{"id":757,"date":"2017-06-28T16:43:55","date_gmt":"2017-06-28T16:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/?p=757"},"modified":"2017-06-28T17:09:59","modified_gmt":"2017-06-28T17:09:59","slug":"adobe-pros-pick-their-favorite-early-bird-semifinalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/?p=757","title":{"rendered":"Adobe Pros Pick their Favorite Early Bird Semifinalists"},"content":{"rendered":"

We reached out to a slate of Adobe pros with all-star careers and asked them to choose their favorite entries from the ADAA 2017 Early Bird Semifinalists<\/a>. Read on to find out who these superstars are, and who they\u2019ll be cheering for in the next round of competition\u2026<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\"\"<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

SONJA HERNANDEZ, Experience Design Manager, Adobe Design<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sonja leads two teams at Adobe: the Adobe Design Brand team, responsible for creating all product logos and splash screens, and the Icon team, responsible for in-app workflow icons in desktop software and mobile products. She\u2019s also created environmental graphics and large-scale art pieces for Adobe offices around the world.<\/p>\n

Sonja\u2019s cheering for:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMox\u201d<\/em><\/a> by Sumana Amatayakul (School of Visual Arts; Commercial – Web \/ App \/ Game Design). I love this concept because it enhances\u00a0an existing physical experience in a simple, clever, and fun way. With the barrage of unattractive, over-hyped fitness equipment out on the market, it works on both a personal and group level, and\u00a0it has a built-in naturally-evolving experience to retain users over time.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sumana has thought out various user experiences well, explaining the differences in mode of the app and how the sleeve would react. App designs clearly communicate the intention behind each workout type and the extended training functionality.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n\u201cMox\u201d by Sumana Amatayakul
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\nThe branding is strong and consistent, and the photography and styling reinforce the product and elevate the idea of workout to something cool and fun. I also love seeing Sumana\u2019s sketchbook notes and thinking behind the placement of sensors and physical interaction with the bag. Although it\u2019s been years since I\u2019ve boxed, this made me wish it was already out so I could try it!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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ERIK NATZKE, Principal Artist in Residence, Creative Intelligence Lab<\/strong><\/p>\n

Erik is an artist, designer, and programmer and the Principal Artist in Residence for the Creative Intelligence Lab within Adobe Research. There, he promotes innovation in Adobe\u2019s tools while searching for ways to reduce friction in the creative process for Adobe\u2019s customers.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Erik\u2019s cheering for: <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cCanada is the World\u201d<\/em><\/a> by Jason Lau (McMaster University; Social Impact – Photography \/ Print \/ Illustration \/ Graphic). <\/em>Canada, typography, and politics that mean something!<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n<\/em>\u201cCanada is the World\u201d by Jason Lau<\/p>\n

To be fair, the concept might be a tad opportunistic at this historical moment; still, I can\u2019t help but be drawn in by both the aesthetic and the intention. I genuinely like both.<\/em><\/p>\n

(Note: <\/strong>Erik hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario)<\/p>\n

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SYD WEILER, 2016 – 17 Adobe Creative Resident<\/strong><\/p>\n

Syd is an illustrator, animator, and creative streamer who makes work inspired by everyday occurrences \u2013 especially the little stuff, and things found in nature. She also creates unique Photoshop brushes.\u00a0During her year as one of Adobe\u2019s Creative Residents<\/a>, she developed a\u00a0popular creative community around her streaming work.<\/p>\n

Syd\u2019s cheering for:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHue Worlds\u201d<\/em><\/a> by Raymond Tonga (Sheridan College; Fine Art –\u00a0Illustration). By far! This series is not only an incredible exploration of color theory and an amazing application on a technical level, it\u2019s also a great example of world building, shape language, and character emotion.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n<\/a>\u201cHue Worlds\u201d by Raymond Tonga<\/p>\n

Ray’s entire portfolio is extraordinary and full of joy \u2013 it definitely stood out against the other entries for me.<\/em><\/p>\n

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DAN COWLES, Senior Creative Director, Video, Adobe Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dan and his team create video content for adobe.com, Adobe Create Magazine<\/a>, social media, events, and more.<\/p>\n

Dan\u2019s cheering for:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c1 Nation\u201d<\/em><\/a> by Mary Elizabeth Morse and Caroline Skarupa (Miami Ad School; Social Impact – Video Editing \/ Post-Production \/ Animation \/ Motion Graphics).<\/em><\/p>\n

