Yearbook Theme

Your theme should be original, and imaginative developed through words or design elements.

The book clearly and logically depicts the personality of the school and captures the specific year. It is a historical record that will anchor readers in time.

PRIDE themes are based on spirit and the students’ or school’s accomplishments. The name of the school, the town, school colors or the mascot are used as word plays. This can be fun and are often listed among reader favorites.

ANNIVERSARY and EVENT themes can be tricky. Make sure you don’t abuse the “party and celebration” concept. Focus on what has made your school unique over the years, featuring milestones LOCATION themes are limited to schools with obvious ties to street names with other meanings or major geographic landmarks. Since these factors do not change often, you need to make these themes relevant to this time in history.

DOUBLE EDGE themes provide a comparison and contrast format with a serious side and a lighter approach. This type of theme can help you develop a unique writing style with multiple points of view as your angle.

SLOGAN themes feature a “catch phrase” which could be used any year. Through specific copy, visual elements and mini themes, that play off the slogan, the theme needs to relate uniquely to your school and this time in history.

CONCEPT themes use one idea to build the book around. This approach may be a number of “catch phrases” based on a central idea, a single word, or a visual element. With concept themes, traditional sections are sometimes abandoned in favor of sections which reinforce the central idea.

THE FIVE “R’S” Test your theme by asking the five “R’s’” Is your theme RECOGNIZABLE, the theme should be easy to identify and to remember. Is your theme RELEVENT, does it fit your school this year? Is your theme REPEATABLE, can you make it work for each section in the book? Is your theme REALISTIC, are you setting yourself up for failure?

Remember accuracy as journalists is more important than a graphic design. Is your theme REFRESHING, is it different from past years and neighboring schools?

SPINE INCLUDE Name of school, city and state, name of book, year, volume number COVER The cover has visual appeal & introduces the theme/concept. INCLUDE name of book, year.

ENDSHEET IF PRINTED Coordinate with the cover, may contain conceptual development. (Some staffs may choose to leave the endsheets blank due to reader preferences or budget.)

TITLE PAGE INCLUDE name of book year, volume number name of school complete mailing address phone and fax numbers/website principal’s name total student enrollment breakdown of enrollment by, grade total staff population athletic league

OPENING, CLOSING & DIVIDERS The theme/concept is developed through words, photos and graphics with details showing relevance to the particular year. Opening, closing and divider pages have design styles distinctively different from the rest of the book.

FOLIOS At least one per two-page spread, identify page content as well as give page numbers.

Your coverage plan should be specific to the school and the year rather than copying past books.

The numbers of sections and their organization should be logical.

Organizational options for your ladder range from traditional, blended or chronological styles, however all major areas need to be present representing lifestyles, academics, organizations, sports and people.

COLOPHON Information on staff policies, technical aspects of the book and the printing, including fonts, equipment used and sale prices.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Tastefully presented; if dedications or memorials are included, they should be presented in an understated manner. This should be part of the staff’s publication policy for fairness and consistency.

When you book is judged they will evaluate your concept and coverage, design, writing, editing, photography, and the overall theme. The development of your theme needs to be comprehensive enough for impact and the components need to be readily identifiable as part of the package. The book’s organization and overall effect should demonstrate evidence that the theme/concept influenced major decisions in design, coverage angles and photo editing.

Reflect the diversity of the school population and cover all individuals. Emphasize what makes this year different from others. Your coverage needs to be personalized by use of strong storytelling photos and meaningful quotes with an emphasis on student involvement.

Use unique camera and copy angles or conceptual approaches. When appropriate, jump coverage allows readers and reporters the luxury of more possibilities. Similarly, single page designs will work for other topics.

Cover as much of the year as possible, including summer activities as well as community and national events with emphasis on student involvement and local reactions. Your coverage should reflect the diversity of the school population and students’ varied interests both in and out of school. Major school events as well as daily routines should be covered to show the full student experience, on campus and off.

Capture the year’s teen culture, including what students are wearing, listening to, reading, buying and thinking about. Include class-related activities from the student perspective.

Include all class offerings not necessarily by department. Show a sense of what students learn and how they learn it through innovative and interesting approaches.

Included all grades, faculty & staff. If possible include faculty data (subjects taught, extracurricular assignments, titles and/or degrees) Unless the portrait pages are organized as reference-only, feature coverage should be included with reader-relevant pictures.

Unify the book, tell a story, create a personality and mark the book and the year. Choose the type of theme that will unify your vision and purpose.

IS YOUR THEME . . .

VERBAL, the “catch phrase” of your theme should be memorable and flexible enough to adapt for mini themes? Is your theme VISUAL, using type, colors, shapes and patterns that are consistent with your message, your theme’s “look”?

IS YOUR THEME? UNIQUE TO YOUR SCHOOL, the tie between your theme and your school should be obvious.

UNIQUE TO THIS YEAR, should be a natural, easily identifiable fit.

FOR MORE SAMPLES http://yearbookdiscoveries.com/showcase/

RESOURCES http://yearbookdiscoveries.com/upper_resources/

BRAINSTORMING AND NOTES http://www.moreyearbooks.com/p/theme.html

Ideas: where they come from