The CreativePro Podcast

In this episode of the CreativePro Podcast, David Blatner and Theresa Jackson pull back the curtain on how the CreativePro Week 2026 agenda came together for this summer's event in Nashville. Recorded in conjunction with the agenda launch, the conversation offers a timely look at the decisions shaping the program. If you've ever attended CreativePro Week and felt like the content spoke directly to your day-to-day work, this episode sheds light on why. David and Theresa talk about how listener feedback, community conversations, and real-world creative challenges influence what makes it onto the agenda. They also discuss how CreativePro Week fits into a larger ecosystem of events, membership, and ongoing education. They reflect on how the needs of creative professionals have evolved over time, why certain topics return year after year, and how particular constraints affect what ultimately makes it onto the schedule. This is a candid conversation about learning, community, and the invisible work that supports meaningful professional development for designers who want more than surface-level inspiration. Episode Highlights Theresa describes agenda planning as solving a difficult puzzle, and the relief of finally locking in the 2026 CreativePro Week schedule David and Theresa share where session topics actually come from, including speaker submissions, focus group surveys, and ideas shaped through conversations with each other and the community David admits that even Adobe designers still have to work in a Microsoft world Theresa shares what matters most when deciding whether to work with a new CreativePro speaker Why switching to Miro changed the entire agenda-building process, from color-coded topics to drag-and-drop scheduling and real-time collaboration Episode Resources CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026: https://creativeproweek.com/ CreativePro Events: https://creativepro.com/events/ Speaker submissions: https://creativepro.com/speak-at-our-events/ Miro online white board https://miro.com/ Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/events/ Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code PODCAST: https://creativepro.com/become-a-member/

Theresa Jackson and Mike Rankin kick off the new year by reflecting on 2025 before looking ahead to 2026. They share their thoughts on design trends for 2026, framed less as visual styles and more as shifts in behavior and mindset. They also react to the Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, and what it suggests about the current cultural mood. AI enters the discussion, as it has become part of nearly every conversation about the creative industry. Theresa and Mike talk about AI as one piece of a much bigger picture—how it's influencing tools, workflows, and expectations without defining the entire creative process. The episode wraps with a practical perspective on skill building for the year ahead and a look forward at what's coming next for CreativePro, including the 2026 content direction they're excited about. This episode offers a grounded reset for the new year—reflective, forward-looking, and focused on helping creative professionals move into 2026 with intention and confidence. Episode Highlights Theresa and Mike reflect on what stood out in 2025 and what they were proud of accomplishing. They discuss design trends for 2026 and why those trends are not about colors or type. Hear their reactions to the Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, and what that choice suggests about the current cultural moment. Follow how AI enters the conversation naturally, as part of ongoing discussions about design tools, workflows, and expectations. Hear how talking about AI leads to a broader conversation about fundamentals, judgment, and experience. Get a preview of what's coming next for CreativePro, including what Theresa and Mike are excited to share in 2026. Episode Resources CreativePro Events Design Trends for 2026 – Adobe Blog Pantone Color of the Year 2026 Color and Culture by Nicte Cuevas Rebranding CreativePro – article by Nicte Cuevas Before&After – articles by John McWade How to Keep AI-Generated Presentations Fully Editable – tutorial by Camille Holden CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

Theresa Jackson kicks off this episode of the CreativePro Podcast by digging into one of the most common frustrations for creative teams: review and approval chaos. She's joined by Mike McHugh from PageProof. Listeners are invited to learn alongside Theresa as she asks the questions many teams wrestle with every day. Together, they unpack why creative reviews break down, why email and ad-hoc tools fail at scale, and how centralized proofing changes the way designers, marketers, legal teams, and executives work together. They also explore accountability, reporting, and the human side of approvals, including why people—not tools—are usually the biggest bottleneck. The conversation closes with a look at how AI is beginning to support review and compliance, and why clear processes matter more than ever as creative work scales. Episode Highlights Hear Theresa slowly realize this is way more than a proofing tool—and why her workflow brain kicks into overdrive. Listen as Mike calls out email as the quiet culprit behind most approval chaos. Catch the moment when replacing copy without breaking styles feels almost too good to be true. Feel seen as Theresa and Mike put words to what you already know: people, not tools, are where things usually get stuck. Hear how visibility and accountability change reviewer behavior once everyone's progress is out in the open. Listen as the conversation turns to AI, content credentials, and spotting what changed—and what shouldn't have. Episode Resources PageProof – website PageProof Adobe Add-on – learn more Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) – website ​​CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

Mike Parkinson and Jody Wissing join the CreativePro Podcast for a candid conversation about their unexpected paths into presentation design. They explain that presentation design isn't what most people think it is. It's not about making pretty slides. It's about understanding and caring about the content well enough to turn it into a story. They walk through their favorite features for building slides in PowerPoint plus other essential apps for outlining, note gathering, and creating visual elements. Their conversation includes open and honest thoughts about the growing role of AI in presentation design. They share what's helping them, what's changing their workflows, and what keeps them curious—or cautious. They also talk about where they hope AI will take the industry and where they'd prefer it not to go, all while emphasizing the human thinking that still guides great presentation work. Episode Highlights Hear how Jody's very first presentation on a kindergarten playground set the tone for a lifetime of storytelling. Follow Mike's winding path from fine art to bioengineering to comic books before he ever opened PowerPoint. Learn why Jody sometimes shows 300+ slides in a 45-minute presentation, and how audiences never notice. Hear Mike describe AI as a Friction Fixer or Accelerator. It is part of the process, not the product. Listen as both designers share how AI is already part of their daily process, what it helps them do, and why the human element still matters. Catch their honest fears and hopes for AI—including how far they think avatars might go. Resources and Links Mike Parkinson – Website Jody Wissing – Website Inkscape – Free vector graphics editor Slidewise – Add-in for managing and inspecting PowerPoint content NXPowerLite – Windows file compressor Creative Cloud Libraries for PowerPoint – Add On The Presentation Design Conference 2026, February 17–20, 2026 CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

David Blatner and Theresa Jackson return from Adobe MAX 2025 with stories, insights, and a few surprises. They recap the biggest announcements, their favorite new features, and the feeling of creative inspiration that had nothing to do with Adobe. From AI showing up in nearly every app to Firefly credits, new collaboration tools, and what it all means for creative professionals, they break down the most important takeaways from Adobe's flagship event. Episode Highlights David and Theresa share their experiences at Adobe MAX 2025 — what makes it both inspiring and overwhelming. Why David calls Adobe MAX a "double-edged sword" — part innovation showcase, part marketing machine. Theresa's favorite new Lightroom feature: AI-powered photo culling. Their cautiously optimistic thoughts about Firefly Boards and Creative Cloud Projects. An honest conversation about AI credits, ethics, and the future of Adobe's business model. What tools and gadgets inspired their friends at MAX — from painting software to portable lighting. The unexpected creative tip from Jason Hoppe that had everyone laughing (and rethinking their Halloween jack-o'-lanterns). How attending events like Adobe MAX and CreativePro Week builds real creative community. Links & Resources Adobe MAX Sneaks 2025 Escape Motions: Rebelle Painting Software Harlowe Lights Jason Hoppe's Pumpkin Carving - https://www.youtube.com/@JasonHoppe The InDesign Conference 2025, December 9–12 The Presentation Design Conference 2026, February 17–20 ​​CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3 Next Office Hours, Friday, December 19, at 3PM ET