InDesign is a productivity tool for creating layouts for print, digital, graphic, and website design. An important aspect of receiving professional InDesign training to set yourself up for a career change is learning what kinds of fields and industries that training will help you find work in. Each industry will have different requirements and expectations for prospective employees, and you should consider these expectations when you start your training. This is true for students who have an idea of what kind of work they want to do and for students who aren’t yet sure what path they want to take after learning InDesign skills.

What is InDesign?

Released in 1999, Adobe InDesign is the industry standard in page layout design software, and it is one of the software programs that comprise the Adobe Creative Cloud. Together with Photoshop and Illustrator, InDesign is one of the most commonly used creative design tools across a number of industries, ranging from publishing to graphic design. Built to streamline the process of designing page layouts for books and magazines, InDesign has a plethora of uses that make it a versatile tool for many creative endeavors. As part of a heavily integrated array of creative tools, Adobe InDesign gives creatives the chance to create compelling and vibrant page layouts.

Unlike its sister programs, Illustrator and Photoshop, InDesign serves a specific but vital function, building page layouts. Creatives will use InDesign to build prototype layouts for everything from brochures to web pages, and the program has tools for populating those prototypes with graphics, texts, and even interactive elements. While it is primarily used in traditional print media, InDesign is seeing increasing use in the digital sphere, such as the world of ePublishing and website design.

Read more about what InDesign is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with InDesign Skills?

Adobe InDesign allows users to create vibrant and memorable design layouts that can be used for anything from print advertisements to promotional brochures to newsletters and magazines. Almost any print layout can be built with InDesign, and the tool is often used to help Web Designers produce mock-ups of web pages. Users can add text, color, and images to their layouts to ensure they communicate what they are trying to communicate. InDesign also lets users easily create templates or replicate pages to streamline the multi-page design process.

InDesign also has numerous non-professional uses for users who are hoping to create eye-catching posters, infographics, or flyers for their own organizations or communities. Visual design skills can help users share information in memorable and effective ways, and learning InDesign will help anyone hoping to communicate with the masses. Additionally, many small businesses or private commercial organizations like Etsy shops or local bands can greatly benefit from having individuals on staff with InDesign training, as the program helps non-professionals make professional-grade graphic page layouts.

Additionally, because InDesign is so closely integrated with the rest of the Adobe Creative Cloud, users who are familiar with other programs can seamlessly integrate their work in other programs into their layout designs. Photos and illustrations can be edited or created in Photoshop and Illustrator and then easily brought over in InDesign to populate a layout. Users can also transfer work between InDesign and XD to help build prototype web layouts. These connections help expand the functionality of all Adobe Creative Cloud applications.

Common Industries That Use InDesign

InDesign is a product used across industries. Since many companies rely on marketing materials to reach customers, InDesign’s support in designing simple and professional layouts and assisting in device optimization is essential to creating marketing content. Below is an overview of the top industries that rely on InDesign.

Marketing and Advertising

The marketing and advertising industry involves promoting various businesses and campaigns and attracting target audiences. Job responsibilities in the industry vary greatly depending on individual positions. Marketing Coordinators develop strategies and monitor sales. A Marketing Analyst collects data about target audiences and campaign reach and makes recommendations for future strategies. Content Developers create marketing materials, such as brochures, advertisements, infographics, videos, and social media content, among much more. Marketing and advertising professionals usually work in a typical office environment. However, remote work opportunities are becoming more widely available. 

Jobs in the marketing and advertising industry are expected to grow by almost 10% over the current decade. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of this job growth can be attributed to the demand for digital advertising and competition for products and services. It should be noted that there is an expected decline in jobs in the print publishing area of marketing and advertising, particularly newspaper publishing. Job competition in the marketing and advertising industry is high. Qualified candidates must possess excellent communications skills, creativity, and relevant computer software. 

Art and Design

The art and design industry involves a number of sectors, including marketing, fashion, illustration, professional photography, video game design, animation, theater, and film, among others. Art and design careers can involve content creation for driving business marketing, branding, packaging, and sales. Other professions take on an educational focus with the teaching of artistic expression. Many artists and designers also become entrepreneurs who create, sell, or promote original works. The work environments of art and design professionals can vary widely, including typical offices, collaborative offices, work-from-home, and creative art studios. 

