How do we learn software?
It wasn't that long ago that design software came with an instruction manual. That your company would invest thousands of dollars sending employees to training. That bookstores had shelves of books walking you through every feature of Photoshop or InDesign.
But the internet essentially ended that. With the ability to look up anything online quickly, books and training became far less important to designers. Online training videos walk you though every step. And coupled with the fact that design software is updated incrementally, most designers simply discover new features on their own.
Yet, when working with my students or coworkers, I've discovered that often, they don't know about simple time-saving tricks. These tricks aren't covered in the videos or online tutorials. They are too simple. Many of them aren't even new. They've been in the software for years. But we as designers are stuck in our ways. We are accustomed to the way we do things. We don't always use the software in the most efficient way.
Every Wednesday, I'll post a quick tip. It's my attempt to highlight some of the awesomely easy ways to use Adobe apps better. I've added a page to the site's main navigation to collect all the tips and already posted tips for the last three weeks.
My hope is that these Wednesday Quick Tips will teach you a new tactic (or remind you of one you've forgotten). And by investing a minute or two each week, you'll save many more minutes along the way.