Walsworth Yearbooks

Theme

Sixth Sense

What do students really do in class? Probably doodle. By featuring real doodle art as their centerpiece, this staff has tastefully designed a layout that leaves much to the imagination. The use of hand-drawn artwork adds another layer to the book, besides just the basics of photography and copy. It also accomplishes coverage in a keen way — one that may end up being more memorable.

Theme

Our Time

It can be said that behind every old car is a great story. Taking a closer look at the cadets who drive classic cars is a fun topic for this student life section. A question-and-answer approach is printed on stacks of index cards, while the photos casually capture the subject. These design details lend to the story’s relaxed feel. For the most part, this book is full of formal photos (as befitting the Armed Forces) and to take a moment to capture the fun, somewhat novel side of life at the Academy makes this a successful spread.

Theme

On the wing

Although it is sometimes hard to admit, many readers skim right past the stories in our yearbooks and head straight to the pictures. That’s why it’s always a good idea to add extended captions to story spreads, as shown in this instance. By numbering the photos and bolding the student names, you will most likely keep the reader engaged. Think of extended captions as sidebars or short stories — you can make them funny or poignant.

Theme

Defying the Elements

Here’s something you don’t see in every book: prom prep. Under the umbrella of a “labor of love,” we are taken on a pictorial essay through the many stages of prom preparation. The concept showcases those special behind-the-scenes moments of painting, hammering, and hanging decorations for this annual momentous event. You will always feature pictures of your prom king and queen, but why not take a few moments to highlight those students who make it happen?

Theme

Letters

Handwritten letters from the past unite with thank-you notes, interoffice memos and emails from today to take us on a meaningful journey into the lives of those who call this school their own. The tedious effort and time to gather such mementos is an achievement that will be savored for many decades to come. Consider unlocking treasures from the past; your school librarian might be a good source. You just might uncover artifacts that could make a big impression on your school community.

Theme

Let the Music Play

Mimicking the covers of popular magazine titles is the unique way this yearbook staff chose to introduce their people pages. Using a different magazine cover for each grade kept the idea interesting, and using coverage stories as headlines is a nice touch. If you are going to attempt something like this, attending to the details like this staff did is key. Take this idea to the next level by making it the book theme.

Theme

Speed Dial

It’s always good to remember that amidst the somewhat ordinary coverage within a yearbook, newsworthy events should also make their way onto our pages. Connersville maximized this opportunity by covering Hurricane Ike, power outages and a fire that consumed their football bleachers and press box. Those are the stories and events students will remember decades from now at their high school reunions, with yearbook in hand. Need some ideas for news stories? Try sharing photos and stories with the school newspaper staff. Even the local newspaper or magazine might be willing to lend photos as long as there is a photo credit.

Theme

Reuse.Relive.Remember

Here’s something you don’t see every day — a sports photo taken during team warm-ups. With a coach’s permission, you can gain close access to athletes and have greater control over the technical aspects of the camera without the added pressure of snapping a stop-action shot. Of course, game shots are still key, but consider this option when building your sports pages. You might just get a winning shot!

Theme

More Than Meets the Eye

There are few things that make a bigger impact in a publication than the use of a high quality, photojournalistic image. This spread is well designed, from the stellar photo selection to the simple typography, and is further enhanced by the use of a full bleed. Within this spread, which falls in the opening, the staff has set the tone for the book — one of optimism and merriment. This is one of those special moments that have been captured forever within the pages of the book.

Theme

The Observations of a Curious Scholar

This staff chose to feature their book as a work of historical fiction entitled, “The Observations of a Curious Scholar.” The opening page and the subsequent division spreads follow the clever first-person account of a year in the life of a “Curious Scholar.” The design style mimics the feel of 19th century explorers — and even uses Victorian illustrations. The reader’s interest is piqued by the travel journal style of writing. If you have a talented team of creative writers, this concept may prove successful in your school.

Theme

Grow

Organizational genius is at work in this book. The yearbook staff at Pulaski realized all of their content could be divided into three sections: Traditions (student life, sports, academics, clubs), People (mugshots), and Community (seniors, ads, index). They take it a step further by placing the entire Traditions section in chronological order. Each spread represents a week during the school year from August through May, thereby allowing anyone who picks up the book to immediately see the school year in its entirety.

One of the most difficult things to achieve in layout is remembering to design a spread, not just a single page. Several tricks can be learned from this simple, single-color layout. Even though we read from left to right, we open books from right to left so a reader’s eye inevitably looks on the right side first. In this case, our eyes go directly to the headline, which has been meticulously typeset. A visually (and verbally) gripping headline always begs to be read—and draws us into the copy block, even before we examine the photos. This is a great example of how to get people to read your stories.

Theme

Torn Together

This is an ingenious way to showcase academics at your school. In this instance, nine spreads were given to each one of the class periods within the school day. Coverage ranges from classroom photos to survey questions as they walk the reader through the school day. By the time eighth period is reached, the headline reads, “almost over,” a feeling that everyone can relate to.