Getting Started

Adobe® XD® is an all-in-one cross-platform tool for designing and prototyping websites and mobile apps, creating presentations, and much more. Whether you are a general designer, web designer, User Experience (UX) designer, or User Interface (UI) designer, Adobe XD® offers you the tools you need to get professional-quality results.

About Classroom in a Book

Adobe XD Classroom in a Book® (2020 release) is part of the official training series for Adobe graphics and publishing software developed with the support of Adobe product experts. The features and exercises in this book are based on the February 2020 Adobe XD release.

The lessons are designed so that you can learn at your own pace. If you’re new to Adobe XD, you’ll learn the fundamentals you need to master to put the application to work. If you are an experienced user, you’ll find that Classroom in a Book teaches many advanced features, including tips and techniques for using Adobe XD.

Although each lesson provides step-by-step instructions for creating a specific project, there’s room for exploration and experimentation. You can follow the book from start to finish or do only the lessons that correspond to your interests and needs. Each lesson concludes with a review section summarizing what you’ve covered.

Prerequisites

”Before beginning to use Adobe XD Classroom in a Book (2020 release), you should have working knowledge of your computer and its operating system. Make sure that you know how to use the mouse and standard menus and commands and also how to open, save, and close files. If you need to review these techniques, see the printed or online documentation for macOS or Windows.

Images Note

When instructions differ by platform, macOS commands appear first and then the Windows commands, with the platform noted in parentheses. For example, “press Option (macOS) or Alt (Windows) and click away from the artwork.”

Installing the program

Before you begin using Adobe XD Classroom in a Book (2020 release), make sure that your system is set up correctly and that you’ve installed the required software and hardware.

You must purchase the Adobe XD software separately. For complete instructions on installing the software, visit helpx.adobe.com/support/xd.html. You must install XD from Adobe Creative Cloud onto your hard disk. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Minimum system requirements

macOS—macOS X v10.13 or later with the following minimum configuration:

  • Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support

  • Memory: 4GB of RAM

  • Display: Non-retina display (Retina recommended)

  • Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services. Voice capabilities require users to be connected to the Internet to preview their prototypes.

Images Note

In order to see the system requirements for Adobe XD, you can visit helpx.adobe.com/xd/system-requirements.html.

Windows—Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (64-bit) – Version 1709 (build 10.0.16299) or later with the following minimum configuration:

  • Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support

  • Memory: 4 GB of RAM

  • Display: 1280 x 800

  • Minimum Direct 3D DDI Feature Set: 10. For Intel GPU, drivers released in 2014 or later are necessary.

  • Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services. Voice capabilities require users to be connected to the Internet to preview their prototypes.

  • XD on Windows 10 supports Windows’ native pen and touch features. You can use touch input to interact with XD tools, create artwork on canvas, navigate through layers, interact with components, wire prototypes, change shape properties in the Property Inspector, scroll through the preview window, drag images to the canvas, create repeat grids, and so on.

Online content

Your purchase of this Classroom in a Book includes online materials provided by way of your Account page on peachpit.com. These include:

Lesson files

To work through the projects in this book, you will need to download the lesson files from peachpit.com. You can download the files for individual lessons or it may be possible to download them all in a single file.

Web Edition

The Web Edition is an online interactive version of the book providing an enhanced learning experience. Your Web Edition can be accessed from any device with a connection to the Internet and it contains:

  • The complete text of the book

  • Hours of instructional video keyed to the text

  • Interactive quizzes

In addition, the Web Edition may be updated when Adobe adds significant feature updates between major Creative Cloud releases. To accommodate the changes, sections of the online book may be updated or new sections may be added.

Images Note

Adobe XD is evolving quickly, with frequent updates. We will evaluate the changes against the book and, if needed, supply a PDF of those changes where you access your lesson files.

Accessing the lesson files and Web Edition

If you purchased an eBook from peachpit.com or adobepress.com, your Web Edition will automatically appear under the Digital Purchases tab on your Account page. Click the Launch link to access the product. Continue reading to learn how to register your product to get access to the lesson files.

