Learn how to design professional page layouts with text & graphics in Adobe InDesign. This course covers styling, importing, packaging, and advanced techniques like styles, master pages, and tables. Perfect for creating books, magazines, and ads.
Begin your journey as a professional graphic designer by learning the essential skills and tools used by industry experts. Gain hands-on experience in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, and create a stunning portfolio to showcase your talent to potential employers or clients.
Advance your layout and design expertise while preparing for the Adobe Certified Professional exam in this hands-on InDesign Certification Program. Through expert-led classes, personalized tutoring, and real-world projects, you'll gain the skills and confidence to create polished magazines, brochures, books, and more.
InDesign is a popular page layout design software published in 1999 by Adobe. It is frequently used to create print materials like magazines, newspapers, books, and ebooks. It has also been used in promotional material designs like flyers, brochures, and presentations. InDesign was created on the back of a program called PageMaker. Despite being popular in the early years of desktop publishing, InDesign’s predecessor failed to maintain that popularity as other programs were created. In the late 1990s, a competitor named Quark, Inc. Created QuarkXPress, a publishing software that overtook the market and interrupted PageMaker’s success. InDesign was built in the hopes that Adobe could regain some of the market for publishing software. Fortunately, it turned out to be a wildly popular addition to the company’s library, and in the years since has become a staple software in the publishing world. These days, it is bundled alongside other editing software like Photoshop and Illustrator as part of Adobe Creative Cloud and functions as an application that can help bring creative visions to life. Learning InDesign is an excellent tool for those who work in graphic design and publishing.
InDesign has a robust list of features that can be used to enhance your editing experience. It’s not only a useful program in a professional setting, but it can also be used for many hobby-related projects. Bakers and cooks can use InDesign to put together a recipe book. Freelancers can develop a portfolio that showcases their work and creative abilities. Those with important events like weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries can use InDesign to create invitations, cards, and reminders. This software is frequently used in a professional setting to help format and design print materials. This can range from posters for an upcoming concert to magazines and newspapers that are found in bookshops. The software’s intuitive interface and integration with other Adobe products make it a useful tool to have if you are in the business of printing or graphic design.
An InDesign class can teach you a lot about design principles. This includes everything from layout design to image editing. Classes will cover topics like typography, color theory, and image composition. They’ll also go more in-depth with concepts like balance, whitespace, visual hierarchy, or alignment. Because InDesign is frequently used in professional settings, you will have an opportunity to learn some of InDesign’s most valuable tools such as library management, interactive elements, and export settings. Certain courses can also be taken for complementary software published by Adobe, like Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, or other graphic-heavy applications. By completing hands-on projects with the help of an instructor, a guided curriculum, and ample resources, you can learn how to develop a portfolio that is specific to InDesign-related careers and get a leg up in the professional world of design.
Thanks to its intuitive and interactive interface, InDesign is considered a beginner-friendly software that is relatively easy to use right out of the gate. There are many templates and tutorials available so that even those without experience can jump right in. Beginners should be able to insert images, format text, and begin basic page designs without any trouble. There are a few challenges that are to be expected for first-time users. New InDesign users can be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of tools available for editing, which can cause technical mistakes that lead to unbalanced designs. It is recommended that those who learn this software take it one step at a time, and become comfortable with basic functions of typography and design principles before moving on to more advanced features.
The time it takes to learn InDesign is different for everyone and depends heavily on your goals, level of commitment, and general use of the software. Because this program is user-friendly, the essentials can be learned in 1-2 days. At this level, you can use templates, insert images, edit text, and manage other minor items to prepare for publication. If you’re looking for a more advanced understanding of the software, that can take up to several months. While using InDesign is a fairly straightforward process, mastering the advanced tools and concepts required to make high-quality work is a slower process. If you are looking to learn InDesign for professional use, it is recommended that you take a course to help with guided learning that can build on the basics and slowly introduce you to advanced concepts.
There are vital differences between in-person and online classes that can help you make the decision about which is better for you. In-person learning is a great choice for those who enjoy face-to-face interaction, learn better in a controlled environment, or want the additional perks of accessing resources, meeting classmates, or using facilities and their learning tools. Online learning is an alternative that is a bit more flexible. Live online courses still offer interactive feedback in real-time, but the classes can be taken wherever the student feels most comfortable. These courses eliminate the need for commuting and can help students save gas and money. With asynchronous learning, or learning that depends on modules and online content without immediate access to the instructor, that flexibility is greatly expanded, as course content is accessible at any time and any place. Both online formats can help students who have busy schedules and want to learn at non-traditional times. They can also be more convenient for those who like to access and review notes after class time, as many can be recorded, downloaded, or edited for easier studying. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of courses. Ultimately, the best one for you will take into account your availability, preferred method of instruction, and overall learning goals.
