Transforming Local Businesses With Adobe Express AI

As a content creator, I find immense joy in sharing my knowledge of technology and AI, especially with local businesses here in Worcester, MA. While my full-time work with Feisworld Media, my podcast, and my YouTube channel is rewarding, there's a special excitement that comes from in-person collaboration.

Adobe Express has become a cornerstone of my creative toolkit for everything from podcast covers to YouTube thumbnails. When Adobe integrated generative AI features like Text to Image and Text Effects in mid-2023, it was a game-changer. These tools empower anyone to produce custom visuals and text styles from simple prompts.

I’ve been sharing these tools with entrepreneurs in my community—hardworking business owners whose dedication is truly inspiring. In return, they've taught me clever tricks and shown me features I hadn't even discovered myself. It’s a powerful reminder that collaboration fuels growth for everyone.

Here are four Adobe Express features that can revolutionize how you create content, with examples from some amazing local businesses.

Harnessing AI with Generate Image

I connected with Zathan Simpson, the owner of Blackstone River CrossFit, to explore how AI could help his gym. Using the Generate Image feature, he can now create dynamic, on-brand backgrounds for flyers and social media without a hefty budget for custom photography. No more settling for generic stock photos.

To use it, you just type a description. Our initial prompt was "female CrossFit athlete lifting barbell, empowering, strong, modern gym environment, bold colors."

Screenshot: Fei Wu

Perfecting the image can take a few tries. We found that including the term "CrossFit" sometimes resulted in overly muscular models. By removing it and adding keywords like "beginners," we generated images that felt more welcoming and relatable for new member campaigns.

Adobe Express image results when the above prompt was revised to add the word "beginner" and remove the word "CrossFit."

You can also upload a Reference Image to guide the style and composition or adjust settings like Content Type (Photo, Graphic, Art) and Style (watercolor, painting) to fine-tune the results.

Polishing Photos with Remove Object

This feature intelligently erases unwanted elements from a photo, like background clutter or people, and fills the space naturally. I showed designer Melissa Mattson of the fashion brand Cosmic Unicornz how to use Remove Object to clean up her product photos. It helps her handmade pieces stand out on social media.

It's also great for everyday edits. As you can see in a recent Instagram post, I removed myself from a photo in just a few clicks. It's perfect for situations where you don't have permission to feature someone in an image.

A post from my Instagram showing the Remove Object feature.

A related feature, Insert Object, lets you add new elements to an image simply by describing them.

Instantly Create Designs with Generate Template

Generate Template (or Text to Template) builds fully designed, customizable templates from a prompt. For my mom Xiang Li's solo art exhibit at the New England Botanic Garden, I used this to create beautiful notecards. I entered the prompt "card template for botanic garden," and Adobe Express provided several ready-to-use options, which I easily customized.

Generative AI produced initial promotional graphics, which I then customized.

Making Text Pop with Generate Text Effect

You can also transform plain text into AI-generated art. Think metallic textures, glowing letters, or handwritten styles. For my own brand, I use Generate Text Effect for eye-catching titles and video thumbnails.

Dance Fitness Collaboration, a local studio, used this to create "ZUMBATHON" text in a fun balloon style for an event flyer. The owners simply prompted "3D rendered plastic balloon" to add flair to their social media post.

In this graphic, Adobe Express' generative features were used on the text "Zumbathon" for more visual pop.

Adobe Express's generative AI features have opened up a new world of creativity. For me, my mom, and the local businesses I work with, these tools help bring ideas to life quickly and professionally, without needing advanced skills or a big budget.

If you're a creator or small business owner, I highly recommend giving these tools a try. Feel free to say hello on LinkedIn or YouTube and share what you create!