InDesign Training for Veterans

Are you a veteran returning to civilian life or a member of a veteran’s family aiming to avail yourself of entitlements and benefits? This article is designed to help you navigate your options for taking advantage of these services to enter into a professional skills training program and learn the InDesign skills you’ve always wanted to learn. Learning InDesign can give you the skills to jumpstart a new career in a creative profession such as marketing or graphic design. InDesign is also used in technical industries to design user interfaces for digital applications. It can also be an aid in marketing your own business or starting your freelance career. 

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.

Support for Veterans

Educational support for veterans exists through the GI Bill, the Forever GI Bill, and the VET TEC program. The GI Bill provides tuition assistance for veteran education undertaken at public universities or private institutions. Benefits include a housing allowance, a book stipend, and a selective relocation payment. VET TEC is an alternative technology education program that offers similar benefits but does not use GI Bill funds. So, veterans can still pursue GI Bill funding later on if they wish. Note that Noble Desktop’s programs do not qualify for funding under VET TEC. 

To explore your options for VA-supported programs through Noble Desktop, please visit the Veterans Support page. Note that Noble Desktop’s VA-supported programs are only available in-person, so you must reside in the greater NYC area. Due to the nature of VA benefits, Noble Desktop’s VA-supported programs are best taken under full-time schedules. Review your InDesign course options through InDesign classes for veterans.

Why Learn InDesign

Learning InDesign aids creatives and aspiring Graphic Designers streamline the process of building page layouts. The program lets users construct vibrant layouts using text, shapes, and color modification tools. It is the perfect software for anyone who designs print advertisements, magazines, infographics, posters, or brochures. InDesign also has uses in digital application design. Anyone, professional or amateur, who wants to create eye-catching printed graphic designs can learn InDesign to take their creative output to the next level.

Because InDesign is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, learning how to create design layouts in InDesign will also help users become more skilled at using other Adobe Creative software. Learning InDesign is often paired with training in programs like Photoshop or Illustrator because the programs are closely integrated. This means that learning InDesign can either help users become more proficient with programs they already know or learning InDesign can help make learning new programs easier. This means that learning InDesign won’t simply make a user better at building layouts, but it can also open the door to more easily learning skills like photo editing, vector graphics design, or web interface design. Each of these skills can lead to an exciting new career. 

Entrepreneurs also benefit from InDesign. The program can be a powerful content marketing tool that aids you in growing your business. InDesign allows you to build your professional website, create business cards, social media content, paid advertisements, and many more. InDesign’s built-in templates and assets mean you’ll never be at a loss for assets or design ideas.

Why Choose a Skills Bootcamp?

There are a few different options when it comes to learning InDesign. These include skills bootcamps, career-certificate programs, or four-year university programs. Students choose to pursue bootcamps and certificate programs over university because they are faster to complete and cheaper to enroll in. University programs also commonly require the competition of non-career-specific programs, such as general education.

If you want to learn InDesign to advance your current career or acquire a new skill, bootcamps are ideal courses. These programs contain a comprehensive curriculum that deep dives into InDesign techniques and features. The purpose of a bootcamp is to comprehensively learn a skill. Students are guided from beginner to advanced concepts and learn expert tricks and tips. Bootcamps are available online and in person and vary in cost depending on the provider and curriculum. However, Noble Desktop InDesign bootcamps generally only last a few days and cost around $1,000.

If you're looking to pivot to a new career or industry, you'll most likely wish to attend a career-focused certificate program. These programs are similar to bootcamp courses in that they are open to beginners and guide students to advanced skills. They differ in that they also include training in essential industry concepts and tools to aid you in pursuing a new career. They often have job search assistance through portfolio workshops and one-on-one career mentorship. Certificate programs are usually more expensive than bootcamps and vary in length and cost depending on the provider and curriculum. One can expect certificate programs to last a few weeks and cost around a few thousand dollars.

Learn InDesign at 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 Insights

• Support through the GI Bill, the Forever GI Bill, and the VET TEC program allows veterans to take advantage of InDesign training.
• InDesign can be an excellent skill to develop to pursue creative careers, technical careers, or entrepreneurship. 
• InDesign certificate programs train students to pursue specific careers, such as Graphic Designer, and offer job search assistance.
• InDesign Bootcamp programs provide comprehensive training in InDesign tools and skills.
• Whether you choose to pursue training through a certificate or bootcamp program depends on your individual training goals and learning needs.
• You can receive comprehensive InDesign training through Noble Desktop in person or online.