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Create Your Show-Stopping
Digital & Printable Portfolio Book
The InDesign Your Portfolio Course is a step-by-step blueprint for creating a professional portfolio in Adobe InDesign so you can confidently pitch to your dream clients.
This course is for surface pattern designers and illustrators who have a body of work and want to learn InDesign to be able to organize and submit it to art directors in a beautiful way. You have big dreams and goals and you’re so close to achieving them. You just need to get your work out there.
I've made creating a portfolio easy and straightforward so you can do it effortlessly, and start getting your beautiful artwork out into the world. Photoshop was made for artwork and photos, Illustrator was made for vector illustrations, and InDesign was MADE for layouts. And with Adobe InDesign, you can easily get your portfolio book printed AND embed it digitally into your website.
You will have instant access to all 4 modules when the course begins on April 24 that cover what to include in your portfolio and then walk you through the exact steps needed to create a professional portfolio document that is ready for your personal customization.
The feeling of overwhelm is gone! Taking this course has given me the confidence to make and publish my portfolio. —Harleen Osburn
You shouldn't have to spend a ton of time making a portfolio, or be overwhelmed and confused about how to do it on your own.
What You Can Expect
Go At Your Own Pace
The InDesign Your Portfolio course begins on October 2nd and does not expire. You can watch each lesson as you are ready and keep coming back as long as you would like.
Questions Answered
Join the private Facebook group for 6 weeks of support. I'll answer your questions, and you can share your progress and get feedback from other students.
PDF Resources
Each of the four modules has a corresponding downloadable PDF guide or checklist to help you learn the content and complete the lessons more easily.
Invest Risk Free
The course is backed by a 7-day money-back guarantee. I'm confident in the program and want you to be 100% satisfied. If you are not, I will refund your money.
Hi, I'm Genna Blackburn.
I know what it’s like to have a big goal but not know exactly what action to take to move forward.
I was a graphic designer for 15 years when I decided to get into art licensing. When it was time to put a portfolio together, I had many decisions to make and things to figure out. I didn't take action for months because I wasn't sure what action to take!
After I spent a lot of time researching and planning, I applied my graphic design experience to put an eye-catching portfolio together in Adobe InDesign. Since then I have had the pleasure of seeing my art on many fun products out in the world like fabric, diapers, baby clothes, greeting cards and puzzles.
You want to make art and get it out there, and organizing and presenting it doesn’t need to be a hurdle to achieving your goals. I can help you create a portfolio document that is ready for your personal customization and easy to update so you can start pitching to your dream clients.
I just love Genna’s straightforward approach to teaching this course. Follow her very well outlined steps and you’re on you way to a beautiful portfolio! —Bridget Gleeson
"Before I took InDesign Your Portfolio I was completely overwhelmed by the program, and had tried (and failed) to create a portfolio I was happy with. Genna's course was so easy to follow, allowing me to create a professional looking portfolio within a few days. By the end of that week I was even confidently pitching my portfolio to art directors, which has resulted in licensing deals. I love how Genna has broken down the content into bite size lessons, as it's so easy to dive back in and find information. This is hands down one of the best and most useful courses I've ever taken and is worth its weight in gold. I cannot recommend it highly enough."
— Clea Broad
Anatomy of a Portfolio
In this module, you will learn what is a portfolio, why you should have one, and what to include, as well as my tips for how to make your work look its best so you can attract the attention of art directors.
- What’s a Portfolio and Why You Should Have One
- Digital vs. Print
- Whether to Password Protect
- Whether to Have Multiple Portfolios
- What to Include
Tour of InDesign Tools
Learn the panels of Adobe InDesign, how to set up your workspace, and the most important tools, including how to add text and photos. Download a handy PDF of my favorite keyboard shortcuts.
