There are so many exciting things happening at this year’s HOW Design Live conference including a closing keynote from our very own Scott Belsky, as well as sessions led by Adobe evangelists. What’s more, we’re hosting a Tweetway in conjunction with the event and we’re giving away some sweet prizes.

Want to be a part of it? Here’s how to enter:

Between June 10 and June 25, send a Tweet with the hashtag #AdobeHOW and share your Adobe Ideas drawing, Adobe Kuler theme, or a link to a project in your Behance portfolio for a chance to win a Creative Cloud membership. We’re giving away one 5-year membership and ten (that’s right, 10!) 3-month memberships. Don’t miss out on a chance to win.

We’ll select winners at random, from all submissions, on June 25; winners will be notified on June 26 via Twitter. For full details, check out our HOW Tweetaway Sweepstakes Official Rules.

This is your chance to show off your work AND possibly win some great prizes. Be sure to follow Creative Cloud on Twitter. Also, if you’re at the conference, be sure to stop by the Adobe booth to say hello, get answers to your questions, and learn the latest about your favorite tools.

Get ready – the next generation of video production software is almost here. Later this month all you video pros will be able to get your hands on Premiere Pro CC. But why wait until then to learn the ins and outs? The Beat blog (@premiumbeat) shares tips that will save you time and get you up to speed quickly with the changes and new features in Premiere Pro CC.

Note: the tips and images below were taken directly from The Beat blog.

Assembly Workspace

Premiere Pro CC adds the new Assembly Workspace. This is a workspace layout that has a large Project area with the Program & Source Monitors sharing space. This is a handy workspace if you like to use Premiere Pro’s Hover Scrub, then set In & Out and use shortcuts to quickly Insert or Overwrite edit.

As the name suggests, this workspace is designed for quickly creating a rough cut in Premiere Pro.

Improved Multicam
In Premiere Pro CC you can mix different media, frame rate and sample rates. You have the new option of “sync to audio” which is handy if you have audio from a separate audio recorder that you want to sync to video clips.

Add Edit & Duplicate Frames
You can access settings for “Show Through Edits” & “Show Duplicate Frame Markers” from the Timeline Display Settings in the Sequence.

Now you can choose to see through edits and duplicate frames when you have used part of a clip

Write Keyframes in Audio Clip Mixer

Premiere Pro CC adds a Clip Audio Mixer to make working with clip audio easier. They also add the ability to record audio keyframes by selecting the “write keyframes” button. Click the button and then move the Fader to record keyframes while the clip is playing. There is a Preference for thinning out keyframes so you can then modify them as needed.

We’ve just outlined a few tips here. Be sure to visit the blog post and study up on the other six tips provided. Also, don’t forget to check out the Premiere Pro CC dedicated video playlist we put together on Adobe TV. As always, be sure to follow Creative Cloud on Facebook and Twitter.

At this year’s Adobe MAX conference, Academy award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor Rob Legato excited the audience by sharing a glimpse behind the scenes of work he’s done on major blockbuster films such as Apollo 13, Titanic, Aviator and Hugo. He reveals his secrets behind visual effects, his inspirations, and creative process.

Known for creating visual effects so good the audience doesn’t realize that they are effects, Legato aims to transport the movie-goer into another time and place. His ideation process is surprisingly simple, as he looks to the past for inspiration. His talent, coupled with the use of creative tools for video professionals from Adobe, help Legato execute beautiful and memorable scenes in modern-day film.

For more, you can view his entire talk on Adobe TV or below:

We’ll be focusing on all-things video production for the remainder of this week. Be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter for more inspirational stories, creative work and product news and tutorials.

Retired from blogging for the past six months, Jody Rodgers, Senior Product Manager for Adobe Creative Cloud is back to address common misconceptions and concerns that IT professionals have about the Creative Cloud. His latest blog post is dedicated to the person managing creative tools across an SMB or large organization. Whether you’re an IT manager, IT director or creative director that sometimes doubles as the IT admin, Jody is speaking to you.

You can read his full post on his blog. Here’s a recap of the top misconceptions and concerns that Jody covers:

1) Creative Cloud is virtualized or streamed

False. Creative Cloud is a new method of distributing our creative desktop applications but they are still applications that are installed and run the old school way. That said, the Creative Cloud at present remains a way to download the software from the Cloud, not run the applications in a browser or thin client.

2) Creative Cloud can’t be deployed

Wrong. The IT admin panel and the new Creative Cloud Packager 1.0 make deployment of Creative Cloud applications easy. A 1.1 version of the Creative Cloud Packager is due shortly after the new set of Creative Cloud applications are released next month, which will work for both Creative Cloud for teams and for Creative Cloud for enterprise.

3) Organizations can’t control the frequent updates

Not true. Not only will your creatives have the latest tools as soon as they’re available, but IT admins still have as much control over updates as they did before. The updates are available via the Creative Cloud Packager and can be packaged at the IT admin’s discretion.

4) Adobe IDs aren’t for my team or organization

That’s OK. We realize using Adobe IDs might be more complicated for larger enterprise organizations. If you purchase Creative Cloud for enterprise then the IT admin has the same flexibly to package and deploy the creative desktop applications without use of Adobe IDs by using a contract-defined expiring serial number.

