Adobe Express is an online and mobile design app for creating graphics, videos, and web pages. The app follows a “freemium” model where you can access certain basic features for no cost, although there are premium options available at the paid, upgraded level.
Make a Free Adobe Express Account
Visit express.adobe.com to create a free account using a personal email, not your Smith email. Using your Smith email will generate an error and prevent access.
Select Create new account and enter your information.
Start a Blank Project
Most digital narratives or short videos should be a 16:9 ratio at 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high. You can start a canvas at these dimensions multiple different ways from the home screen of Adobe Express. If you are interested in creating a vertical or portrait style video for TikTok or Instagram, swap the two dimensions and create a file 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels high.
- Option 1: Choose the Video option form the Get started panel at the top of the home screen:
- Option 2: Select the Create new “+” button from the upper lefthand side of the home screen, and then choose Video or YouTube video from the menu (or any other format, as needed):
- Option 3: Manually create a document by selecting the Custom size button at the top right of the home screen, and type in your desired dimensions where it asks for Width and Height.
Get Started With the Editing Interface
Rename your project something different than the default title in the upper lefthand corner of the screen. Note that Adobe Express will save your project automatically as you work.
Depending on which way you started a blank project, you may or may not see a timeline at the bottom of the screen as below:
If you do not see a timeline, this just means that currently you have a blank, static page. As soon as you add any video or audio to the page it will automatically turn into a video project and the timeline will appear.
Adding Audio/Video/Text Content to the Page
Note the toolbar on the left side of the screen that allows you to choose a content type, namely Media, Text, or Elements. These are the primary content categories you will probably be layering in your video.
As you select one of those content types, the pop-up menu will update with respective parameters and options for each.
Be aware that because you are accessing the free version of Adobe Express, you will see premium templates and media identified by a purple crown logo. If you add any of this premium content to your project, you will not be able to export your work without upgrading your account.
Media
The Media tool offers tabs at the top of the menu for Photos, Videos, and Audio, which will open libraries of Adobe stock material, as well as an Upload from device option to upload your own recorded files or images.
Once you upload a media file or select an item from the stock library, it will populate on the page.
You can then edit/adjust the properties of each file if you first select the item on the page. Notice that the pop-up menu will update with the respective options for that item, while it is actively selected:
Under the Audio tab, there is an additional option to Record voiceover, which is the easiest way to add narration to your video.
Importantly, when you first select Record voiceover, most browsers will ask for permission to access the microphone on your computer. Choose Allow to grant access and continue.
Text
The Text tool will allow you to browse templated text options, or choose Add your text to create a text box on the page for you to start adding text from scratch. 
Once you have a text box on the page, you can select that text box to edit it and change its properties. With the text box actively selected, the pop-up menu will now offer you respective text-editing options.
Elements
The Elements tools will allow you to browse a library of illustrated graphics. You can add and edit them in the same way as the other content types.
Assembling a Digital Narrative
When you are ready to assemble your video, you can start by building a sequence of what Adobe Express calls scenes. These scenes are all linked together on this one singular page, and will appear in the timeline similar to slides in a slideshow. When you are done editing your video and export your final product, Adobe Express will stitch these slides together as a single MP4 video file.
Adding Scenes to the Page
To add a scene, start by adding any video or audio media content to the page. Once you see the timeline in the lower part of the screen, you can add additional scenes by choosing the + Add scene option to the right of the timeline. 
Recommended Workflow
Add as many scenes or slides as you need to get started, and begin adding your media content. Often it is easiest to first add all of your visual content to each scene (text, photos, video, and graphics), and then go back over individual scenes to record audio narration. However, you could also record the audio narration for each scene first, and then revisit each to add the visuals.
Note that recording audio is made simpler if you have a clear script with numbered lines, and you have a pre-existing plan for which lines will accompany each scene. 
Editing on the Timeline
As you add scenes and content to the timeline, you will be able to select those components on the timeline to adjust both their duration and order.
Most items can be selected, dragged, and dropped to reposition their order on the timeline.
To adjust duration, you can hover your cursor over the left or right edge of an item and drag that boundary in or out, to either shorten or extend it’s time on screen. The same process can be used to trim either end of an audio recording. 
Timeline Controls
Use the playhead to scrub back and forth through the scenes on your timeline.
Zoom in or out of the timeline as needed with the magnifying slider in the lower righthand corner of the screen.
Use the play button to preview your assembled video as you work.
Exporting Your Final Video
When you are ready to export your project, choose the Download option in the upper righthand corner and select MP4 as the the File format.
