The Middle Mile: Pushing Through Development

Getting through the middle of a project is probably one of the hardest parts because the excitement of starting something new has worn off, but the project is not quite finished yet. But, things are a bit different for this digital project launch project. I acctually feel like I am working on something that I am passionate and knowledgabel about, so peicing everything together has been very exciting.

This week, I spent most of my time refining my Lightroom editing guide and figuring out how I wanted the final product to actually flow. I had already created a lot of the content and presets, so my focus shifted from simply making things to deciding how everything should fit together.

One of the biggest changes I made was reorganizing the pages of my guide. Originally, I had more separate sections planned out, but I realized that splitting everything up would make the product feel more complicated than it needed to be.

So, I decided to organize it into three main pages: Lightroom Basics, Warm + Cool Editing, and my five-preset collection. This gives each page a specific purpose while still allowing the guide to feel like one complete product.

At first, I wanted to fit as much information as possible onto each page because I wanted the guide to feel valuable. But once I started putting everything together, I realized that i was including redundant information when i could isntead be making space in the page to include fun details, which i look forward to adding this week.

This has also made me pay more attention to how a beginner would actually use the guide. I do not want someone to open it and feel like they are looking at a giant Lightroom textbook. I want it to feel approachable and give them enough information to understand what they are doing while still leaving room for them to experiment with their own editing style.

As I worked through developing the content of my guide, I also used a few beginner Lightroom resources for inspiration and to make sure I was explaining things clearly. “Total Beginner’s Guide to Lightroom – Step by Step” by Simon Ringsmuth was especially helpful because it focuses on making Lightroom less overwhelming for someone who is just getting started. I also looked at Adobe’s “Take Your First Steps in Lightroom” by Seán Duggan, which walks beginners through the Lightroom workspace and basic editing process, while the “Edit Photos in Lightroom Classic” by Ben Willmore, focuses on using basic adjustments to improve a photo without making the process feel complicated.

At this point, I think the biggest lesson from the development process is that I can’t rush the part where I decide how the product should feel. The actual presets and information are important, but the organization, spacing, and little design details are what will make the guide feel like a finished product rather than just a collection of Lightroom tips. My next step is to keep refining those details, test the guide with more people who are less familiar with Lightroom, and make the final changes based on what I learn.