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Premium course

InDesign for Architects: All about portfolios!

Architects are always designing new projects and creating things, so a portfolio to show your skills and experience is vital. Learn in this course the essential techniques to create an outstanding portfolio.

5+ hours of premium content
Learn technical and visual skills
InDesign template included
Lifetime access
Subtitles EN, ES, PT

Intro

Watch the first lesson to know more about the course!

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A course made for Architects!​

Yes, we are aware that there are countless Adobe InDesign courses available, quite literally, a ton of them. However, none of them are specifically curated to architecture portfolios, and even more importantly, are designed with the needs of architects in mind.

InDesign for Architects​

Specific tools, some tabs and windows, a couple of important settings, ...

Portfolio's Core Elements​

Contrast, hierarchy, pace, whitespace, type of pages, purpose, and a lot more...

We value your time!​

We understand that architecture schools expect you to know how to build a great portfolio, but they often don't teach the necessary software skills or the visual and composition techniques to effectively achieve that

As architects, we have to juggle multiple programs and skills, and our time is valuable. Focusing on the right tools and techniques helps us work smarter, not harder, making our designs really stand out.

So in InDesign, if you learn a handful of specific tools, some tabs and windows, a couple of important settings, and the core elements of creating an outstanding portfolio, you’re all set!

The right techniques!​

Creating a great portfolio is about reducing the visual noise and letting drawings and images shine.​

Spreads should have enough space so that the viewer understands each piece of information at a time. It's less about the overall page design and more about the content in them!

Good example of a portfolio page with corrections in a schematic format
Good example of a portfolio page in a schematic format

Course
Curriculum

Learn at your own pace with lifetime access to over 5 hours of premium content. This course offers a flexible learning experience, allowing you to revisit modules anytime for a refresher.

Why a linear portfolio?

Wireframe version of multiple portfolio pages combined

Control the Narrative: A portfolio with pages allows you to shape the story and reveal information at your own pace, ensuring a compelling narrative.

Influence Attention: By utilizing contrast and hierarchy, you can guide the viewer's focus to specific areas of the page and emphasize the most relevant drawings in each composition.

Streamlined Evaluation: Present a curated portfolio that allows for efficient assessment, making it easier for employers or universities to review your work.

Seamless Sharing: Easily send the document across multiple platforms, whether attaching it to an email or uploading it to online platforms like ISSUU

No focus: On a personal website, you can't control how people navigate,  potentially causing them to miss important information.

Complex Evaluation: With hundreds of applicants, relying on employers or universities to navigate your website can add complexity to the evaluation process.

Hosting Limitations: Personal websites often have generic templates and costs associated with custom URLs or require web design skills for uniqueness.

A personal website adds value to your application by extending your online presence, but it should be viewed as an additional step in showcasing your work. Prioritizing a well-crafted, outstanding portfolio ensures a direct and impactful presentation of your skills and accomplishments.

And why Adobe InDesign?

For those of you starting architecture school, you may be wondering why Adobe InDesign is the ideal choice over Illustrator or Photoshop.

While AI and PS excel in drawings, renderings, and single compositions, Adobe InDesign shines in organizing and cataloging your projects.

With InDesign, you can effortlessly create multi-page documents, including facing pages, which is vital to properly design spreads.

Screenshot of InDesign showing why it's better then PS or AI for portfolio
Portfolio Templates in a mockup grid

InDesign Templates

Included in this course is an InDesign template file with many examples for all 5 portfolio spread types.

The goal of this course is to empower you with technical and composition knowledge to create or update an existing portfolio.

While each portfolio should be distinct and unique, having a template can provide a helpful starting point. You can draw inspiration from the file, experiment with new ideas, explore different compositions, and adapt elements to achieve a result that truly represents your work.

More Than Just Lessons

This course is not just about learning InDesign. We want you to feel comfortable using the software, but that's not all. A substantial part of our lessons focuses on the essential elements of creating an outstanding portfolio. We go beyond technical aspects to help you understand what makes a portfolio great.

5+ hours of Premium Content​

The lessons are designed to be short and easy to follow, with all shortcuts shown on the screen. Lesson averages around 15 minutes, giving you the flexibility to fit them into your busy schedule.

All levels are welcome!​

From beginners to intermediate or advanced users, our course covers everything you need to know about InDesign tools, settings, and software moves.