5) Cloud storage isn’t for us, so neither is Creative Cloud

We hear you. There are always concerns from IT about files stored in the cloud and rightfully so. Restricting storage access is certainly an option for the Creative Cloud for enterprise. High levels of control for IT are at the heart of Jody’s personal vision of the Creative Cloud for enterprise.

Visit here for information on Creative Cloud for teams and enterprise. You can also request a consultation here or leave us a comment below and an Adobe representative will get back to you. Remember to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more news and updates.

As we take some time to focus on video production, we wanted to spotlight individuals who are masters of all things animation, our Creative Cloud logo redesign artists Dvein.

Based out of Barcelona, Dvein is not your run of the mill production and design firm. They are a collective of three directors who love animation, design, and all things creative. Fernando Dominquez, Creative Director for Dvein, defined it best when he said, “It’s a factory of all the things that you can imagine.”

Creative Cloud assists the creative minds at Dvein in each and every step in their creative process. Beginning with initial sketches, they utilize Photoshop to take their ideas to a whole new level. Then, they use the power of Premier Pro or After Effects when they are ready to turn creations into animations.

The icing on the cake; Behance integration in Creative Cloud enables Dvein to better expose themselves to the design community and connect with international clients.

Get to know the FX pros that make up Dvein by checking out the videos below, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more video production news, tutorials, inspirational work and more.

Dvein:The Vein ‘Magma’

Dvein on the web:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Earlier this month we showed you a preview of Kuler for the iPhone, the new Kuler website and how you can access your Kuler themes in Illustrator CC. Today, we’re launching the new site and making Kuler available on the App Store.

For those of you who missed Kuler in the MAX keynote, Kuler allows you to create inspiring color themes and explore hundreds of thousands of color themes created by other users. The Kuler iPhone app lets you capture color themes anywhere, using the iPhone camera. All the themes you create with Kuler, on the web or with your iPhone, can be accessed with other Adobe applications such as Illustrator and Ideas.

The full benefits of Kuler are available to Creative Cloud members. The Sync Colors feature lets you use Kuler and Illustrator to quickly incorporate colors you see around you into your vector artwork. Sync your favorite themes with the Kuler website, and they’ll be accessible immediately inside Illustrator CC – only available in Creative Cloud.

If you are an active Kuler user, you may notice a few pages and features missing from the new Kuler website. I’m writing to explain what’s missing, why it’s missing, and what you can expect to see in the coming weeks and months. Here’s an overview of what you won’t find on the new site:

Create a theme from an image: We know many users really like the “Create from an Image” feature. Unfortunately, this feature was not ready for the new site launch. So, rather than launching a buggy or half-baked feature, we decided to take a bit more time to get it right.

We intend to add this feature to the site as soon as it’s ready. Until then, you can use the free iPhone app to create themes from images.

Color space “slider” controls: We talked to a lot of Kuler users about the slider controls. Some users like them and others don’t. The main complaint we heard was that the sliders add unnecessary complexity and take up too much space.

So, we opted to not add the sliders and err on the side of making the creation experience simple. Though, we decided to keep the “brightness” slider control since some colors spaces don’t have a brightness variable. We’d love to know what you think. You can voice your opinion on the Kuler forum.

Change the order of colors: In our research, we found most users did not know you could re-order colors on the old Kuler site. And, it’s actually quite a bit of work to build this feature. So, rather than re-building a feature many users don’t know about or use, we wanted to hear from you first. Please visit the Kuler forum and let us know what you think.

Avatar: Most of the users we talked with about Kuler avatars were indifferent. In fact, they asked us to focus on other features first. So, that’s what we’re doing–we’re focusing on some of the most requested features first.

Community spotlight and Pulse: The Community Spotlight and Pulse were beta features that never really gained any traction. So, we opted to not continue with these features.

API: We’re working to rebuild the Kuler API to offer more robust capabilities. Until then, we’re no longer issuing new API keys. If you already have a key and are using the API, your service will not be interrupted (your key will continue to work).
We’re always looking for feedback and would love to hear what you think about any of these topics—please join the discussion on the Kuler forum.

Kuler iPhone app

An American Bar Association survey found that half of Americans would search online to find a lawyer if they needed one. One of their likely destinations is FindLaw.com, the world’s most popular destination for consumers looking for legal information or an attorney. Or they may end up at one of the websites designed by FindLaw for attorneys and small law firms. FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters business, specializes in designing award-winning websites that help law firms connect with qualified clients. Design manager Abraham Bumpus says his team of 27 designers uses Adobe Creative Cloud for teams to develop both traditional web and mobile solutions. Abe estimates each designer works on at least 100 sites every year using solutions such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, delivering properly layered PSD files without writing code. The team may also produce associated identity materials using Adobe InDesign and Acrobat Pro.

As design manager, Abe recommended purchasing Adobe Creative Cloud for teams to accommodate his diverse and dispersed staff of full-time employees, which include flex-time, in-office, and remote-access designers. So far, Abe says the transition to the Cloud has been great—for him and his staff.

