(Image from PNGTree.com)
In section 4.6, “Don’t Be Afraid of Adobe,” Daniel Lawrence challenges the "hesitation" directly. His argument goes beyond software tutorials, but focuses on changing your mindset. It is about taking your writing and creating a “bigger” picture for your audience. It is not just about learning various software to put to use.
In Digital Writing: A Guide to Writing for Social Media and the Web, Lawrence (2022) pushes the idea that digital writing today is more than words on a screen. When you are "writing online", it is important to understand the impact of digital implications. What does this mean? It means, as a creator, you must start thinking about the layout, visuals, movement, branding, and the audience you are trying to attract with your digital content. As we can see everywhere in the world (whether we like it or not) communication now is more visual and interactive. So by ignoring these tools that help shape that product, we begin to limit how “powerful” the message we are trying to portray can be.
Avoiding Adobe (or any creative tool) usually is not about time. It is about confidence. We tell ourselves, “I am not creative like that,” or “That is too technical for me.” Research shows that engaging with digital tools actually strengthens everyones digital literacy skills. No matter the age. A recent study by Soufghalem et al. (2024) found that when students (people) actively use technology to create content-their ability to communicate clearly and think critically improves.
When you design a graphic, you think about clarity.
When you edit a video, you think about pacing and timing.
When you create something in Illustrator, you consider balance and visual impact.
In all these projects you consult your audience and the engagement goal.
Another recent article by Kimmons and Rosenberg (2022) emphasizes that digital literacy is no longer optional in education or professional spaces. Yet, it is found more of a "foundational" piece. If we want students (or ourselves) to communicate effectively in today’s 21st century learning-world, we have to move beyond “text-only” thinking. That does not mean everyone needs to become a professional designer, but it does mean we should not hide behind the excuse that “I am just a writer” or “I cannot do it”.
It is important to remember, that to complete digital writing, you do not have to be a professional or create a "magazine" ready graphic. Starting simple and experimenting builds confidence and digital literacy. There are many sources out there to help you discover various tools. For example, here is a beginner-friendly tutorial playlist that walks through fundamental features of Adobe Photoshop.
From my perspective, especially as someone who values technology within education, this section of our text and additional references mentioned, connects deeply to the “mindset” of using technology. As a educator, we are constantly being watched as professionals "models". When it comes to digital media usages/creation, if we model curiosity and willingness to learn, even imperfectly, we create a culture where experimentation is normal.
The goal is not a mastery-skill that you can obtain overnight. It is all about exposure. Tools like Adobe can feel overwhelming, but the fear usually fades once you click around and experiment.
The deeper argument within this section can be summed up in this statement: Digital Writers should not avoid tools that stretch them.
Let us look at "Don't Be Afraid of Adobe" through a different lens and change it to "Don't Be Afraid to Expand Your Skills".
For a simple view on the emphasis behind this post- from initial intimidation to building a creative confidence- see the infographic attached.
Happy Creating!
(Infographic created by author of this blog)
Kimmons, R., & Rosenberg, J. M. (2022). Teaching and learning in the digital age: Advancing digital literacy for educators. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(3), 1121–1138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10106-8
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Soufghalem, L., Nouri, J., & Saqr, M. (2024). Developing students’ digital literacy through technology-enhanced learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 200, 104798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104798
Will Paterson. (2023, August 29). Adobe Illustrator for
Hey Hunter! Your post makes a strong and encouraging point about how fear, not ability, is often what holds digital writers back from using creative tools. I especially like how you emphasize mindset, because that aligns with Lawrence’s idea that digital composing requires writers to think beyond words and consider design, layout, and audience interaction as part of meaning-making. As Lawrence (2023) explains, digital writing is inherently multimodal, so avoiding tools that shape visuals and structure can actually limit how effectively a message reaches its audience. I also appreciate your argument that experimenting with tools builds confidence and literacy over time, which reinforces the idea that digital skills develop through practice, not perfection. Great job!
ReplyDeleteReference
Lawrence, D. (2023). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
I enjoyed the fact that you kept me engaged throughout your writing. I have tried using Adobe firefly recently and really liked it except that the best features require extra payment. I wish our district would pay for these extra features. It's very interesting how we have completely submerged ourselves into a digital culture which transcends through nearly every aspect of our lives.Visual culture is the aspect we possess of the visual world, which transforms passive observation into a personalized and meaningful understanding of our surroundings (Topelberg & Ventura, 2025). The aesthetics that we choose with our digital images should contain value and purpose (Lawrence, 2022). Whatever graphic design platform we choose to use should enhance the persuasion ideas that accompany the intended message. Different programs may cater to a variety of preferences . I may prefer Canva, while another may prefer Adobe. As long as the digital tool communicates effectively with the intended audience is what matters most.
ReplyDeleteLawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press. Topelberg, N., & Ventura, J. (2025).
Decoding visual culture. Visual Studies, 40(3), 525–543. https://doi.org/10.1080/1472586X.2024.2354476
Hunter,
ReplyDeleteI, myself, have (and still feel) hesitation when it comes to learning new digital tools and design software. But, I appreciate your comment that, many times, the decision to not use these tools is not because I doubt my ideas and content that I want to share, but it is because of intimidation. Lawrence (2022) also speaks on this thought by saying, "one of the biggest hurdles that students and professionals face in breaking into writing-intensive careers is overcoming the obstacle of learning seemingly complex design software (p. 176).
I appreciate the infographic you created guiding us through the journey of moving from fear to accomplishment. I am taking this as encouragement to be brave and begin to experiment with more digital tools!
One thing that I have learned is that sometimes my students can be my greatest help when trying to learn a new tech tool. These skills seem almost second nature to them. I can learn a lot by watching them "do!" They amaze me with their creativity and flexibility. Panergayo and Prudente (2024) also mention this by explaining that "employing Design-Based Learning as instructional intervention in promoting scientific creativity has a positive and strong significant effect in students creative thinking skills" (p. 1192).
Both students and professionals can benefit from ongoing development in technology tools. And with the ever-evolving tech world, it is important we all commit to being tech-learners forever!
REFERENCES
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Panergayo, A. A. E., & Prudente, M. S. (2024). Effectiveness of design-based learning in enhancing scientific creativity in STEM education: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, 12(5), 1182-1196. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijemst.4306
We as teachers have a responsibility to gain experience in learning digital media programs like Adobe to design ways to better present information to our students. Lawrence (2020) states that "In essence, to be a professional writer in our age is to also have a strong grasp of not just textual rhetoric but also visual and sonic rhetoric. (p. 102). While some teachers may not have a lot of experience in using Adobe, Lawrence's quote challenges us to working towards gaining literacy in demonstrating the use of visual and sonic rhetoric when teaching for our students. I liked how you stated that if we ignore trying to gain experience on using digital platforms like Adobe, we begin to limit the potential of how powerful our message can be.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Lawrence, D. (2020). Digital Writing: a guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press