
❌ Overflow demand: The internal team couldn’t always absorb urgent or high-volume requests.
❌ High expectations: Every deliverable needed to meet Adobe’s strict brand and quality standards.
❌ Tight timelines: Projects often arrived with short lead times and no room for error.
My Role
➡ Sole presentation designer
➡ Guided creative strategy and art direction
➡ Ensured brand alignment and narrative clarity
➡ Maintained quality control from concept through delivery
➡ Tools used: Word, Photoshop, Illustrator, PowerPoint, Acrobat, BlueJeans
➡ Guided creative strategy and art direction
➡ Ensured brand alignment and narrative clarity
➡ Maintained quality control from concept through delivery
➡ Tools used: Word, Photoshop, Illustrator, PowerPoint, Acrobat, BlueJeans
Beyond presentations, my partnership extended to interactive PDFs, interactive demos, microsites, event collateral, event signage, illustrations, and conference brand development.
This deck is also a personal favorite. As a Bay Area guy, I had the chance to design for an event featuring one of my all-time sports heroes — NFL legend Joe Montana. That year, he took the stage at Dreamforce with my slides behind him, speaking to an audience of thousands. Seeing my work frame his words in such a high-profile moment was both surreal and unforgettable.
Challenges + Learnings
Working with Adobe, both in-house and later as an external partner, taught me that great design is built on trust. My familiarity with the culture and teams meant I could ramp up quickly, anticipate needs, and deliver with minimal oversight.
The biggest challenge was speed. Adobe often runs right up against deadlines, which means I had to design fast without compromising quality. Over time, I refined my workflow, streamlined communication, and learned how to deliver consistently under pressure.
This experience also reinforced how valuable long-term relationships are. Because I delivered consistently, requests came in from across the company, from Creative Cloud and Stock to Marketing, Privacy, and Evangelism. I also supported major events, including Summit, MAX, and Worldwide Sales Conferences.
Impact + Results
✅ Delivered high-quality presentations under tight deadlines
✅ Helped internal teams hit launch and event milestones on time
✅ Maintained long-term partnerships with multiple Adobe business units for more than a decade
✅ Reinforced Adobe’s brand excellence across internal and external communications
Postface: These Adobe projects represent more than client work. They’re a full-circle chapter in my career.
I started at Adobe as a young designer straight out of college, grew into leading my own 5-person boutique agency, and returned as a trusted creative partner. Many of the same relationships I built during my early years carried forward into this next chapter.
Acrobat, one of Adobe’s top-performing products, has been at the center of much of that work. I’m proud to have played my own small part in shaping how Adobe continues to communicate, inspire, and lead through design.
Interested? Let’s connect.