If you purchased an eBook from a different vendor or you bought a print book, you must register your purchase on peachpit.com in order to access the online content:

  1. Go to www.adobepress.com/XDCIB2020.

  2. Sign in or create a new account.

  3. Click Submit.

  4. Answer the questions as proof of purchase.

  5. The lesson files can be accessed through the Registered Products tab on your Account page. Click the Access Bonus Content link below the title of your product to proceed to the download page. Click the lesson file links to download them to your computer. The Web Edition will appear under the Digital Purchases tab on your Account page. Click the Launch link to access the product.

Recommended lesson order

Adobe XD Classroom in a Book (2020 release) is designed to take you from A to Z in basic to intermediate app and website design. Each new lesson builds on previous exercises, using the files and assets you create to design and prototype an app. To achieve a successful result and the most complete understanding of all aspects of design in Adobe XD, the ideal training scenario is to start in Lesson 1 and perform each lesson in sequential order through the entire book to Lesson 11. Because each lesson builds essential files and content for the next, you shouldn’t skip any lessons or even individual exercises. While ideal, this method may not be a practicable scenario for everyone.

Jumpstart

If you don’t have the time or inclination to perform each lesson in the book in order, or if you’re having difficulty with a particular lesson, you can work through individual lessons using the jumpstart method. Each lesson folder (when necessary) includes finished files and staged files (files that are completed to that point in the lessons).

To jumpstart a lesson, follow these steps:

  1. The lesson files can be accessed through the Registered Products tab on your Account page. Click the Access Bonus Content link below the title of your product to proceed to the download page. Click the lesson file links to download them to your computer.

  2. Open Adobe XD.

  3. With no files open in Adobe XD, choose File > Open From Your Computer (macOS) or press Ctrl+O (Windows) and navigate to the Lessons folder on your hard drive, then to the specific lesson folder you are starting from. For instance, if you are jumpstarting Lesson 7, navigate to the Lessons > Lesson07 folder and open the file named L7_start.xd. All of the jumpstart lesson files include “_start” in their names.

    These simple steps will have to be repeated for each lesson you wish to jumpstart. If you choose the jumpstart method once, however, you do not have to continue using it for all subsequent lessons. For example, if you want to jumpstart Lesson 6, you can simply continue on to Lesson 7, and so on.

  4. If the Assets panel shows missing or activating fonts, you can close the panel.

Images Note

The lesson files were set up using the default font on macOS (Helvetica Neue). Windows users will see a missing fonts message and can close it, since the default font on Windows will be used in place of Helvetica Neue. For most of the lesson files, the Apple San Francisco Pro font is also used.

Additional resources

Adobe XD Classroom in a Book (2020 release) is not meant to replace documentation that comes with the program or to be a comprehensive reference for every feature. Only the commands and options used in the lessons are explained in this book. For comprehensive information about program features and tutorials, please refer to these resources:

Adobe XD Learn & Support: helpx.adobe.com/support/xd.html (accessible in Adobe XD by choosing Help > Learn & Support) is where you can find and browse tutorials, help, and support on Adobe.com.

Adobe Forums: community.adobe.com lets you tap into peer-to-peer discussions, questions, and answers on Adobe products.

Adobe Create Magazine: create.adobe.com offers thoughtful articles on design and design issues, a gallery showcasing the work of top-notch designers, tutorials, and more.

Resources for educators: www.adobe.com/education and edex.adobe.com offer valuable information for instructors who teach classes on Adobe software. Find solutions for education at all levels, including free curricula that can be used to prepare for the Adobe Certified Associate exams.

Also check out these useful links:

Adobe XD product home page: See adobe.com/products/xd.html.

Adobe Authorized Training Centers

Adobe Authorized Training Centers offer instructor-led courses and training on Adobe products. A directory of AATCs is available at learning.adobe.com/partner-finder.html.