About Us

LAIDUG provides unique educational experiences related to Adobe InDesign through monthly online presentations and occasional in-person events or field trips.

But LAIDUG is just one of many places where folks who use InDesign can get information. CreativePro is much bigger and hosts huge events. YouTube offers thousands of free videos. Social media platforms abound, from Facebook to Instagram to LinkedIn. And, of course, there are Adobe’s own Community Forums. So what do we bring to the table?

Community.

We provide an authentic user-to-user experience where individuals can ask questions, tell stories, inspire others or just hang out with kindred spirits who speak the language of page layout and digital publishing. In fact, it might be that our monthly presentations are just an excuse for folks to get together and hang out, much like football is an excuse to drink beer.

That said, attend one of our monthly presentations and you might learn a few things and if you have a question, one of the members might supply an answer. In fact, many of our members are Adobe Community Experts.

At LAIDUG, not only can you talk about the program we all know and love, find out the latest updates, learn new techniques, swap stories about novel workarounds, but also inspire others who are having a bad day, engage with folks who don’t happen to live next door, and form relationships that turn into lifelong friendships. Discover a business opportunity, find a job, snag some swag, or win a raffle prize including Adobe software or a new car!

Zoom every month

LAIDUG meetings are held via Zoom every month on the third Thursday of each month. A 30-minute pre-meeting community chat precedes each meeting. Meetings begin promptly with a few minutes of administrative business, after which we introduce the speaker and get on with it. Meetings conclude with a Q&A followed by raffles. Then we wrap. Or sometimes we stay and rap. Our meetings are compact yet packed with the interaction and information you really want and need.

All meetings are free and open to the public.

Who we are

LAIDUG is officially supported by Adobe Systems, Inc., but is an independent organization managed by local volunteers. The group is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization financed through the sale of raffle and event tickets, the purchase of branded items, and the occasional tax-deductible contribution.

As an educational organization, we engage in the challenging process of appealing to InDesign users of all skill levels and unique interests with a smorgasbord of presentations that range from the serious and technical to the fun and unexpected. We once did a presentation on InDesign in prisons. Who does that?

A particular focus of the group is extending information about page layout and digital publishing into diverse and underserved communities.

Although we won’t rule out the occasional face-to-face meeting or field trip, almost all of our events are now virtual and accessible worldwide.

history

Adobe InDesign was released to the public in August 1999, but it took over two years for InDesign users to join together. That finally happened in New York in November 2001, shortly before the release of the landmark version 2.0. This first InDesign user group brought together early adopters, recent converts, and the merely curious. When news spread of what designers saw and heard, attendance grew.

The Los Angeles InDesign User Group was founded by John Lopez, Andrew Keith Strauss and DeShawn Burton. The first meeting was held in October 2005 at Ogilvy & Mather in Los Angeles-adjacent Culver City. Presenter Mike Riley gave an overview of InDesign CS2.

The group was rebooted in 2010 by Alan Bell and DeShawn Burton with in-person meetings held regularly on a bimonthly basis. Locations varied throughout Los Angeles County to ensure that at least one meeting during the year was in everyone’s backyard. Typical meeting facilities included libraries, community centers and schools. Occasionally meetings were held where design work actually happened—perhaps at a design studio or printing company—and sometimes included a tour of the plant.

In 2015, the Los Angeles InDesign User Group celebrated its 10th anniversary in Hollywood with commendations from local, state and federal officials. David Blatner was the featured speaker.

In 2018, the Feds anointed us with non-profit tax-exempt status.

In 2020, as a result of Covid and with the ubiquity of Zoom, we moved from bimonthly in-person meetings to monthly Zoom meetings. With easy access to meetings from practically anywhere, the membership ballooned, and we sometimes called ourselves the Los Anywhere InDesign User Group, or the Last Adobe InDesign User Group. But we finally settled on using the legacy initials LAIDUG much as KFC did when they decided they were about more than just fried chicken.

Join us

Executive TEAM

Alan Bell
Manager
Los Angeles, California

Alan Gilbertson
Associate Manager
Clearwater, Florida

Advisory Board

Eva Bee
Crystal Lake, Illinois

Anne-Marie Concepción
Pleasantville, California

Nigel French
Lewes, East Sussex, England

Rebecca Hillquist
Glendale, California

Jeffery Marcus
North Hills, California

Past Field Trips

Bridge Publications
Designory
History for Hire
HPR Graphics
International Printing Museum
Los Angeles Times
Ogilvy & Mather
Roland Corporation

How You Can participate

LAIDUG has the same needs as most non-profits. We need your money or your time. Or both. Although we are staffed by volunteers, we need cash to pay for Zoom, Squarespace, MailChimp, Eventbrite, ICANN, Office Depot, LAIDUG-branded merchandise, raffle prizes, advertising, the post office, printing, etc. And then there’s the mortgage on the $20 million chalet in Aspen. Just kidding on that last one.

Donate

LAIDUG is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization financed through the sale of raffle and event tickets, the purchase of branded items and the occasional tax-deductible contribution. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent that the law allows. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding the deductibility of your donation.

Volunteer

Volunteers are always needed. If you have a skill or a talent, let us know. Chances are we need it. Or if you want to help but would rather choose from a list of our specific needs, ask for our “wish list.”

Presenter

The women and men who present at LAIDUG meetings are typically Adobe employees, evangelists, or trainers. Or they might be representatives of companies that make program-related add-ons. Sometimes, the podium is held by a knowledgeable InDesign user. Some topics are on how to use the program. Other presentations are InDesign-adjacent—topics of interest to InDesign users, such as sister Adobe applications or more general design-related information and discussions.

Offer Discounts

A popular way for companies to connect with LAIDUG members is by offering member-only discounts for products and services. Discounts are an easy and excellent way to develop an ongoing relationship with members of the organization.