InDesign Session

Had a session yesterday morning (your Thurs) on the InDesign application. This session was conducted by Heidi (in the pic - top left), one of the IDs & Carol, (in the pic - bottom left) the Design Team Manager sat in to provide assistance. The Design Team Manager is the equivalent of the CIDD position in DEU. It was very interesting. Initially CDE was using Word as the standard dtp application then moved onto Pagemaker & now InDesign. One of the strengths of InDesign is that it allows more flexibility in terms of layout resulting in a more textbook, mazagine feel to the output.
CDE doesn't use templates allowing room for IDs to express their artistic flair. All the IDs have graphic design background & this is reflected in the materials that they produce.
InDesign has the capability to import various file formats; Word, rtf, txt, excel, html & all graphics. CDE is looking to having all their courses in XML format as a streamlining measure so as to ease the use of files across modes; print-based & web.
Content specialists normally send in their content in a word file although there are instances where work is sent in handwritten form & this is imported straight into InDesign. Content that is required by content specialists for feedback is normally sent to them in rtf/doc or in hardcopy format.
Heidi & Carol mentioned that working with templates in InDesign is much easier because for instance if you import a word file into InDesign, the text fits right into the alloted spaces for text.
CDE's migration to InDesign was transitional - took 3 years in total. They started off the migration by using InDesign on New & Revised courses until all courses were in InDesign format.
CDE offers a web course in InDesign & that is probably something that DFLSC can explore further & possibly staff can undertake this course as part of the Staff Development Programme to prepare us for our move to InDesign.