Item: Adobe InDesign
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Adobe InDesign

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Adobe InDesign has been used for years as a go-to page design tool in our newsrooms. Following system changes, it has been successfully integrated with various content management systems and utilized for both newspaper and magazine design work. It is now primarily used for more complex magazine design work, since it has greater flexibility than the page design software embedded in our content management system.

Pros and Cons

Pros

InDesign is excellent at creating impactful page designs.
It gives great flexibility over the handling of images, including cut-outs.
It's excellent for headline and text editing on the page.

Cons

InDesign integrations with third-party systems can operate more quickly, but depending on the integration, saving and loading may be a bit slower.
The handling of cutouts imported into InDesign is good, but creating cutouts within InDesign could be quicker and easier.
Adding and removing pages from multi-page documents could be smoother.

Return on Investment

It has helped us win multiple awards that have referenced the quality of our page design.
It has enabled us to produce high-end magazines that have attracted big-name advertisers.
It has required us to pay for more licences than we would ideally like to enable people to view and edit pages.

Usability

InDesign is a complex application, and if you arrive at it without training, you'll be bewildered by all the options. However, with appropriate training—a day or two focused on it with a trainer, ideally—it becomes very usable and second nature. The shortcuts enable you to achieve things quickly, but will take a little time to learn. Creating new page elements is straightforward. More complex tasks, like adding effects, are also well-handled.

Alternatives Considered

Canva

Canva is a valuable design tool for simple applications, such as creating a social media banner, flyer, or leaflet, particularly for those with no prior design experience. Its use of templates and straightforward tools to add pictures and text makes it a good choice for straightforward tasks. However, if you want to create a publication or designs that are more intricate, then InDesign is the tool for you.

Key Insights

Do you think Adobe InDesign delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Adobe InDesign's feature set?

Yes

Did Adobe InDesign live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Adobe InDesign go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Adobe InDesign again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Canva, Google Drive, Intuit Mailchimp

Likelihood to Recommend

Adobe InDesign is very well-suited to creating professional-looking page designs. If you want a newspaper or magazine to have attractive pages that go beyond simple templates, InDesign is the best option out there, to my knowledge. It's less suited to scenarios where people without page design skills are responsible for creating pages, as it requires some training and skills to use effectively.

Comments

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InDesign remains the go-to design tool for publications.