Design

24 Things You Can Design for Your Blog in Adobe InDesign

May 14, 2019

With so many amazing tools out there for bloggers to use, it can be hard to know which ones to invest in. But there’s one tool I will always pay for because of its high value and usefulness: Adobe InDesign.

I won’t lie, Adobe programs aren’t the cheapest things in the world. So when you make the decision to invest, you better know it’s going to be worth your money!

To illustrate just how useful Adobe InDesign is to bloggers, here are 24 different things you can design for your blog in Adobe InDesign.

36 Prompts to Practice Using InDesign

March 12, 2019

InDesign is an amazing design tool. And thankfully, with a little practice, it’s quite easy to use!

But how do you actually get that practice? There are so many options for what to create in InDesign that it’s hard to know where to begin.

Never fear! Here are a bunch of prompts you can use to practice using InDesign. Even if you don’t follow the prompt exactly, it might inspire a new project that you want to work on.

And if you’re intimidated by the idea of creating an ebook template, don’t let the word count scare you—simply create your textbox and go to Type > Fill with Placeholder Text. No writing required!

Not a Designer? No Problem! How to Design Your Own Worksheets with InDesign

March 5, 2019

Content upgrades are an amazing way to grow your email list as a blogger, and they can help you show your authority by proving how knowledgeable you are about a certain topic. Things like worksheets and ebooks are especially valuable when you give them out for free to your email subscribers!

However, if you’re not a designer, it can be quite daunting to try to figure out how to design your own worksheets. Where are you even supposed to begin?!

The good news is, InDesign is quite user-friendly (unlike its design sibling Photoshop), so you don’t need a ton of background knowledge to design your own worksheets in InDesign!

6 InDesign Tools That Will Speed Up Your Ebook Creation Process

February 19, 2019

InDesign is an amazing tool, especially when it comes to creating ebooks. You can seamlessly flow text from one page to another, add interactive elements like links, and you can set up your document so specific elements repeat on each page.

But if you don’t know how to use these tools, creating an ebook in InDesign can be a little, well… clunky. But that’s why I’m here! These are 6 basic InDesign tools that will make your ebook creation process at least a little faster.

Editing Photos on iPhone

January 15, 2019

Social media is extremely visual nowadays. Everything is photo- or video-based, and your imagery can make or break you.

However, at the same time, the blogging and influencer sphere is going through a shift, from more curated, DSLR-shot photography and videography to more personal, in-the-moment iPhone photography.

So how do you compete when your imagery could use some work, but everyone else is getting DSLR-quality photos that are still authentic and in the moment? And more importantly, how can you produce high-quality work when you can’t afford the latest and greatest iPhone?

5 Signs You Should Invest in InDesign

September 18, 2018

InDesign is an amazing program, and being able to use it with confidence is an awesome skill to have. But at $20 or more per month, it can be quite the investment, especially if you’re on a small blogging budget.

How do you know when it’s the right time to invest in InDesign? In my opinion, there are 5 clear signs that you’re ready to make the leap and start using Adobe InDesign.

How to Design an Ebook That Looks Like It Was Created by a Professional

August 21, 2018

An awesome way for bloggers to show their expertise and create a little bit of income is to publish and sell their own ebook. But many bloggers quit before they even begin, because they’re intimidated. How are they supposed to design an ebook with no experience?

Luckily, it’s not too difficult to design an ebook on your own. In fact, with a few small tweaks, you can even make it look like it was designed by a professional!

Learn to Code: How to Emphasize Text with CSS

July 12, 2018

Hey—want some one-on-one help getting this set up? Book a 20-minute consultation and we can work through it via video chat!

This post assumes basic understanding of CSS. If you’re new to CSS coding or need a refresher, I recommend starting over here at my CSS Basics for Bloggers post, and then coming back to this one!

When creating a blog post or web page, there’s typically a paragraph or two you want to really stand out from the rest. Maybe you want to put it in a box, make the font bigger, or change the font entirely. But coding that each time with HTML can get exhausting and time-consuming.

Good news! It’s really easy to emphasize text with CSS.

7 Tools I Wish I Knew About When I First Learned InDesign

June 29, 2018

Have you ever had a moment when you discover something new about a subject you thought you were pretty great at already? It’s both amazing and deflating at the same time.

I first learned InDesign when I was a sophomore in high school, and I’ve been using it pretty consistently ever since. And yet, despite having more than a decade of experience with the program, I’m learning new features regularly. Sometimes it makes me feel dumb, in a “why didn’t I know about this from the beginning?” way. But other times, I get so excited, because this new and exciting thing is going to save me a bunch of time.

Some of these discoveries aren’t applicable in a whole bunch of situations, but there are 7 tools that I discovered after the fact that would have been really helpful to know when I first learned InDesign.

Learn to Code: How to Use the Inspect Tool to Get Better at Coding

May 22, 2018

Hey—want some one-on-one help getting this set up? Book a 20-minute consultation and we can work through it via video chat!

In today’s day and age, learning to code is a really valuable skill to have. But how are you supposed to learn to code without investing a ton of money into your own website?

The good news is, it’s actually quite easy! You can learn the basics of HTML and CSS by studying your favorite websites with the Inspect Tool!

How to Create an Online Portfolio

April 12, 2018

This post contains affiliate links that I could make commission off of. All opinions are my own. Learn more.

When you consider yourself “a creative” showing off your work samples is necessary if you want to get a job. You can’t just say “I’m a graphic designer” and expect a company to hire you; they need to see what you’re capable of!

An excellent way to do that is an online portfolio! (And often times it’s actually required when you’re filling out the job application.) But if you’re not a web designer, you might not know how the heck to actually make one. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

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