Step 1: Setting up a project

Go to Adobe Creative Express Home. If you already have an adobe account sign in, if not, hit the start now button and create a new account.

Once you have an account and are signed in select the Create a project button. Note: Your UCSC email gives you access to a free Adobe account. Find more info here!

From the tab bar towards the top of your screen, select Video

Next, select a template to start or your project or start from scratch.

Once your project has been set up, you will land on the workspace page for your project.

Step 2: Sharing your Project with your team:

At this point, you are able to invite your team members to your project.

To invite team members, click the "Share" button at the top of the project window.

After selecting Invite, a menu will pop up that allows you to add people to your project through email.

Add as many team members as your project requires.

Step 3: Working with the Layout

Adobe Spark features a number of pre-made templates to help you design the basic layout of your project.

To view and select a theme, left-click the Template menu in the upper right of your project window.

The Template menu should now show you a variety of different designs for your project.

Each design comes with a few different color choices and the ability to shuffle the color pallet.

Once you have selected a design for your project you can start working on individual slides.

Note: Spark allows you to resize your video for different platforms. Widescreen is the typical video output for video streaming services like Youtube and Vimeo. Square is perfect for social media applications like Instagram.

Step 4: Creating your Slide

Spark gives you a few options for creating your slide.

First, create a new slide by clicking the "add scene" button on the bottom right by the timeline.

The Grid menu allows you to select some basic slide designs.

Once you are satisfied with your slide layout you can begin to add text and media to the presentation.

Note: Each slide is limited to a 30-second duration. Change the duration of each slide by dragging the sides of the slide on the timeline bar.

Step 5: Adding Media

On the left-hand menu bar, click on Media to add photos, videos and other media you would like to your video. 

You can choose from Adobe Spark's media browser, or upload media directly from your device. The top tab on this Media are the options for Photo, Video, and Audio. Toggle through these tabs to upload the type of media you would like. 

Step 6: Adding Text

Below the Media tab is the Text tab, click here for a menu of pre-loaded fonts and text styles, or upload your own text. 

Note: See section Additional Tools below for information on icons.

After selecting text, a text editor will appear on your slide.

Note: Users can move their text around the slide area.

Step 8: Exporting

To export your video simply select the download option at the top of your work area.

Spark will automatically create a .mp4 video of your presentation just select a destination to save your video file.

Alternatively, you can get a sharable link by selecting the Share menu. This will allow users to share and embed their video files around the web.

Preview:

You can preview your video at any time by selecting either the Preview button at the top or clicking the Play button at the bottom left

Icons and Elements

Spark has the option available for users to use images and icons from its asset library.

Different icons can be searched for and added to a slide.

Images can also be searched for and added to a slide.