Help test new beginner Photoshop tutorials!

[Pete.Green]

Adobe is creating a new series of Getting Started Series tutorials for Photoshop. The series consists of 10 tutorial pages, and each page has 3-5 videos.

In order to ensure success with this effort, we want to test the tutorials with as many people as possible.

Who? Although everyone is welcome to chip in, we are looking for a specific user profile:

• Total beginner
• Motivated to learn
• Willing to complete a survey following each tutorial
• (optional; no more than 5-10 testers per product) Willing to meet with us in-person for detailed feedback

Timeframe? June20 to June 30, 2017

How? If you would like to participate, respond to this thread saying you're interested, and we'll follow up with you via e-mail.

[Ronald Keller]

Hello Pete,

I am not a beginner but I am interested as I teach Photoshop in our local photography club.

So your tutorials could very well help me in that respect.

Is this okay with you?

Greetings from Belgium,

Ronald

[ranielse]

Thanks Andrea and Ronald. I'll be in touch!

Randy Nielsen

Adobe

[happie_97]

Hi Pete,

I am not a beginner but I love testing tutorials. I can remove my experience hat and test as a novice for you. I am interested if this is an option. I always learn something new regardless of experience.

Andrea

[JJMack]

Pete using  motivated beginner to test tutorials will only identify which tutorials are over there heads and tutorials the beginners have a hard time with.   IMO you should open this up to all that want to help new uses so the can give you suggestion as to how to make the tutorials more suited for beginners in thier opinion.  Humans learn differently and some require more time and different instructions. If you want to limit this to  motivated  beginners you should have posted this in the Photoshop for Beginners forum. Here I believe many will think your motivated beginners thing is a pipe dream.

[Trevor.Dennis]

JJMack  wrote

Pete using  motivated beginner to test tutorials will only identify which tutorials are over there heads and tutorials the beginners have a hard time with.   IMO you should open this up to all that want to help new uses so the can give you suggestion as to how to make the tutorials more suited for beginners in thier opinion.  Humans learn differently and some require more time and different instructions. If you want to limit this to  motivated  beginners you should have posted this in the Photoshop for Beginners  forum. Here I believe many will think your motivated beginners thing is a pipe dream.

The problem with non beginners is that we might miss those steps that we assume are obvious, and that we perform by reflex and muscle memory.  Those are the steps likely to trap a beginner because the author glossed over them as too obvious to describe fully.

Something Adobe might like to look at is making these tutorials findable.  IMO they took a big step backwards when they changed from Adobe TV's list format to the visually more pretty front end.  The list had a hundred or so titles, split into categories.  From a forum regular's point of view we could quickly home in on a relevant tutorial in forum answers.  After the move to a more graphic rich approach, even knowing a particular title's wording did not guarantee you'd be able to find it. 

[Silkrooster]

I don't know how many times I have read someone looking for beginner tutorials, whether it be visual or written. I like the idea of making it findable. However I would go one step further, besides updating the Adobe TV search and category list, I would like to see a dedicated page in the help system that lists all the beginner tutorials created by Adobe and its supporters. A link to that list should also be on the overview page of the photoshop and photoshop beginners forums. Which leads me to believe another list should be made for Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Lightroom. Can't leave anyone out if it can be helped.

[Trevor.Dennis]

Silkrooster  wrote

I don't know how many times I have read someone looking for beginner tutorials, whether it be visual or written. I like the idea of making it findable. However I would go one step further, besides updating the Adobe TV search and category list, I would like to see a dedicated page in the help system that lists all the beginner tutorials created by Adobe and its supporters. A link to that list should also be on the overview page of the photoshop and photoshop beginners forums. Which leads me to believe another list should be made for Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Lightroom. Can't leave anyone out if it can be helped.

