I have relied on InDesign for almost all my wireframing needs and it has served me very well. However, I am aware that InDesign might not be such a widely used tool within the Interaction Design community and it was therefor decided to use Illustrator for the wireframing workshop. Having now worked in both these packages, here are my thoughts on why I prefer InDesign to Illustrator.
One Package
This issue refers partly to the pagination problem. Essentially, you are using the same functionality in Illustrator to draw the wireframes than in InDesign. It is possible to draw all you need right within Indesign but it is impossible to make a proper document Indesign-style in Illustrator. This means that you are using two applications in stead of one to get the same job done.
Styles
Illustrator isn’t as good with paragraph styles, compared to InDesign. Although it is possible to define paragraph styles in Illustrator, it simply is not as robust as InDesign. I have the feeling that paragraph styles are an afterthought in Illustrations, whereas in InDesign it forms a major part of the functionality.
Masters
Masters are a powerful tool in InDesign. It allows you to create templates that repeat themselves throughout your entire site. Indicating where the fold is, for instance, can be done on a master page. Recurring elements such as a header can be designed and placed in a master and simply applied when needed.
General Document Design
Using and knowing InDesign teaches basic document design skills, but more importantly, it teaches typography
Whilst Illustrator is a far more advanced illustration tool (as the name suggest) than InDesign, the drawing functionality found in InDesign is more than sufficient to develop high quality wireframes.
I have relied on InDesign for almost all my wireframing needs and it has served me very well. However, I am aware that InDesign might not be such a widely used tool within the Interaction Design community and it was therefor decided to use Illustrator for the wireframing workshop. Having now worked in both these packages, here are my thoughts on why I prefer InDesign to Illustrator.
One Package
This issue refers partly to the pagination problem. Essentially, you are using the same functionality in Illustrator to draw the wireframes than in InDesign. It is possible to draw all you need right within Indesign but it is impossible to make a proper document Indesign-style in Illustrator. This means that you are using two applications in stead of one to get the same job done.
Styles
Illustrator isn’t as good with paragraph styles, compared to InDesign. Although it is possible to define paragraph styles in Illustrator, it simply is not as robust as InDesign. I have the feeling that paragraph styles are an afterthought in Illustrations, whereas in InDesign it forms a major part of the functionality.
Masters
Masters are a powerful tool in InDesign. It allows you to create templates that repeat themselves throughout your entire site. Indicating where the fold is, for instance, can be done on a master page. Recurring elements such as a header can be designed and placed in a master and simply applied when needed.
General Document Design
Using and knowing InDesign teaches basic document design skills, but more importantly, it teaches typography
Whilst Illustrator is a far more advanced illustration tool (as the name suggest) than InDesign, the drawing functionality found in InDesign is more than sufficient to develop high quality wireframes.
One Package
This issue refers partly to the pagination problem. Essentially, you are using the same functionality in Illustrator to draw the wireframes than in InDesign. It is possible to draw all you need right within Indesign but it is impossible to make a proper document Indesign-style in Illustrator. This means that you are using two applications in stead of one to get the same job done.
Styles
Illustrator isn’t as good with paragraph styles, compared to InDesign. Although it is possible to define paragraph styles in Illustrator, it simply is not as robust as InDesign. I have the feeling that paragraph styles are an afterthought in Illustrations, whereas in InDesign it forms a major part of the functionality.
Masters
Masters are a powerful tool in InDesign. It allows you to create templates that repeat themselves throughout your entire site. Indicating where the fold is, for instance, can be done on a master page. Recurring elements such as a header can be designed and placed in a master and simply applied when needed.
General Document Design
Using and knowing InDesign teaches basic document design skills, but more importantly, it teaches typography
Whilst Illustrator is a far more advanced illustration tool (as the name suggest) than InDesign, the drawing functionality found in InDesign is more than sufficient to develop high quality wireframes.
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