The job outlook for fine arts and crafts careers is declining. However, most other occupations in art and design that integrate digital technology are on the rise. The outlook for Digital Designers, Product Designers, and Video Game Designers is expected to grow nearly 10% over the current decade. Animators and Art Directors' outlook is expected to grow by around 5%. Job competition in art and design is high. Successful candidates must be skilled in creativity and digital software.

Publishing

Publishing is an industry that makes digital or printed information such as literature, music, or software available for public consumption. Publishing jobs vary wildly. Authors create the literature that is published. Agents work with authors to represent and promote their work. Publishing houses host a variety of employees who work on the production, design, sales, and distribution of products. Printing houses accept designs and create physical copies of a work. Deadlines and commonly late working hours drive the publishing industry. However, this is often offset by flexible schedules. Many publishing professionals are able to work from home instead of a traditional work office.

As with the art and design industry, the job outlook for printed publishing is in decline. One such example is newspaper publishing, which has been in decline for many years. However, digital publishing is rising as the public turns to the internet for information consumption. Job competition in the publishing industry is moderate to high. Writers, editors, and reports can expect the steepest competition. Job positions in advertising and sales are more accessible. Professionals who succeed in publishing will need strong web design or computer skills. The digital aspect of the publishing industry is projected to grow 13% over the current decade. While print publishing is publicly seen as declining, it is holding steady with an expected growth of 1%.

Computer Systems Design and Related Services

The computer systems design and related services industry is primarily responsible for writing and designing computer systems, integrating software and hardware, and operating processing facilities. The industry has grown steadily by around 4% every year since 2003. Computer systems design and related services job positions include software engineers, computer systems analysts, and hardware programmers. 

Employees in the computer systems design and related services industry who may use InDesign include Web Developers and Digital Designers, including UX and UI design. The job outlook for these professions is projected to grow 23% over the current decade. Web Developers and Digital Designers work in either typical office environments, from their homes, or as entrepreneurs. They may work in other industries such as publishing, art and design, and marketing and advertising. Web development and digital design are competitive fields. Successful job seekers need to have exceptional skills in innovation and software. 

Learn InDesign Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a wide range of training options for students seeking to learn Adobe InDesign. Ranging from introductory courses such as InDesign in a Day to immersive career training programs like the Graphic Design Certificate program, Noble has a training program built to fit your needs. These courses are all taught by professional instructors with years of training as both teachers and graphic designers. Each course comes with the option to retake the course for free within a year of the initial enrollment, meaning that students have the option to take the courses again in order to receive more hands-on experience with InDesign or to gain more training in skills that they found difficult the first time through.

The Adobe InDesign Bootcamp gives students hands-on experience working with InDesign through exercises that mirror the kinds of projects that professional Graphic Designers would work on. Students will learn how to create layouts with InDesign’s text, color, and graphic tools, they will learn how to import formats and styles to easily build layouts, and they will learn how to work with parent pages to easily create complex, multi-page designs for projects like brochures and magazines. This course is ideal for students who want to learn the advanced features of InDesign within a professional context. At the end of this bootcamp, students will be prepared to use InDesign as part of their professional lives, and they will be able to demonstrate to their employers that they have received in-depth InDesign training.

Noble’s Graphic Design Certificate program takes this InDesign training and pairs it with career-focused training in Photoshop and Illustrator. Students will learn the background of graphic design, receiving training in philosophies of composition, color theory, and typography. Then, they will learn how to use Illustrator and Photoshop to create digital illustrations and assets that can be imported to InDesign to populate finished page layouts. Bringing these programs together, the Graphic Design Certificate program is built to take students from novice users to trained designers, aiming to help them find a new career once they’ve completed the course. This certificate program also provides students with one-on-one career mentoring so that when the course is complete, graduates will be ready to enter the workforce as Graphic Designers.

Key Takeaways

• There are a variety of industries that use InDesign.
• The marketing and advertising industry uses InDesign to create the layout for marketing and advertising materials that promote business services and products.
• The art and design industry uses InDesign to create the layout for artistic designs that are used for business or personal promotion or artistic expression.
• The publishing industry uses InDesign to create the layout for marketing materials or products in either print or digital format, such as books and ebooks.
• The computer systems design and related services industry uses InDesign to design the layout of websites and digital interfaces.

• You can receive comprehensive InDesign training through Noble Desktop in person or online.