Design

It doesn't take long to see the difference between where Google is coming from and where we are going with Acrobat.com. This tweet from a few weeks ago is one pithy perspective:

"I must admit Adobe's Buzzword looks like creamy, fattening butter next to trim, healthy margarine GDocs. But I like butter..." - @mahyuni

I love seeing that sort of emotional response to Buzzword and Acrobat.com. At the risk of dangerously mixing saturated fat and cardiac metaphors, I think the reason people respond so deeply to Acrobat.com, even in its early "unfinished" stage, is that we believe great designs engage both hearts and minds.

Continue reading "Google Docs, Acrobat.com and Great Design" »

Screen sharing is one of the most, if not the most, important features of online meetings and something we continue to improve upon. We are excited to share with you the following ConnectNow screen sharing enhancements we've made based on your feedback.

Faster Screen Sharing. Some of you told us you were experiencing screen sharing delays when sharing with lower bandwidth or slow Internet connections. To improve the performance of screen sharing in these circumstances, we tuned our screen sharing algorithm so it transmits data more efficiently. The first time you enter your meeting room you will be asked to download the new add-in with improved screen sharing. You now have the option to optimize screen sharing for faster performance or for higher quality, with the default set to faster performance. You can change your screen sharing setting to higher quality by going to the meeting menu, selecting preferences, then screen share, then enable "high fidelity".

Continue reading "Faster, Better Screen Sharing - ConnectNow!" »

Beyond the Walls

At Adobe, we believe collaboration is a fundamental component of the design process. If you ever have the opportunity to take a tour of our corporate headquarters, you'll see that reflected right down to our physical work environment.

A visit to the design floor shows off the results of a recent renovation during which we gutted the traditional mix of office spaces and meeting rooms. Instead you will find a dynamic open workspace. Offices were replaced with desks, couches, smart boards, display stations and multiple surfaces covered with whiteboards. The result is a space that not only accommodates a collaborative team but actually promotes it.

Continue reading "Design Collaboration" »

Welcome to acrobat.com! As the designers on acrobat.com, we’ve been very busy crafting a new kind of web experience for you to enjoy!

You will see that we've tried some new concepts that we think you may love... and we've got some great enhancements coming soon for the things that you may not love so much yet :-) We keep ourselves busy every day by thinking of how we can make your experience better and by working together to create those solutions. We want you to have a great experience but we want to be different. We think you'll love us even more for that.

The core project team for acrobat.com includes three interaction designers: Amy Poling, Marissa Dulaney and Robby Shaver. We also have Josh Fleetwood on the team, he’s our visual designer and prototyper. Craig Scull is responsible for all of our user research and Marie Scanlon provides us with our on screen content. Finally, we have Dan Cooney who is our design manager on the project.

You will hear from all of us over the next few months as we continue to work on the next great ideas for acrobat.com. We will need your input!

We would love to hear from you too, please take a moment to tell us about yourself in a comment.

A while back, a young marketing professional visited our humble offices to inquire about opportunities. After getting a thorough demo of Buzzword, she stated in no uncertain terms, “It’s lickable!” We didn’t really have an opening for a marketing person at the time, but her comment has had a lasting effect on us.

We have frequently heard reactions like that since. Of course, it’s gratifying to hear such euphoric praise and we all think our designer, Robby, is worthy of every syllable.

Continue reading "On Lickability" »

It might be interesting to describe the unique environment at Virtual Ubiquity, particularly the kind of skills and culture that produce such an elegant design. It should be noted that the physical environment itself lends almost nothing to the design-oriented mind-set - we’re a startup in pretty rudimentary quarters. However, the layout of our space is important, as you’ll see below.

Design Orientation

Our design orientation, as you might expect, begins at the top with our CEO, Rick Treitman. Design has always been a top priority for Rick - in all aspects of his life. He is apt to slam on the brakes of his car, and stop in mid-sentence, at the sight of a well-architected building, and has done a number of projects with top-line architects. So as the new designs begin to take form in the product, nobody takes more delight than Rick.

Continue reading "Design Matters" »