About Us
Welcome! We are a local group of professional graphic designers, design students, instructors, and creative hobbyists, who rely on the Adobe Creative Cloud software. While there are Adobe User Groups all over the world, each are coordinated individually by volunteers. Having operated for several years before the pandemic, and by video conference a few times since, we are aiming to reboot our in-person meetings to get the conversation going again!
Leaders organize topics around new features, best practices, and getting-started overviews of Adobe products. We generally focus on the big three (InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop) but do delve into other parts of the suite as the job market continues to evolve and expect different skills in our profession. We are always open for suggestions, and would love to form partnerships with interested organizations. For example, our friends at Suttle-Straus have hosted us a few times with a behind-the-scenes tour of their facility so that we can see how all our pre-press efforts are used in the production of commercially-printed items.
We also offer a space for networking and encourage professionals to offer shadowing and internships for our local design students if their employer allows! Students needing extra help could find a mentor/tutor, as well. Any freelance or formal position openings for any level in the profession are welcome to be announced.
More questions after viewing our site? Contact us below and one of our leaders will respond soon!
Our Gatherings
Typically, we meet in educational and business spaces around the Madison area on a weekday evening for 1.5-2 hours. These classroom spaces usually offer wi-fi, desks, and chairs with a projector for the presenter to use. You are welcome to bring your laptop, though we recommend coming with a full battery in case power outlets are not conveniently located. Depending on the content of the presentation, one-on-one help may be available, but Q&A is always on the agenda! Occasionally, we may be treated to an on-site tour or special host, where facilities are beyond our control. We tend to hold 2-6 events per year, leaving the summer and holiday season free for all the activity that goes on elsewhere.
A typical meeting agenda looks like this:
- Welcome and brief survey of who is joining us (students, pros, enthusiasts, etc.)
- Overview of topic and planned demonstration
- Instructional portion, with a break planned
- Recap of the demonstration
- Q&A with the presenter
- Announce the next meeting's plans and take suggestions
- Open floor announcements for any opportunities for students or professionals (shadowing, internships, jobs)
- Informal networking
Gatherings will never require paid admission! We may put together some raffle prizes to raise money for future snacks (since we know many members are coming straight from work), and any donations will only be used for supporting this organization. We will ask for an RSVP so that we can reserve an appropriate space. If the event looks sold out on Eventbrite, email us and it's likely we can add some more spots!
History
Originally the Madison InDesign User Group, founded in 2007, leaders and members broadened their scope to all Adobe creative apps in 2014 and took on the name Madison Adobe User Group. We are an organization for professionals, students, instructors, and enthusiasts, run entirely by two local volunteers with a little in-kind support from Adobe. Our goal is to foster a community that provides a friendly, accessible place to support each other in creative curiosity and professional development.
Leadership
Our current volunteer leaders are Maribeth and Carrie. Maribeth has been a co-leader since 2010, and Carrie started co-leading in 2024 after several years of membership and speaking at MAUG. Both of them have varied careers of in-house, agency, non-profit, and freelance graphic design experience as well as years in teaching positions at local institutions.
Contact Us
Do you have questions about our organization or events? Suggestions for topics? Invitations from your organization or business to partner with us? Drop us an email and one of our leaders will get back to you soon!
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