It's so obvious you have to wonder why it is not already in place.  The old list system I am referring to was similar to the way Lynda.com lays out its titles with sub categories with up to a dozen videos in each one.  The beauty of this approach is that you get to see everything.  The current graphics rich front end means you are likely to miss any title that you don't think to search for.

I can think back to going to Photoshop seminars years ago where a number of techniques and workflows were demonstrated.  We were unlikely to master those techniques, but our introduction allowed us to investigate further when we got home.  So much of what Photoshop can do nowadays must seem like magic to a beginner.  How are those beginners going to know to go looking for concepts that they can't even imagine?

[fenjas29325284]

Pete,

you also should post this invitation in the "Photoshop for Beginners" forum.

Though there are fewer visitors the density of beginners is high.

Fenja

[joecos55]

Hi pete

I am very interested in taking part in the program

Joe Cosentino

[Swandive stream]

Personally if learning something new I prefer a more page-based format to a video as you can take the time you need without having to constantly pause the video (or track through a waffling introduction in the case of amateur  YouTube tutorials).

I used to use Sony Vegas (like Premiere Pro though less advanced) which had mini-guides built directly in and would guide you based on whatever content you had already (e.g. applying transitions to clips). I don't know how they did it but it was a  really good way to do things I found.

[JJMack]

Yes people learn differently both types of tutorials are needed and can be combined.  Reading for me can be a choir for me and with video you will always miss important things the video player need to have good controls so the user can pause and back up the video.  The video also need to be High quality carefully planed so everything can be seen and re viewed If shortcut are used that needs to be emphasized and the video must have audio.  Any video without audio is poor but I can not type and communicate well verbally so I'm likely to type some and have video without audio for my stuff. Its the best that I can do. Teachers as well as students can have their problems.

[ranielse]

Hi all,

To be clear, everyone is welcome to chip in. Honestly, we'd love to have your input.

Just let me know if you're interested.

Regards,

Randy Nielsen

Adobe

[Nancy OShea]

u9iouiuljuiouj  wrote

Personally if learning something new I prefer a more page-based format to a video as you can take the time you need without having to constantly pause the video (or track through a waffling introduction in the case of amateur  YouTube tutorials).

I completely agree.  Videos, even the good ones, tend to gloss over finer points.  Or they move so fast that people of all levels miss a key transition.   IMO, written tuts with screenshots are more fail-safe than short videos.   However, accompanying videos can work well, providing the documentation is accurate and current.

Pete.Green, 

Although I'm no longer a beginner, I remember being one and I know which areas of PS the typical beginner user struggles with.   If you want some private feedback, I'd be willing to help.

Nancy

[Mr_Meharwade]

Hi I am interested to test this tutorial and I can also learn something out of it definitely...

MSM

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

[susank48234880]

Hi Pete - Would love to be included in the testing group.  Thanks.

[ViniBee]

I meet those criteria!

[carrisam53654538]

Hello,

I would be interested in participating. I actually came across this forum looking for tutorials or training classes for photoshop. I was going to take a class through a university, but wanted to see if Adobe offered something directly. I am a beginner with Photoshop, but have working knowledge of InDesign.

Thank you,

Carrisa

[francisco rb5470484]

Is there still room for 1 more?

[ranielse]

Hi,

My name is Randy Nielsen, and I'm running the User Testing for Photoshop. As of right now (8:36 AM, US EDT on Friday), I have sent e-mails to everyone who has volunteered. If you did not receive an e-mail, please check your Spam folder. If it's not there, feel free to contact me directly.

Many thanks in advance!

Randy Nielsen

Adobe

[Dennis Hughes]

Pete, I'm interested, but not a beginner.

Dennis

[AndsHC]

im interested

ands.hdez@me.com

[rykag56682567]

Hi,

I am interested and a beginner.

Ryka

[Derek Cross]

Willing to meet with us in-person for detailed feedback

Where will that be?

[ranielse]

@Derek, we're going to meet over the phone, perhaps using video. Not in-person.

Regards

-Randy