Adobe Tools & AI in Action:
Design and marketing teams don’t always speak the same language—but they should. Whether you’re a tourism marketer, DMO executive, or working with designers on branding and signage, understanding how Adobe’s latest tools fit into your work can make collaboration smoother and results stronger.
That’s exactly what we’ll cover in “Adobe Updates & Practical Use” at the DIY Tourism Marketing Conference in Asheville, NC, on Sunday, March 17, at 1:15 PM. This hands-on Learning Lab will showcase Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Firefly, and Adobe Express through a real-world project: Person County’s Wayfinding Signage System, a collaboration between JM Teague Engineering & Planning and Hornsby Creative.
Adobe’s Essential Tools for Tourism Marketing
Before diving into the case study, we’ll break down what each Adobe tool is designed for and why it matters:
✅ Photoshop – Image editing and retouching, including batch operations for efficiency.
✅ Illustrator – Creating vector graphics, layouts, and production-ready sign designs.
✅ InDesign – Multi-page documents and detailed layouts for marketing and wayfinding plans.
✅ Adobe Firefly – AI-powered image generation for creative assets, inside Adobe apps and independently.
✅ Adobe Express – Quick and easy design for social media and marketing templates, similar to Canva.
Case Study: Person County Wayfinding Signage Project
For Person County’s Wayfinding Signage System, our team at Hornsby Creative partnered with JM Teague Engineering & Planning to design and facilitate stakeholder feedback. Adobe’s tools played a key role at every stage of the project:
1. Designing the Wayfinding System (Illustrator & Firefly)
- Illustrator was the primary tool for all sign layouts, revisions, and production-ready files.
- In the concept phase, Firefly AI helped generate potential iconography based on the county’s branding—while these icons didn’t make the final cut, they played a role in brainstorming.
- Illustrator was also used to scale up final sign designs to actual size, prepare assets, and convert fonts to outlines for production.
2. Creating the Comprehensive Plan (InDesign)
- Every individual sign design was exported from Illustrator and compiled into a full signage plan document using InDesign.
- The final document served as a visual guide for stakeholders and production teams.
3. Enhancing Presentations (Firefly)
- Generative AI helped create background scenery and visual assets to make presentations more engaging.
4. Marketing the Project (Adobe Express)
- Adobe Express was used to create social media content to promote the project.
- Much like Canva, Express allowed for easy template-based designs, ensuring consistency across marketing materials.
5. Streamlining Stakeholder Input (ChatGPT)
- AI also played a role beyond design—ChatGPT helped compile stakeholder feedback into a clear, actionable summary, making collaboration more effective.
Join the Learning Lab: Hands-On Adobe Experience
At 1:15 PM on March 17, you’ll get the chance to try these tools yourself in a hands-on Learning Lab at the DIY Tourism Marketing Conference. Whether you’re a designer or a tourism marketer looking to improve collaboration with creatives, this session will help you:
✔️ Understand Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Firefly & Adobe Express—and when to use each.
✔️ See how we designed and promoted a real-world wayfinding signage system.
✔️ Learn how AI tools like Firefly can streamline the creative process.
✔️ Work hands-on with Adobe tools to create a mock wayfinding signage design.
Where & When to Attend
📍 DIY Tourism Marketing Conference | Asheville, NC
🗓 Sunday, March 17 | 1:15 PM
🔗 View the full schedule
Is this for you?
You don’t have to be a designer to benefit from design tools. Whether you’re working on branding, signage, or social media marketing, understanding how these Adobe applications fit into the process will help you communicate better, collaborate smarter, and create stronger tourism marketing materials.
Want to learn more? Join us at DIY Tourism Marketing Conference—see you in Asheville!