In the modern age of technology, there are resources for virtually every program available for free online. Noble Desktop’s YouTube channel offers an Introduction to Adobe InDesign. Adobe’s website has a collection of tutorials that can provide valuable insight on how to efficiently use InDesign. While these sources are great for picking up basic skills and growing comfortable with the software, they are not enough to fill in the professional development that students can gain in a classroom, online course, or certificate program. If you’re learning InDesign for professional use, it is highly recommended that you take a course that can double as an endorsement of your skill, and that can be added to your portfolio to expand your career opportunities.
Having a basic understanding of design essentials can help you create high-quality designs. When you know what makes a good visual design, you can pick the appropriate templates and use the most effective tools to complete your project. There are also complementary applications by Adobe that can be integrated with InDesign and enhance your work. Adobe Creative Cloud is the perfect place to start. Learning how to use Photoshop and Illustrator alongside InDesign is a great way to expand your bank of tools, fonts, and templates, while also streamlining your design work. Combining a working knowledge of design principles and software will contribute greatly to professional-level work.
Though many industries use InDesign, some of the most common fall into the wheelhouse of publishing and graphic design. Boston is a massive center for educational publishing and hosts some of the biggest publishing companies in the United States. A few other prominent industries including tourism and entertainment regularly use print materials to advertise and share important information with customers, visitors, or locals. InDesign’s versatility means that it can be used in any sector that requires promotion, print, or design, which makes it a highly valuable tool for those seeking a career in graphic or print-heavy industries. Business interactions can also be amplified through the use of InDesign, as interactive PDFs, social media posts, and other formal documentation can be easily edited with the help of this application.
There are several jobs associated with proficiency in InDesign. Graphic Designers, or those who use their skills to create visual content for print, digital, and other forms of media, help businesses build their brand and promote their services. The average Graphic Designer in Boston makes $72,000 a year. This is a highly creative job and is a great option for freelancers. For those who are interested in organizing and overseeing projects, art directors can make $120,000 a year managing a design team for a company and making sure that client objectives and standards are met for specific projects and programs. Another job that might interest InDesign users is that of a Marketing Manager. Marketing Managers regularly use InDesign to build materials for marketing campaigns, and these campaigns are vital to boosting company sales and engagement. This position makes an average of $118,000 a year, with even entry-level managers making upwards of $91,000. Learning InDesign opens up a wide range of professional opportunities that are both creative and lucrative. Whether working independently or in a corporate environment, you can find a long list of fulfilling careers in design, marketing, advertising, and otherwise.
Noble Desktop offers an InDesign Certificate Program that includes a comprehensive Bootcamp. You will learn how to design page layouts with the help of techniques like styles, master pages, and tables. This is an ideal opportunity for those who want to learn more about using InDesign for books, magazines, and ads, and who want to pick up and build on foundational knowledge for professional purposes. This certificate comes with a custom workbook and exercises, and a private tutor. By the end of the course, you’ll be eligible to take the Adobe Certified Professional exam, which can impact your career options and improve your portfolio.
If you’re looking for a shorter option that will have you picking up InDesign quickly, consider Noble Desktop’s InDesign in a Day. This course reviews the basics like general page layouts, typography, and image manipulation. The goal is to get you confidently using InDesign within a day. This course is great for beginners or those looking to refresh what they already know, and by the time you leave, you’ll be able to add photos, use color options, and adjust your text and graphics according to your overall design goals. Projects include creating a brochure and a magazine advertisement, both of which can be used to strengthen a professional portfolio.
If you’re looking for comprehensive training that can be adjusted according to your team’s needs, consider Noble Desktop’s Adobe InDesign corporate training. This training is flexible and can be done either in-person or online. The curriculum is also customizable. Alternatively, you can choose from our diverse range of existing courses for your team to take that can ensure high-quality training that is practical, relevant, and engaging. Discounts are available for those who order class vouchers in bulk. To learn more about our corporate training options, email corporate@nobledesktop.com.