Alma Training

In recent times there seems to be less training being offered. When companies are streamlining their outgoings, training budgets are often the first thing to go. I wonder if this is all together wise. I recently delivered an Adobe InDesign training session. One delegate asked me if I could demonstrate how to achieve a feathered edge on an image. I showed him the process which took no more than a few seconds. His reply, “I spent over 3 hours the other day trying to do that, then gave up”. Who can afford to have any staff member trying something without success for a prolonged amount of time? Apart from the frustration of the user, this waste of time will no doubt impact on the day’s overall production.

Ensuring users streamline their workflow and work efficiently will also show an increase in productivity. Many of us are guilty of diving into a piece of software and muddling our way around it, then blaming the software when things don’t go as we’d expected. For example, has anyone actually ever done a Microsoft Word training course? Yet we all use it and get frustrated when ‘it’ deletes or moves things we didn’t want moved. Investing the time into getting to know the software, customising it to how you want to work and always using best practices will only improve your efficiency, accuracy and productivity. Time and money well spent I believe.

Finally, spare a thought for the ‘InDesign User’ who originally was the Communications Officer, Marketing Manager or Administrator who had a ‘flair’ and as a result has been mapped into the Graphic Designers role. These situations are on the rise as companies opted to outsource design and now see this as an expensive decision. Ensuring these people get the appropriate training will increase their confidence and show they are valued staff members worth the investment to help them master this software.

Discuss your Adobe InDesign Training needs http://almatraining.com