Pictured: FindLaw’s Abraham Bumpus

Adobe - Tell us about yourself.

Abe - I have a multimedia degree in visual communications from Collins College in Tempe, Arizona. I’ve worked for printers, agencies, and corporations doing design, project management, and operations. I have a freelance business building websites, too.
After I moved to Minnesota, I applied at FindLaw as a design team lead. I saw a lot of opportunity as Thomson Reuters is a huge proponent of technology. I do a lot of management and provide direction for the team. I manage mobile processes and work with the product and marketing teams to bring new products to market. The best part is mentoring employees and working with others to get the right products to FindLaw’s customers.

Adobe  - Why is Adobe Creative Cloud for teams such a good solution for FindLaw?

Abe - First, Creative Cloud is amazing because you get all the software in one seat. Because I do freelance work at home, I got a Creative Cloud membership for myself for $29 a month and have been using it consistently. That’s how I knew Creative Cloud for teams would be a great solution for FindLaw. Employees have access to their day-to-day tools, plus other tools that they may use less frequently. We can experiment with what’s new and learn about different tools and improve the way we do things. That’s why Creative Cloud is sweet.

Adobe - How has the team responded to working in the Cloud?

Abe - The experience has been huge for the design team. It is especially great for employees who work remotely, or split their time between our office and their home office, because they have the same access no matter where they are. They love that they can more easily share files.
We’ve also been able to apply it to initiatives we’re doing here. We’re establishing more of a collaborative, agency-style workflow. The Cloud is awesome because the team can review and approve projects and send them right back—it saves a lot of time.

Adobe - How did your team previously handle approvals?

Abe - It was a bit of an outdated process. We’d send an email with an attachment, which could be very large. Or we’d Skype and share screens. If we put the file on an in-house file server, it could be slow to access, especially when you have to wait to upload a 50 megabyte file and then have to download it on the other end.
With Creative Cloud, this process is eliminated. We can view files in the browser, add notes, and shoot them back to the folder. I think it cuts half an hour to an hour out of review and approval for each project.

Adobe - You’ve been handling administration personally. What has that experience been like?

Abe - It’s really been pretty easy. I simply enter the email address of the person I need to add into Team Management. The employee gets an email and sign’s up. I can also reassign seats easily. I have done that quite a bit. We have contractors that we bring in and I just add them to the team, and reassign the seats when they’re done. We don’t have to buy new software, so it’s a huge benefit from a financial standpoint.

Adobe - What was it like in the past when it came time to upgrade?

Abe - I went through the upgrade to Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver CS5. We had to get approval of $30,000 for the whole team, which is a big request. It was a complicated process to get everything approved and to justify the upgrade to management. Then we had to go through installation. Now, I can pay the monthly fee and I don’t have to wait for access codes or someone to install it. We just manage everything through the browser.
Plus, it makes sense financially. I pitched using Creative Cloud to my management and explained how easy and cost-effective it would be to leverage new technology. It’s great to be able to offer a solution that leads to efficiency and cost-savings.

Adobe - Besides the design team members, who else benefits from FindLaw’s Adobe Creative Cloud for teams membership?

Abe - We have our design team of approximately 30 employees plus our support and maintenance teams, which is nearly 40 licenses. We’ve also have a development team of 17 employees that have Adobe Photoshop licenses for the Cloud. All they need is Photoshop, but I encouraged them to use Creative Cloud.

Adobe - What are your favorite tools in Adobe Creative Cloud?

Abe - I love Adobe InDesign. I have since my first job. Right now, I’m just digging in to Adobe Edge Tools & Services. I’m particularly interested in Edge Reflow for responsive design work. I’ve also put a site together in Adobe Muse. I’m looking at all of those solutions right now. I’m always on the lookout for better tools.

“I work without seeing what I’m creating. Programming is like writing words.”

– Artist and web designer, Kazumasa Teshigawara aka “qubibi”

If qubibi’s words rings true for you, you might want to dive a bit deeper into his story. qubibi’s inspiration spurs from his observations around his home city Tokyo, Japan. He uses the city’s energy to craft his designs, emphasizing in animation. When asked how he turns an idea into art, he reveals, “I begin by writing and then I imagine music. After that, I start using digital tools like Photoshop without making any sketches, I just work directly on the computer and see how it evolves… In my case I can’t create art without Creative Cloud.” Check out his recent redesign of the Creative Cloud logo and more background on his work in the video below:

The Creative Cloud provides designers like qubibi with built-in shortcuts for everything from debugging to simple animations so they can spend less time on tedious tasks and focus on what makes web design fun, creativity. qubibi uses Creative Cloud to access his work from any computer at any time and benefits from sharing his work with fellow designers on Behance. Find out more about Creative Cloud and the future for web designers like you.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more web design news, tutorials, inspiration and more.

Last week Adobe Illustrator’s sweepstakes on Facebook ended and now we finally have all 1,000 winners of the limited edition Dylan Roscover Venus poster. See below if your name is listed and if it is, you should be getting an email from Adobe asking for your address so we can ship your poster. Thanks to all of you who participated!