How to Layout a Book in InDesign | Create with Me ft. Zoë Sadokierski

How do professional designers create books that are visually compelling, cohesive, and made for print? In this edition of Create with Me, acclaimed book designer and educator Zoë Sadokierski joins Blurb creative ambassador Dan Milnor to design a book layout in real time using Adobe InDesign. This session is a deep dive into advanced book design principles, including grid systems, layout structure, typography, hierarchy, pacing, sequencing, and accessibility. Rather than focusing on shortcuts or presets, Sadokierski demonstrates how experienced book designers think through every decision that shapes readability, visual rhythm, and long-form clarity. You’ll see how to: • Set up a structured grid in InDesign • Build and link paragraph styles • Choose and pair typefaces intentionally • Design for physical reading, not just screens • Create rhythm across page spreads • Refine layout decisions in real time Whether you're designing a photo book, trade book, or editorial project, this workshop offers professional insight into how to design a book in Indesign with intention and precision. Stay in the loop • Website – https://www.blurb.com?utm_source=yout... • Instagram –   / blurbbooks   • Facebook –   / blurbbooks   Timestamps 0:00 Welcome + introduction 1:28 Run of show and workshop overview 2:28 Intro to Zoë Sadokierski 4:42 Zoë Sadokierski's background 7:59 Trade book project 12:17 Collaborative, real-time book project 16:31 Limited edition art book project 25:55 Blurb creator program project 34:35 InDesign Blurb Book Creator plugin 35:47 Why InDesign for book design 37:22 Parent pages and structural setup 37:43 Creating a 9×9 grid in InDesign 39:53 Margins, gutters, and designing for the reader's hands 42:31 Importing text and setting up paragraph styles 43:48 Choosing Freight and building a typographic system 44:56 Why large type families matter 49:30 Ellen Lupton and learning typography fundamentals 51:05 Creating and linking paragraph styles correctly 57:23 Dealing with orphans and widows in text formatting 58:16 Adding page numbers 1:02:17 Adding photos 1:05:36 Adding captions 1:06:13 Testing font pairings (the "O" comparison method) 1:08:32 Using typographic symbols to break up text Q&A 1:13:16 Do you design the cover first or last? 1:14:28 Hardcover versus softcover design 1:16:26 Why you shouldn't judge type size only on screen 1:17:12 Choosing trim size and paper stock 1:18:28 Inclusive Sans and accessibility in typography 1:20:05 Cropping images and sequencing photos 1:22:01 Overlapping photographs 1:25:09 Ideal number of pages or spreads