InDesign, without question, is the least intuitive of the programs. It has a secret world of hidden characters, it requires paragraph styles and character styles to get anywhere, and it’s incredibly clinical.
It’s no surprise it’s most people’s least favourite program, or often one they just don’t understand.
InDesign, however, is my favourite program.
I find that once you understand InDesign, it becomes incredibly rewarding. Once you’ve figured out how to navigate a tougher program, you really can do anything with it. It becomes very easy to apply consistent spacing and typefaces, to adhere to a grid, and make edits.
InDesign feels like the only program where, when you have a ton of work to do, you can rely on the system to help you build it out. If you’re doing a ton of Photoshop or Illustrator work, you’re often having to do a lot of creative editing in one file, or having to deal with going in-between files. InDesign is the only program where I can load a huge file and have a lot of the base work done in just seconds. After that, you just have to work with small details and do fun, creative work. The same can’t be said about Photoshop and Illustrator, where you have to worry about realistic shadows and proportions and how to effectively build shapes.
I think InDesign is the most useful program when you really need it, and it works the best when you start to understand it. So please put in that effort, I promise it’s worth it.
Greta Rabbetz 