- Setting Up the Workspace
- Learn the Essential Tools
- How to Edit Your Layout With the Most-Commonly Used Panels
- My Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts
- Adding Text
- Adding Images
Portfolio Creation Blueprint
Learn my step-by-step process to create your beautiful portfolio in Adobe InDesign. You will set up an easy-to-update document that is ready for your personal customization.
- Best File Specs & Organization
- Create a New Document
- Setting Up Master Pages
- Add Your Color Swatches
- Create a Cover & About Page
- Add Page Numbers
- Add Paragraph & Character Styles
- Add Your Artwork
- Add Hyperlinks
Publishing Online & In Print
Once you've created your portfolio, it’s time to put it out into the world! In this module, I will show you how to export your portfolio book to send to print and to publish online, including how to embed it directly into your website. Download a prepress checklist to make finalizing your portfolio a breeze.
- Preparing Your File to Be Exported
- Publish Online with a Unique URL
- Embed in Website with InDesign
- Export for Print
See what past students are saying!
Rebekah Lowell
I’ve been overwhelmed by portfolio creation for two years. I've started and stopped other portfolios, even tried a template, but none of them felt right. Enter "InDesign Your Portfolio.” It was a no-brainer for me. I love learning from Genna. The way she walks you through the process, from the ground up, makes creating a portfolio feel possible. Feeling a confidence boost, I even sent out a pitch with my new portfolio the next day! Within weeks, I received an offer from a fabric company and have now signed my first art licensing contract as a fabric designer for PBS Fabrics.
Katrina Henry
I’ve been dragging my feet for about a year to get a portfolio done. I had created so many unnecessary barriers. But I really appreciated Genna’s approach to “done is better then perfect” and that we don’t need to have everything figured out before starting to pitch. I completed my portfolio so quickly once Genna taught me how to use Adobe InDesign. I am excited to start pitching to potential clients and there’s nothing standing in my way! Thanks so much Genna! I probably would’ve dragged my feet for many more months without your course. And now I have a new skill in using Adobe InDesign.
Michael Sheridan
The InDesign Your Portfolio course is a nugget of gold for surface pattern designers and illustrators who want to use the latest Adobe software to create and publish a professional portfolio online and in print. Genna's teaching style is direct and to the point with meaningful examples, and tips and tricks for making the most out of Adobe InDesign. This course is an absolute must for anyone seeking to publish a professional portfolio. With Genna's assistance, I was surprised at how easy the program is to use, even for a beginner, like me. Now I have the tools necessary for publishing my portfolio.
Vivi Furlong
I’ve been using InDesign for years but I’ve learned a lot, and I got to create my portfolio alongside. I never thought I could do it on time, but the course was really easy to follow. Thanks, Genna! You are a great teacher!
Melissa McKeagney
I had tried to cobble together a portfolio by taking classes on Skillshare, but was unsatisfied with my result. After taking Genna’s course, I was able to put together a clean, professional looking portfolio imbued with my own personal design style and aesthetic. I’m feeling excited and proud to begin pitching my work to potential clients!
Annie Holmquist
The course helped me to gain the confidence I was lacking working with InDesign. I now have a beautiful, professionally created portfolio to share with art directors. Genna takes you through the entire process with ease and explains it simply. I really enjoyed this class and would highly recommend it.
Julia Simons (Seek to Spring)
Wow! What a game changer! I have been working in Adobe InDesign for about 10 years and never really understood its full potential. Since taking this course, I have established a greater understanding of the program in addition to a much more efficient workflow. The classes are clear and easy to follow with the help of Genna’s wonderful teaching skills. I’m happy to say that my confidence in using this program has grown immensely and I have a clear foundation for creating more publications in the future!!
Natalie Excell (Vine Art & Design)
Genna’s course was brilliant and I’d highly recommend it, even for those feeling a little unsure if they’re ‘ready’ yet because you can add to it as you go. (In some ways that’s actually easier than having tons of work to sort through!) With 3 mini collections and some greeting card designs, I’ve ended up with a 24 page portfolio that reflects the mood of my brand and style. The course was straightforward and in no time I went from feeling not ready, to feeling quite accomplished and ready to start pitching! Genna’s style is down-to-earth and concise, and she’s thought of everything! Expect step-by-step guidance and helpful tips along the way. 5 stars!