Lifetime Access​

Once enrolled, enjoy unlimited access to the course. Take your time to complete it and revisit the content whenever you want. Upon completion, receive a certificate as proof of your accomplishment.

Subtitles EN, ES, PT​

Our course is accessible to a global audience with subtitles available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, ensuring everyone can follow along and learn effectively.

Requirements

To get the most out of this course, take a look at the requirements and extra info.

As the course name suggests, Adobe InDesign is necessary for creating portfolios. Ideally, the most recent Creative Cloud version is recommended, but any CC version should work well.
A portfolio is the result of your projects; therefore, the lessons are not focused on creating a portfolio together, from start to finish. Instead, the goal is to equip you with essential knowledge so you can compose the best version of your portfolio based on your unique projects.
While adding personality to your portfolio is crucial, the included InDesign templates in the course files provide a valuable head start, helping you in the initial stages of your portfolio creation process.

Hear from other Upstairs students!

We have gathered feedback from some of our students who have taken this course, offering you insight into what to expect from our premium content.

Explore More Testimonials

I really liked this course, he teaches you many tricks to create a good portfolio, but what I liked the most was the fact that he explains everything with examples of real portfolios. Another plus point was that English is not my first language, and yet I had no problem understanding everything and helping myself with subtitles. I also had a small problem that I couldn't open a file and he solved everything very quickly. Totally recommended!

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Ana Tejeiro Ponce
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

I have followed many InDesign courses but this one is the most complete on the market. The information provided and the method of communication is clear and direct. The examples shown are of great help in understanding how to approach the design of an architectural portfolio. The presence of subtitles in different languages is very useful to fully understand each concept. This course should be compulsory in every architecture school to have a clear idea of how to effectively show each project.

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Ricardo Baez
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

I learned good tricks and tips that I didn't know about and probably would have never learned through this course. Taking this course has helped me improve my portfolio and portfolio-making skills as well. I went into this course already knowing InDesign yet I still learned new things. Very good course, I would recommend it!

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Moises Reyes
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

Even though I have worked with Indesign for quite some time before, I learned some new practical tips and tricks from this course. Knowing how to work with character styles was especially helpful for me. I also really enjoyed module 6 and the conceptual insights an portfolio reviews that Oliver provided there. The way that Oliver is explaining everything is super easy to understand and fun to watch. Thank you very much for this course, Oliver. I would definetly recommend taking this course as a preparation for a portfolio!

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Debora
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

I specifically enjoyed how for this tutorial, Oliver stuck to the ins and outs of InDesign and how to use it properly. I think this strategy works well mainly because each person has a different story to tell through their portfolio. Therefore, the tutorial only helps you know how to navigate InDesign and it doesn't really hinder your perception of how to do your portfolio. Also, I think the examples help inspire the audience, especially as we can see Oliver annotate and discuss the mistakes and great points of each portfolio. The extra material is great and I feel that the extra lessons with him are super useful.

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Calin Maier
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

This course covers so many questions that I had after struggling with Indesign. There were so many options to see different successful solutions and I did appreciate the personal reactions to the portfolios shown. Overall one of the best courses I have taken to date. Thanks!

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Nate
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

This course is a very good starting point for anyone who is not familiar with InDesign. As someone who has used that software a limited amount of times, I feel that this course definitely sets up a great foundation before starting any layouts. I finished watching this course with a good sense of confidence and a clear direction to start exploring ideas of how I want to make my own portfolio. Thank you, Oliver!

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Miguel
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

Explains everything there is to learn about InDesign from an architectural standpoint and even goes further into giving us tips and tricks on how to improve our portfolios...GREAT COURSE OVERALL!

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Eriberto Luna
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

I was very excited when I first saw on Youtube that this course was made, and after taking it I feel more confident to start my first portfolio. Thank you very much for all the lessons, comments, and recommendations.

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Maira Sofia Medrano Moya
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!

It was a very enjoyable and helpful course! Everything was well explained and to the point so everyone could follow along. I really appreciate the effort put into it. Even the graphics were amazing and creating a more exiting learning environment. It motivate me to create an awesome portfolio and actually be confident about it! Thank you, Oliver and upstairs team!

Placeholder profile photo of an architect.
Georgia
InDesign for Architects: All about Portfolios!