Automated design solutions

[micheller69869742]

Has anyone out there succeeded in automating design for print materials using InDesign (or other software) and it's various style options, your org's branded design components (templates with margins, rules, headers, logo positions, call-outs, etc)? I'm trying to automate some of the branded marketing collateral (creation and revisions) so our in-house design team can focus on more creative work. 

[JonathanArias]

you can use GREP, nested styles, object styles with nested paragraph styles, variables, place and map styles.... 

what do you want to do?

[micheller69869742]

Jonathan,  ideally, would like non-designers in charge of content (hierarchy, flow, narrative) to be able to input their communication goals into an automated process that then assigns design components to accomplish those goals. For instance, their Word doc may have a rough hierarchy established, with a couple of call-outs, subheads, tables, etc. Then the automation takes those inputs and creates a design to satisfy their goals. Designers would create an interchangeable set of variables from which to draw--maybe within a set of templated structures. But the result would be maybe 10 possible layouts for a given Word doc.

[JonathanArias]

That is a tall order you are asking for.

• how is is indesign goign to make 10 possible layouts for you from one word? are you planning on making 10 indesign mockup layouts first to map to? and how are you going to map that? Are you thinking of taking a single word document, mapping the styles and expecting 10 layouts automated from indesign?
• a rough hierarchy... that means they may not set up style in word. so what are you doing to do when you map to indesign? map to none?
• Indesign is not going to created designs for you. it will map and the result will require understanding of indesign styles to adjust, move.. and so on.. its just so much here that i just don't see a non designer dealing with the aftermath.

I am concern you are expecting a lot from indesign... 

[Derek Cross]

Hve a word with these recommended specialists: https://www.rorohiko.com/wordpress/

[Creamer Training · Accepted solution]

You might want to look into the InDesign server. You will probably need to work with a partner to set it up. 

https://www.adobe.com/products/indesignserver.html

[micheller69869742]

Thank you, this is great.