Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

Things are fine just the way they are. Photoshop is for grahics and InDesign is for layout. Each specialist uses the best program for their craft. I don't feel that InDesign adds any real layout advantage for a web professional after page parameters are determined. InDesign doesn't allow editing of graphics. She would need to bounce back and forth for little value.

Now if you're concerned about adding content paragraphs, that is a smidgen more annoying yet do-able in Photoshop, yet paragraphs should be entered in HTML so search engines can index the content. Use a program like Dreamweaver to complete the site.

So - the standard is just as your people use it.

Bob

I agree with Bob.

I'm fluent in both InDesign and Photoshop, and I use Dreamweaver too. Each has features that make it best for its intended task. They can co-exist and even work well together, as long as you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each.

The rub is that you should all have at least a cursory familiarity with each program, so you can coordinate efforts toward a common objective. If you do, you'll probably find that you can accomplish tasks faster and easier than if you committed to just one software solution and tried to make it fit all situations.

Some other suggestions:
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=781248
https://www.nickhodge.com/blog/archives/2161
https://www.cocut.cn/ebook/3097-kelbytraining-indesign-photoshop.html

Dear inspired,

As a graphic designer with almost 25 years behind me, my advice is to leave things as they are.

But note this one point: page layout and web design are two different areas that, sadly, often ignore two other but, on the web at least, more important areas: navigability and marketing.

Having a great looking printed piece or screen piece is one thing, having the same things that are logically laid out and easy to move through for the viewer or visitor is quite another.

It's possible to have all the software and all the Mac skills in the world. But if design staff know nothing about making their designs easy to use, or if they're too concerned with winning awards (as many companies are when it comes to design, sadly) then in the end, the client loses out ... and so does the design company.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Indesign is more for layout while Photoshop is more for image editing. Now, when I can totally understand why the print designer is using indesign - the web designer choice of program is not exactly common.

What program to use would depends on what kind of output do you expect. If you are looking for printed output, indesign can do a good job.

But for website, I would suggest using Dreamweaver instead (by Macromedia)