In this episode of The Learning Pro Live, I was joined by the incredible Amanda Nguyen, a Learning Solutions Lead at Lendlease. We tackled a topic that might make some of you roll your eyes initially: interactive PDFs.

Wait! Before you click away thinking of boring, static documents from 2005, let me stop you. Amanda is a self-confessed “PDF Geek,” and what she creates with Adobe InDesign and Acrobat is nothing short of sorcery. She showed us how she transforms dusty old policies into sleek, interactive toolkits that look more like apps than documents.

Here are the key takeaways from our chat on how to breathe new life into this humble format.

It’s All About the Toolkit

Amanda’s approach isn’t about just making a PDF “clickable.” It is about solving a problem. She shared a brilliant example from her work at Lendlease where she converted a five-day face-to-face sales workshop into a practical, interactive toolkit.

This wasn’t just text on a page. It included:

• Self-Assessments: Drop-down menus and calculation fields that let users score themselves and see results instantly.
• Navigation: A landing page with buttons that jump to specific sections, allowing users to find exactly what they need without scrolling through 50 pages.
• Hover Effects: Buttons that change colour and reveal information when you mouse over them, creating a dynamic, app-like feel.

The result? A resource that sales managers could actually use on the job, rather than a binder that sits on a shelf gathering dust.

Design Hacks for Non-Designers

Not an InDesign expert? No worries. Amanda shared a great hack for those less comfortable with complex layout software.

You can design your entire document in Adobe Illustrator (or even PowerPoint/Word if you must!), creating beautiful vector graphics and layouts. Once you are happy with the look, export it as a static PDF. Then, open it in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to add the magic.

In Acrobat, you can overlay the interactive elements, fillable text fields, checkboxes, and buttons—on top of your design. This workflow separates the visual design from the technical functionality, making it much easier to manage.

Why Use a PDF in 2023?

We had a great discussion in the chat about why you would choose a PDF over a shiny new tool like a chatbot or an eLearning module. The answer is simple: practicality.

PDFs are universally accessible (mostly), easy to share via email or download from an intranet, and crucially, they can be saved. A learner can fill in a reflection journal, save their unique version, and refer back to it later. It is a tangible takeaway that doesn’t require an internet connection or an LMS login to access once downloaded.

Blended Learning Magic

Amanda doesn’t just send out a PDF and hope for the best. She integrates them into a blended learning journey. For her sales toolkit, she created a short, bite-sized Articulate Rise module to introduce the concepts and build empathy (using animated GIFs of real sales managers!).

At the end of the module, the user downloads the interactive PDF toolkit to apply what they have learned. This combination of digital storytelling and practical application is a powerful way to drive behaviour change.

Watch the full interview above to see Amanda screen-share her projects, demonstrate her InDesign workflow, and prove that PDFs can be sexy.