This post originally appeared on JEA Digital Media October 12, 2018.  It was updated on April 5, 2022 to reflect the update from Spark to Creative Cloud Express.

If you haven’t used Adobe Creative Cloud Express yet, then you should follow this link right now and get to reading about and using Adobe Creative Cloud Express.

The new-ish technology platform created by Adobe allows users to create a number of different projects to tell stories and bran content. With three different options to create, Adobe Creative Cloud Express is going to be a real game changer when it comes to storytelling and branding for high school media programs. With both apps and web-based options, Creative Cloud Express is certainly going to ignite passion and discovery in your students exactly when and where you need it.

Adobe Post is the simplest of the three options. This one take an image and text to a whole new level. By using a combination of visuals, media programs can use this program to post upcoming events, promotional items such as media releases, highlight specific stories and customize different graphics for writers and various series being produced.

Adobe Video is another quick and easy option to create motion graphics and integrate a video presence into content that you wouldn’t normally plan to because it wasn’t at the forefront of your planning. In these videos, not only can you create a traditional video story, but you can also enhance it with text and other graphic features. This option creates quick stories and promotional bits that can easily be developed in a short amount of time. In addition to motion graphics and traditional video editing features, there are ways to also add audio into your stories to create another layer of storytelling.

Adobe Page is the culminating experience of Spark, and it probably is what will interest student media the most. In this app, storytelling goes to the next level in a easily created web pages. Using a number of pre-created layouts (or completely custom for those who are more adventurous), photos, text and video come together to tell unique and individual stories. From traditional events to personality profiles, students can identify what the key story is that they want to tell and they can develop a page dedicated to it.

What makes these three even better? Everything is linked and shared through social media channels and analytics are easily found on the home screens of individual posts, videos and pages. The fear of an image, text or story not translating to a mobile device from its web-based home is no longer–each fluid layout transfers between devices and size of devices without ruining the integrity of the work.

Head over to Adobe Creative Cloud Express’s homepage to see some of the projects they have stored come to life. I know we’re making the leap, so will you?