Innovating with Adobe: How This Mexican Artist is Pioneering a New Era of Design
Whether you coming from a graphic design, illustration, marketing or photographing background, Photoshop users know that few design projects are as iconic as the splash screen for Adobe Photoshop 2025. This year, Mexican illustrator and art director Guillermo Flores Pacheco was selected to bring his vibrant vision to life, blending his personal style with cutting-edge AI tools to create a truly groundbreaking piece of digital art.
Following the exciting AI unveilings from last month’s Adobe MAX 2024, Guillermo takes LBB’s April Summers behind the scenes of his creative process, explaining how Adobe’s new AI tools have the ability to enhance the craftsmanship of design.
Sharing how his 20 years of experience with Adobe’s software, combined with the evolving role of AI in design, Guillermo reveals how he crafted a stunning illustration that resonates with both his cultural roots and the global identity of Adobe. From the first spark of inspiration to the integration of AI tools like Firefly, the art director and advertising illustrator reflects on how he navigated the balance between artistic freedom and brand collaboration—offering a unique perspective on the future of design in an AI-driven world.
LBB> How do you strike a balance between expressing your own artistic style and aligning with a global brand like Adobe? How much creative freedom did you have, and what were some of the challenges you faced in aligning your vision with the brand’s identity?
Guillermo> There was total creative freedom, in fact it was super easy work with them. It is easier to get a great result when the customer knows what they want, and they were very open to my proposals. When they came to me they wanted the illustration to be vibrant and full of colour, which is something I love to do all the time. I have worked with Adobe software for 20 years, so it came very naturally to me.
LBB> Guillermo, being the only Mexican artist selected to create the Adobe Photoshop 2025 splash screen is a huge achievement. What was the initial brief, and how did you approach the project?
Guillermo> It's a dream come true! I still remember when I walked into the computer room in college and opened Photoshop for the first time and saw a splash screen and thought to myself, 'What is this? Who did this? Imagine if I could do this one day!’ And now it's happening.
When Adobe invited me to create the illustration they asked me a question that resonated very strongly within me: ‘What is dreaming for you?’ The theme of the brief was DREAM UP and they wanted me to implement the AI technology and generative tools of the software during my creative process.
I wanted to create something that was really meaningful to me, so that when I saw it, it reminded me that it is possible to achieve your dreams. We often believe that magical things can't happen to us and we often limit ourselves, but dreaming gives us the enormous possibility to go beyond any circumstance – it gives us hope.
LBB> What was the feedback process like for this project? Was there a moment where the design evolved or took on a new direction based on client feedback or your own creative evolution?
Guillermo> The feedback was super clear and concise, which made the whole creative process easier. At the beginning we had an initial meeting to kick off the project and Adobe shared their concerns and what they expected from the project. Everything was super clear, and with each revision, they were very punctual with their feedback. They loved the idea from the very first draft I sent them. I was inspired by the portraits created by Gerard van Honthorst during the 20th century. At first I sent them two proposals but I wanted to create something more elaborate and complex so the illustration took a super interesting turn, with me generating images using Firefly to enrich the character.
LBB> At Adobe MAX 2024 last month, Adobe’s Scott Belsky spoke about moving beyond the ‘Prompt Era’ to the ‘Controls Era’, giving designers more power to direct AI tools creatively. How do you see AI influencing the balance between control and craft in design?
Guillermo> I think it is a tool that is there to help us, optimising processes, and giving us the opportunity to take advantage of the time and find more simple solutions. As an advertising illustrator, time is a factor that we usually have against us, so AI helps me to make the most of my workday.
While it is a tool that with a few clicks we can solve simple things (such as removing backgrounds in seconds) it does not mean that it compromises the craft process. I personally love to cut with great attention to detail on each image. It is a key part of my process and a reason I love my work. However, I'm open to learning new tools to optimise my process so I can dedicate more time to other things.
LBB> With the growing role of AI in creative workflows, issues like ethics and inclusivity are becoming more important. How do you think designers can ensure their work remains ethical and inclusive, especially with the power AI tools give to automate and generate content?
Guillermo> I usually use images that I download from paid stocks, but when the client requests a very specific image (like a type of flower or an animal in particular), I generate it through a prompt. Once I have it, I integrate it as another image to my composition. I personally believe many creatives, artists, and designers agree to respect the work of others.
Unethical decisions to plagiarise typically come from third parties that may not be so familiar with the creative processes and who believe it does not seem to matter. However there are many of us who push for ethics and inclusion to be present in these processes. In particular, I am not in favour of creating generic content in order to ‘comply’. My clients have invited me to be part of their dreams and that is very important to me – I respect it deeply.
LBB> As a Mexican artist working on a globally recognised project like Adobe Photoshop, do you think that the increasing global connectivity of design and creative platforms is affecting how local cultural elements are integrated into mainstream global design? Can you share some examples where you see this happening?
Guillermo> There is cultural appropriation and that is unfortunate. I've been working for many years for companies outside Mexico, especially in the United States and Europe. Over time, I learned something important: local artists know and understand better than anyone the cultural context of a city – and that's called hyper locality. So when brands look to me to do something inspired by my culture, my responsibility is to respect and recognise that cultural influence, and give it the value it deserves. I then create my own personal version and interpretation, with the awareness that, in a way, I am a spokesperson. That is why we must be well documented before starting a project, so we can realise what we can and cannot use in order not to fall into these practices.
When I started out as a junior graphic designer, 20 years ago, I learned that the only way to grow and evolve was by researching, reading, investing time in data and information around the project. Doing this definitely helped me become an art director so my advice to other artists is to get more involved and conduct research for each project, do not leave anything to chance. And to be well documented so when we have to generate something through this tool we will be well prepared.
LBB> Looking ahead, what role do you think designers will play in the creative industries as AI continues to evolve? Do you think the future of design will be more collaborative with AI, or do you envision a return to traditional, human-driven creativity in some ways?
Guillermo> I believe that they will evolve into art directors, with a much more complete profile, and better prepared for the future. Companies like Adobe are betting on creating more collaborative communities, where through AI we can achieve better projects, in a more efficient way, but definitely the human factor is key for that to happen.
