Which InDesign Training Format Is Right for Me?

Whether a user wants to start a career as a Graphic Designer or simply learn a new skill to enhance their creative projects, learning Adobe InDesign is very useful. Adobe InDesign is the industry-standard page layout design tool in the publishing and print advertising industries. Learning InDesign can help users create vibrant, memorable layouts, and a wealth of training options are available to new users. When comparing types of InDesign training, there are many factors to consider. Everyone learns differently, and choosing the right kind of training is critical to the learning experience.

Keep reading to learn more about the different formats of InDesign training, how they compare, and how to determine which is best for you.

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 use InDesign to build prototype layouts for everything from brochures to web pages, and the program has tools for populating those prototypes with graphics, text, 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 e-publishing and website design.

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

What Can You Do with InDesign?

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 mockups of web pages. Users can add text, color, and images to their layouts to ensure they effectively communicate their intended message. 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 create 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 from other programs into their layout designs. Photos and illustrations can be edited or created in Photoshop and Illustrator and then easily brought over into InDesign to populate a layout. Users can also transfer work between InDesign and Adobe XD to help build prototype web layouts. These connections help expand the functionality of all Adobe Creative Cloud applications.

Training Formats for InDesign

When looking for InDesign training opportunities, new learners will need to consider the various training formats available to them. Live training, whether in-person or online, is the most immersive option, but also the most expensive and time-consuming. On-demand training is more affordable but requires students to be highly self-motivated and does not provide access to an instructor who can explain complex concepts. Free resources are plentiful, but for most learners, these will not be sufficient to master InDesign for professional use.

In-Person InDesign Training

Given that InDesign is a program with which students tend to have limited familiarity, in-person training may be ideal for those who want to interact directly with their instructors. These courses offer an ideal environment for learning how to use InDesign with the support of trained instructors who are ready and able to assist students throughout the learning process. Noble Desktop, the creator of this portal, provides a Classes Near Me tool to help students locate local training resources.

Most in-person classes are available in major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. These cities, home to many major Graphic Design firms, offer numerous training options from providers such as Noble (NYC), Training Connection (Los Angeles and Chicago), and Luminous Works (Seattle). Additional training providers, including ONLC and New Horizons, operate campuses in dozens of cities nationwide.

Live Online InDesign Training

For aspiring Graphic Designers who are not located in a major city—or who prefer the flexibility of remote learning—live online training is an excellent alternative for learning InDesign. Noble’s Classes Near Me tool helps students find live online courses they can take from the comfort of their own homes.

Noble offers several online Adobe InDesign classes, allowing students to choose their preferred time commitment and skill level. For novice learners, Noble’s one-day InDesign in a Day course provides a basic introduction to the program’s features and functions, including how to build layouts, add images and text, and export layouts for publication. Students seeking more advanced instruction—or those looking to enhance existing skills—may consider the Adobe InDesign Bootcamp, which covers advanced functionalities such as the use of gradients and opacities, color correction, and working with parent pages, tables, and libraries.

As Adobe InDesign is often used alongside the other major programs in the Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop and Illustrator), Noble also offers an intensive Noble Graphic Design Certificate, which provides certification in all three programs: InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. In this career-focused bootcamp, students will not only learn how to use InDesign and integrate it with Photoshop and Illustrator, but they will engage in hands-on design projects and build a personal portfolio to take to the job market.

Noble’s InDesign courses offer students the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized certification that will set them apart from other prospective Graphic Designers. The bootcamps and certificate programs focus on building practical career skills and are tailored for aspiring Professional Graphic Designers who want to ensure they have the skills required to compete in the industry.

Other service providers such as Lumenbrite, Ledet Training, and Future Media Concepts offer live online training in InDesign. These providers offer both beginner-friendly and advanced courses, as well as bootcamps that combine both introductory and advanced training.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Students looking for free online tutorials should start at Noble Desktop’s blog and explore the articles tagged InDesign. Here, students will find articles and interviews explaining the basics of InDesign, along with free online Graphic Design and InDesign courses. Noble’s InDesign overview page also includes links to free online training resources. These resources are regularly updated and are designed as onboarding tools for Noble’s paid training seminars, so using them will help prepare students for more immersive learning options offered through Noble.

One of the best ways to introduce yourself to InDesign is through a free online video tutorial. Noble’s blog and Graphic Design YouTube playlist provide students with free introductory videos covering both broad Graphic Design principles and Adobe InDesign specifically. These videos are a great starting point for learning InDesign, as they allow students to explore the basics of the program at their own pace. Noble’s videos cover the core functionalities of InDesign, teaching students how to navigate the interface, add text and images to a layout, and export and prepare simple layouts for publication.

Students looking for a more detailed foundation in InDesign should consult the Learn InDesign page on Noble’s Learn Hub. There, students will find frequently updated free resources to help guide them through the early stages of learning InDesign.

Read about more free InDesign videos and online tutorials.

Adobe also offers a number of first-party tutorials and sample projects to help new users learn how to work with InDesign. Adobe provides a free trial of InDesign, and during that trial, users have access to the full program, including a built-in walkthrough of its interface and core features. These video tutorials can be watched in an afternoon and provide users with a straightforward introduction to InDesign, its interface, and its tools.

Students may also wish to browse YouTube for online tutorials beyond Noble’s official playlists. These tutorials range from lengthy lectures—like those offered through Noble—to brief micro-lessons that help students learn specific InDesign skills.

Noble also provides users with a Classes Near Me search tool. This allows users to compare live online course offerings from Noble and other service providers such as Lumenbrite, Ledet Training, and ONLC.

