InDesign is an amazing tool for creating wonderful layouts and designs. Learning to use InDesign efficiently is a skill every public relations professional should have. That doesn’t mean it's easy.
Learning to navigate InDesign is comparable to being lost in a foreign country when you do not speak the language. Because I have experienced both, I feel qualified to make this claim.
Am I in the right country?
My initial opinion of Bergen, Norway was that it was a cold place with confusing streets. After the airport shuttle dropped me off in the city-center at 12 a.m., it was up to me to find my accommodations alone. Naturally, three hours later, I was still wandering the streets asking anyone I could find for
directions.
Eventually, I found my way to the house where I was staying. I was exhausted and terrified that the rest of my weekend in Bergen would be as disastrous as the first three hours. My worries were unnecessary.
The next day, I learned I knew enough about the city from my
wanderings the night before, that I didn’t even need my map.
Why does everything require a new box?
Before this semester, I had never designed anything more advanced than a PowerPoint presentation. The options available to me through InDesign were intimidating. My class was given basic tutorials on the system, but the amount of tabs and tools was initially overwhelming.
With the combination of trial-and-error, Lynda tutorials, and less than lady-like words, I have gained more knowledge of the InDesign system than I thought possible. What used to take me 10 minutes, now takes me 10 seconds.
Learning to navigate InDesign is comparable to being lost in a foreign country when you do not speak the language. Because I have experienced both, I feel qualified to make this claim.
Am I in the right country?
My initial opinion of Bergen, Norway was that it was a cold place with confusing streets. After the airport shuttle dropped me off in the city-center at 12 a.m., it was up to me to find my accommodations alone. Naturally, three hours later, I was still wandering the streets asking anyone I could find for
directions.
Eventually, I found my way to the house where I was staying. I was exhausted and terrified that the rest of my weekend in Bergen would be as disastrous as the first three hours. My worries were unnecessary.
The next day, I learned I knew enough about the city from my
wanderings the night before, that I didn’t even need my map.
Why does everything require a new box?
Before this semester, I had never designed anything more advanced than a PowerPoint presentation. The options available to me through InDesign were intimidating. My class was given basic tutorials on the system, but the amount of tabs and tools was initially overwhelming.
With the combination of trial-and-error, Lynda tutorials, and less than lady-like words, I have gained more knowledge of the InDesign system than I thought possible. What used to take me 10 minutes, now takes me 10 seconds.
My weekend in Norway turned out to be the best weekend of my life. Not because Bergen, is a beautiful place and fascinating place (which is also true), but because I did it on my own. In the same way, I’ve realized InDesign isn’t intimidating, but a great tool to be creative and display skills of design.
Getting lost and confused is part of the process. In the end, it only makes the outcome more satisfying.
Getting lost and confused is part of the process. In the end, it only makes the outcome more satisfying.