Adobe InDesign tutorial curriculum

An introductory Adobe InDesign course will start by teaching about the general capabilities of the desktop publishing software, including how to use the interface and navigation, how to customize your preferences, and how to set up a new project. You can study how to work with different objects, such as text and graphics, exploring how to use formatting and layout styles to customize your work. An Adobe InDesign course may also provide instruction on effectively arranging objects within frames and pages. Frames allow you to zero in on specific items, whereas pages let you look at the bigger picture, especially parent pages.

As you build your knowledge, you may begin to learn about manipulating and transforming images, and practice creating unique compositions that incorporate both text and images. You may eventually also learn how to make your projects interactive, by customizing the user interface and experience (UI/UX) with videos, buttons, hyperlinks, animations, and more.

A bachelor's degree in a design-related field allows you to dive deep into foundational aspects of the discipline. Similarly, a master's degree can provide valuable expertise in various aspects of design, including branding, data visualization, motion graphics, digital storytelling, and more. Though shorter than a traditional degree program, a boot camp can offer intensive and focused training in essential aspects UX/UI. 

Start learning today with edX. From full degree programs to executive education courses tailored to professionals, there are many educational paths available to help you build career-critical skills. 

Explore Adobe InDesign jobs

Proficiency in Adobe InDesign can be helpful in many careers, including:

• Graphic designer: These professionals create a variety of visual content, like flyers, magazines, posters, and brochures.^{Footnote 3}

• Product manager: These professionals coordinate operations and lead design teams working on digital products. They are known to conduct market analyses, define product purpose, and test prototypes.^{Footnote 4}

• Digital marketer: These professionals use digital media to increase awareness about products and services online. They also convert client briefs into campaigns.^{Footnote 5}

• App or web designer: These professionals craft the visual layouts of applications and websites.^{Footnote 6}

• Webmaster: These professionals create and manage websites independently or with a team.^{Footnote 7}

If you’re interested in design roles that focus on UI and UX, such as app and web design, a UI/UX boot camp could help improve your grasp of topics in this domain. These professionals often work with programmers, so understanding their world and the factors that shape their work can be useful to know. A coding boot camp might make that possible.

For those seeking managerial roles like webmaster or product manager, enrolling in a product management boot camp might offer a professional development opportunity that better fits your needs. 

How to use Adobe InDesign in your career

Adobe InDesign's main focus is graphic design, and you can use it in several careers that incorporate this function.

As a graphic designer, you can use InDesign to create media that incorporates text and images, from magazines to annual reports. Because it's part of Adobe CC, you can import items you make in other products, like edited photos and logos from Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, respectively.^{Footnote 8}

As a freelancer, you can create and sell your own Adobe InDesign templates and mockups.^{Footnote 9}

If you're a digital marketer, you can use it to make promotional materials such as flyers, banners, and posters. You can also transfer these to print media, and because InDesign supports vector graphics, you can scale up images to make billboards without loss in quality.^{Footnote 10}

For roles where your focus is digital products such as websites and apps, you can use InDesign to create interactive prototypes and mockups.^{Footnote 11} With these, you can test new features through a hands-on demonstration that communicates complex ideas comprehensively.

In other roles, you can still use InDesign to create visual or interactive content to reach your customer base or raise awareness. For example, you can use it to create QR codes and fully interactive company newsletters.^{Footnote 12}

Design skills may be more transferable than you think. If you are interested in studying design, start your educational journey with edX.