On-Demand Classes

For students seeking a less structured approach to learning InDesign, many self-paced and on-demand learning options are available. These courses let students dictate the pace of their own training, helping them avoid the constraints of scheduled classroom meetings or fixed homework deadlines. For self-motivated students or those whose schedules don’t allow time for a live training seminar, these courses can serve as a suitable alternative to live instruction.

Comparison of InDesign Training Formats

Each training format comes with advantages and disadvantages, and students should evaluate their learning needs to determine the most appropriate option.

Instructor-led courses are the most immersive—and consequently, the most expensive—training option. These courses are ideal for students seeking detailed instruction and hands-on experience with InDesign. Online versions of these classes offer the benefit of remote access, so students aren’t limited to in-person offerings within commuting distance. Additionally, many instructor-led courses go beyond just InDesign and focus on broader career skills such as Graphic Design or UX Design.

Self-paced and on-demand courses offer greater flexibility than live instruction, especially compared to in-person formats. These courses let students work at their own pace and are ideal for individuals who need a slower learning environment due to responsibilities like family or those who want to learn a new skill quickly. However, these courses require students to be particularly self-motivated and capable of working independently without deadlines or structured support. Because there is no live instructor, students do not receive real-time guidance or feedback on their work.

The primary advantage of using free resources is that they are a low-risk, low-investment way to learn the basics of a new program. The biggest drawback is that anyone hoping to learn InDesign for career purposes will almost certainly need more training than free resources offer. They are still ideal starting points for a new career path, but most learners will eventually require additional instruction.

Is It Possible to Teach Yourself InDesign?

Some users may be interested in trying to self-teach InDesign. After all, classes can be expensive, and even the most flexible on-demand courses still come with some work obligations. So, can a student teach themselves InDesign? To a point.

Students with minimal InDesign experience can easily pick up the basics of the program using only free resources available through sources like Noble and Adobe. The program is accessible and user-friendly, allowing individuals to begin experimenting with InDesign almost immediately. However, this approach has its limits, and those hoping to use InDesign professionally are unlikely to achieve the necessary proficiency through self-teaching alone.

To truly grasp the advanced features of InDesign, users need both instruction on how to use these features and familiarity with the other Adobe Creative Cloud products that integrate with InDesign. It can be difficult to learn a program’s advanced capabilities without an Instructor’s guidance, especially when students are expected to determine which tools and workflows are most important. Furthermore, while many free options are available online, as with most online content, it can be difficult to judge which resources are trustworthy. By contrast, industry-recognized training programs offer structured, reliable learning paths.

How to Decide the Best Way to Learn InDesign

The time and difficulty involved in learning Adobe InDesign largely depend on how much expertise a student wants to develop. For students who aim to learn the program’s basic functionality, Adobe InDesign can be learned in just a few days with minimal difficulty. For those seeking advanced training or certification, the learning process can take several weeks or months and often involves hundreds of hours of hands-on design experience.

New InDesign users—or users who simply want to explore the program—may choose to start with free training tutorials to familiarize themselves with the software. These introductory seminars such as those offered through Noble’s Graphic Design YouTube playlist, provide a high-level overview of the program without a high upfront cost. Then, students can decide for themselves whether they wish to continue their training.

Users hoping to develop InDesign skills to master the program or add a new skill to their résumé may wish to consider a more intensive training program such as Noble’s Adobe InDesign Bootcamp. In courses like these, students receive instruction in specific career skills with an emphasis on the practical application of InDesign in professional settings. These courses are ideal for students who want to become more familiar with the professional uses of the program but aren’t looking to make a major career shift. Additionally, for tools like InDesign, these courses generally do not require prior experience and are well-suited for beginners.

Students interested in a new career path involving InDesign should consider more immersive professional skills training such as the Graphic Design Certificate program. These career-focused seminars teach students InDesign as part of a broader skills training curriculum designed to help them prepare for a new career. These courses are ideal for aspiring Graphic Designers who want to break into the industry but lack the training they need to use industry-standard programs. While these are the most expensive and time-consuming courses, they also provide the most immersive and comprehensive training available.

Learn InDesign with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a wide range of training options for students seeking to learn Adobe InDesign. From introductory courses such as InDesign in a Day to immersive Career Training Programs like the Graphic Design Certificate, Noble offers a course tailored to fit your learning goals. All courses are taught by Professional Instructors with years of experience as both teachers and Graphic Designers. Each course includes a free retake option within one year of enrollment, allowing students to revisit the material or reinforce challenging topics at no additional cost.

The Adobe InDesign Bootcamp provides students with hands-on experience using InDesign through exercises that reflect real-world projects completed by Professional Graphic Designers. Students will learn how to create layouts using InDesign’s text, color, and graphic tools. They will also learn how to import formats and styles to build layouts more efficiently and how to work with parent pages to create complex, multi-page designs for brochures, magazines, and other publications. This course is ideal for students who want to learn the advanced features of InDesign within a professional context. By the end of the bootcamp, students will be prepared to use InDesign in the workplace and demonstrate that they have received in-depth professional training.

Noble’s Graphic Design Certificate program builds on InDesign training and combines it with career-focused instruction in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Students will explore the foundations of Graphic Design, receiving training in design principles such as composition, color theory, and typography. They will also learn how to use Illustrator and Photoshop to create digital illustrations and visual assets that can be integrated into their InDesign layouts. This comprehensive certificate program is designed to guide students from novice to job-ready professionals, helping them pursue a new career upon completion. It also includes one-on-one career mentoring to support graduates as they transition into the workforce as Graphic Designers.