I am so excited about The InDesign Conference 2025—for several reasons.
First, it feels great to have a multi-day event entirely devoted to InDesign. Of course, I love CreativePro Week, and all our other events, too. But writing and speaking about InDesign is how I got into this business. So, it feels Christmas is coming a little early this year—December 9-12, to be specific.
Second, the roster of speakers is like a Who’s Who of InDesign. That is a serious Hall of Fame lineup from start to finish.
Third, each day features one project-based session, where attendees will have access to the speaker’s demo files. So, if you wish, you can follow along.
It’s no “InDesign Secret” that most of us learn more (and faster) as active participants than spectators. And in fact, the project-based sessions were created in response to requests from attendees at past events. We’re all creatives, we like to get our hands dirty, even if it’s just in a digital way. Playing with the tools is the fastest way to get comfortable with them. And as you explore, you might discover even more cool things that were outside the scope of sessions.
So, which of The InDesign Conference sessions are project-based? Glad you asked.
Create a Bold Poster That Pushes Design Boundaries
If you love bold type, layered images, and design that makes noise—you’re in the right place. In this project-based session, you’ll get your hands on the tools and tricks that make posters pop. You’ll explore techniques like blend modes, custom text wraps, transparency, and type effects that go beyond the basics—while learning how InDesign handles images under the hood.
This session is all about playing, pushing boundaries, and turning up the volume on your visual style. Whether you want your poster to shout, sing, or sizzle, you’ll leave with fresh design techniques and a layout that’s ready to hang.
InDesign: Your Dynamic Social Graphics Powerhouse
Create a range of customized web graphics, generated from a spreadsheet—all from InDesign! Did you know that you can composite, style and export custom graphics using data you get from a spreadsheet? Join us in this unique session where we’ll explore using InDesign as our graphic production powerhouse to create customized graphics in fraction of the time you’d spend in other apps.
Create a Multi-Chapter Publication in InDesign
Whether your long document is dozens of pages or thousands, you can make it flow faster and easier if you understand the fundamentals of multi-file publications. In this project-based session, we’ll explore InDesign’s long-document features, such as the Book panel, table of contents, indexes, bookmarks, file syncing, and more. With guided instruction and shared files, you’ll learn new ways to streamline production, reduce repetitive work, and create documents that are easy to update and maintain.
Build an Interactive PDF File
Want to make a PDF that does more than just sit there? In this project-based session, you’ll build a fully interactive PDF from start to finish using InDesign’s interactive tools. With step-by-step instruction and shared files, you’ll learn how to add functional elements like navigation buttons, hyperlinks, videos, and form fields—everything you need to create a digital document that’s polished, clickable, and ready to share or submit.
Whether you’re designing a digital form, presentation, or interactive brochure, this session will give you the skills to bring your static layouts to life.
This article was last modified on September 3, 2025
This article was first published on September 3, 2025
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