The Perks of Adobe Photoshop

February 28, 2023

By Maggie Metten

When you first approach Adobe Photoshop, it is very intimidating. There are so many different tools and shortcuts to use that it's very overwhelming to try and learn all of them simultaneously! Photoshop is one of the most significant assets in the PR world, so it's essential to become familiar with the software and feel comfortable using it. Let me show you some tips and tricks on how to navigate Photoshop.

The importance of stakeholders

When designing a campaign or advertisement etc., it's essential to do background research on your audience. You want to be able to convey your message by catering to the audience's likes, dislikes, gender, age, and more. For example, I made a flyer for a specific audience. My audience was a mother who wanted to send her daughter to college only if the college offered a financial aid program. Since that was her main concern, I made the flyer revolve around financial aid and scholarships. This is a great way to attract that specific stakeholder. I also provided a link where she can visit the website to read more information directly. I also researched how to apply for financial aid on OU Recruitment Services' website so that I could provide some background information on the flyer. This flyer was made in Photoshop and was known as my secondary persona stakeholder. My primary stakeholder was a senior in high school. She was actively looking at colleges that promote greek life.

This is the flyer that I made that would attract her and other stakeholders that have similar interests. I also created this on photoshop and made sure to include pictures that showed the spirit of greek life along with making them look symmetrical. It's essential when you are making a design that you make it look visually appealing by including composition and graphic design techniques. Focusing on the design is also what attracts your stakeholders and influences changes.

Advice for working in photoshop:

I know it can be intimidating at first starting to work with Photoshop. My advice for beginners is to explore the software without a motive. Exploring the software without needing to work on a project or a deadline will help one relax and become familiar with the program. Another piece of advice that I encourage is to look up photoshop tutorials. Multiple tutorials on LinkedIn are helpful and guide you through each tool. Photoshop does take practice, I will admit, but the more you familiarize yourself with the software, the more you will be able to use the software for jobs. Photoshop is currently one of the most popular graphic design software, but it also helps one enhance their design skills. They explore their creativity while gaining more knowledge on the best way to attract your target audience.