Of the many impressive and ambitious animation pieces, the one that really caught my eye was one of the more visually straightforward. It\u2019s a simple but strong story, well told. With some clean but clever animation ideas that illustrate the script well and set to a nice score and sound design, all the parts just click to tell their story of \u201chope, unity, and healing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201c1 Nation\u201d by Mary Elizabeth Morse and Caroline Skarupa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\n<\/a>\u201cBombay Showreel\u201d by Pulkit Goyal<\/p>\n

Another piece that got me excited was Pulkit Goyal\u2019s <\/em>\u201cBombay Showreel\u201d<\/em><\/a>. Pulkit pulls together some nicely shot footage into a clever edit, with great pace and rhythm, and he captures the essence and texture of what is a very intense city without resorting to clich\u00e9s or feeling like a travelogue.<\/em><\/p>\n

With both of these pieces, I felt like I was in good and competent hands, and they both moved me emotionally, which is usually an indicator that something is working right. <\/em><\/p>\n

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ERICA LARSON, Art Director, Brand Strategy + Design<\/strong><\/p>\n

Erica is a graphic artist, designer, and art director\u00a0on the Studio team at Adobe. In formal terms, she\u00a0makes stuff that makes others want to make stuff.<\/p>\n

Erica\u2019s cheering for:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMoth Holes\u201d<\/em><\/a> by Aliya Ghare (OCAD University; Social Impact – Photography \/ Print \/ Illustration \/ Graphic). This work is a powerful example of editorial illustration. It caused me to examine my perspective on a complex topic. The concept is an instant read but the meaning deepens as you notice the details. It\u2019s beautiful from a technical standpoint, too. The palette and composition drew me in.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n<\/a>\u201cMoth Holes\u201d by Aliya Ghare<\/p>\n

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\n<\/em>\u201cPeng Pai\u201d by Yi-Hsuan Li and Jui-Che Wu<\/p>\n

I also like <\/em>\u201cPeng Pai\u201d<\/em><\/a> by Yi-Hsuan Li and Jui-Che Wu (National Chiao Tung University; Commercial – Print \/ Graphic \/ Illustration). I can hear these posters. Somehow the artists have created imagery that is percussive but peaceful, mathematical but expressive \u2014 with just one shape and the color black. I also appreciate the way they have broken up the space of the page and their contemporary typographic choices.<\/em><\/p>\n

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CRAIG WINSLOW, 2016 – 17 Adobe Creative Resident<\/strong><\/p>\n

Craig is an experiential designer with a passion for blending the physical and digital. During his time as an Adobe Creative Resident<\/a>, he brought to life his flagship project, \u201cLight Capsules\u201d<\/a>, reviving dozens of fading ads & local history across the United States and UK.<\/p>\n

Craig\u2019s cheering for:<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s REALLY hard to choose, but I\u2019m also going to go with <\/em>\u201cMox\u201d<\/em><\/a> by Sumana Amatayakul.<\/em><\/p>\n

I really dig the concept. It’s a unique solution to not only make a workout more exciting, but also to educate the user on different boxing patterns. I can also imagine the punching bag becomes a 360\u00ba experience, adding a bigger challenge to physically move around the bag, following illuminated instructions.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n<\/a>\u201cMox\u201d by Sumana Amatayakul<\/p>\n

In a realistic gym setting this product might not stand up to the wear and tear of the daily beatings it would receive, but their project page lays out <\/em>thoughtful considerations<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for materials, including a shock absorbent gel layer, pressure sensors, waterproofing, and more. I’d love to play with this in real life; it feels like a fresh idea with many possibilities to create entirely new physical workouts. I don’t even box, but it makes me want to try, which is exactly what the project aims to inspire!<\/em><\/p>\n

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So, there you have it \u2013\u00a0definitely some standouts in this year\u2019s Early Bird Semifinalists, but only the official judges will have say over who the real<\/u> ADAA winners will be\u2026<\/p>\n

More pros will<\/u> pick more favorites from the next batch of semifinalists, though; stay tuned until the Session 2 announcement on July 21, 2017<\/a> to find out who they are and who they\u2019re cheering for!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We reached out to a slate of Adobe pros with all-star careers and asked them to choose their favorite entries from the ADAA 2017 Early Bird Semifinalists. Read on to find out who these superstars are, and who they\u2019ll be cheering for in the next round of competition\u2026  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":780,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[44,53,32],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=757"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":786,"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions\/786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/career.adobeawards.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}