Janet Hild
Genna’s gentle, direct method of teaching works so well for me. The information was easy to follow and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by receiving too much all at once. I am proud of the result of creating a shareable portfolio that showcases my work in a clean simple format. It is something I have been wanting to do for a long time and didn’t find the right teacher to get me there until now.
Hear what alumni have to say:
"When I started the course I had some ideas of what I needed for a portfolio but everything was kind of blurry. I am so glad I took this course because step by step Genna takes you to a very professional and beautiful portfolio. It's amazing how even without noticing I finished my portfolio and now I’m ready to pitch. I recommend this course 100%."
— Ana Villa, Pomponlaville_studio
Putting together a design portfolio has been on my to-do list for a long time. I kept putting it off because I really did not know InDesign well enough. I had used Illustrator before to create a portfolio, but that program is really not meant for something like that and my files would be huge and often crash. I learned InDesign in college, BUT I found it very intimidating and therefore avoided it for years. I am SO happy I decided to take Genna’s course. She broke everything down making it very easy to understand and execute. I now feel good about using this program and I am very excited about the portfolio I am creating (and will be able to easily update!). I would recommend this course to anyone who feels a bit intimidated by InDesign.
—Tracy Beagen
I love Genna’s teaching so much. She’s very detailed and makes accomplishing big things so much less daunting. —Jesse Dunleavy
Who is this course for?
> You are a surface designer with a cohesive body of work that you are ready to organize in a way that makes it look its best.
> You want a professional portfolio that is easy to update and can be printed and published online.
> You want to learn the program that was made for designing books that will make things efficient and smooth.
> You want a step-by-step blueprint for putting together a portfolio document that is ready for your personal customization.
> You want to bring joy to others by having your art on products out in the world.
> You want to pitch to your dream clients and to make money from your art.
The course saved me heaps of time trying to learn yet another program on my own. I started the course on the Monday and had my portfolio published online by Friday. —Sarah Walker (ArtShades)
Six Samples to Spark Creativity
Five talented, successful artists are letting us look into their sample InDesign portfolios for inspiration! PLUS, you'll get a sneak peek into Stacie Bloomfield of Gingiber's wholesale product catalog that was also made in Adobe InDesign.
These artists and designers all have very different styles of work. Some are painterly, some are more graphic. Some are surface designers, some are painters. The various visuals will get your gears turning and help you gain a deeper understanding of how to showcase your artwork effectively and creatively as you build your own unique InDesign template in the course.
Cara Cummings
Xhico
Stacie Bloomfield
Lissie Teehee
Nikkita Cohoon
Cynthia Oswald
"Designers know that they need to have a portfolio but there isn't much out there on how to actually create one. Genna's course was just the thing for explaining step by step how to use InDesign specifically for creating a portfolio that is pitch ready. No knowledge of InDesign is needed as Genna clearly walks you through the basics and all you need to know to create a portfolio."
— Lana, Looshka Studio
Meet the Support Team
These lovely ladies are alumni of InDesign Your Portfolio, and will be helping answer your questions inside the course! They've been where you are and are here to help you make your portfolios with ease.
Tracy Beagen
Caroline Dacey
Rebekah Lowell
I loved that I could finish it in two days! It was comprehensive and very easy to follow! —Sofia Daskalakis
Invest Risk Free
The InDesign Your Portfolio course is backed by a 7-day money-back guarantee. I strongly believe in this course and that if you put the time in, you will have a beautiful portfolio by the end. I truly feel that you will find value in the step-by-step lessons, the downloadable resources, and the six weeks of support from me via the private Facebook group. However, if after one week you are not 100% satisfied, I will refund your money.
