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- 2017 CommodoreEau Gallie High School
- 2017 TalonIndian Springs Middle School
- 2017 Kay Ach EssKuna High School
- 2017 The LakerWindermere Preparatory School
- 2017 SafariNorth Allegheny Senior High School
- 2017 The TorchAthens Drive Magnet High School
- 2017 Jacksonian HeritageStonewall Jackson High School
- 2017 HorizonsThe Nueva School
- 2017 ArchivesEdmond Santa Fe High School
- 2017 Lancer LegendThousand Oaks High School
- 2017 SpiresGonzaga University
- 2017 EyryCharlotte Latin School
- 2017 Wolf’s EyeOswego East High School
- 2017 EquestrianCoral Springs High School
- 2017 ArrowheadVero Beach High School
- 2017 BruinBloomington High School
- 2017 SisungaAlta Loma High School
- 2017 SagaLincoln-Way West High School
- 2017 Villa MontemarAcademy of Our Lady of Peace
- 2017 ScimitarDamascus High School
- 2017 Golden LeafMount Juliet High School
- 2017 TucsonianTucson High Magnet School
- 2017 EyrieFauquier High School
- 2017 MasterpieceBak Middle School of the Arts
- 2017 StingerWynne High School
- 2017 ReflectorLee's Summit High School
Spot-on Coverage – When an event at your school has occurred for the first time, it is worth covering in some capacity. The Commodore staff covered the first opportunity for the senior students to paint their own parking spots. The complete coverage spanned six different topics, and in addition to a bold dominant photo, a parking lot photo from a drone provides a great perspective. The desire to stretch the coverage beyond just a dominant photo, secondary photos and a feature story encourages the viewer to spend extra time on the spread.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Spread Layout – The basic rules of layout design must be followed when developing spreads early on. The Talon staff did a nice job utilizing an interesting dominant photo to capture the reader’s attention to the spread. The strong eyeline through the lower half of the layout carries the viewers from one page to the next. The headline on the bottom right brings the reader’s eye back around the spread. This spread flow is a method that can help the viewer connect with all the content on the spread and not just turn the page.
World View – Incorporating the theme into coverage helps tie the book together visually. Sharing stories from eight students on their world travels was a creative way to incorporate the “You are here” theme concept and the Google Maps design element to the world map. The staff did a nice job of not just stating where each of the students went, but also providing detailed information on the students’ experiences. Finding untold stories can provide a glimpse into students’ lives that others may not know about.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Trendy Science – This spread is the epitome of what makes a strong academic spread. The coverage showcases an authentic learning experience, educates the viewer on trending topics in our lives, and incorporates the voices from multiple points of view on a variety of subjects. The spread also combines a nice balance of diagrams, photographs and alternative copy. The diversity of the coverage is organized using color and type styles that set a strong hierarchy of what to look at first. Even a non-science person can’t help but spend a little extra time looking at this academic coverage.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Use of Color – Color is one of the most powerful elements in creating a cohesive theme. Establishing a consistent color palette will set the mood and tone of the book, such as this dynamic spread on ultimate frisbee. The use of a bold color palette helps express their theme, “Here We Go Again.” The staff chose to label each of their sections with rich bold colors: red, yellow, blue, green and orange. The variety of colors enabled the staff to not only identify the different sections of their book, but also to pull colors from the photos to visibly tie in the display type and graphics. The Safari staff did a masterful job continuously reinforcing the theme throughout the book.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Using Visual Theme Elements – There are a variety of ways to use a visual theme to create a cohesive yearbook. Using supporting design elements, including graphics and color, is one of the most compelling methods. It should be purposeful and not draw the reader’s eye away from the content. The Torch staff did an exceptional job utilizing a random honeycomb pattern, as well as rectangular bars that varied in shape, color and tint within each section of the book as their visual theme. In addition, the staff incorporated the use of color to help define each of the sections of the book and draw the reader into the secondary content that was presented on each page. Introducing the theme graphics can make or break a book. In the end, if unsure of how to use them, remember, it is better to be subtle than dominant.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Organizing with Sidebars – Using sidebars for secondary coverage is typically an effective method to organize spreads with multiple forms of content. The staff successfully used sidebars throughout their athletics pages to feature seniors within each program. This, along with negative space between the bar and other images, helped separate the seniors from the other images. Additionally, the sidebar also included the “Season at a Glance,” an important module that gave the reader a quick snapshot of the season’s highlights. When content seems to overload the layout, finding ways to organize the information using sidebars will allow the reader to more easily digest the spread.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Image Selection – The Nueva School created a strong, comprehensive book celebrating the 50th anniversary of their K-12 school. Typically, it is difficult to cover a variety of students in a middle school or high school yearbook, so the ability of the Horizons staff to develop strong, traditional layouts with a multitude of images that spanned all 12 grades is commendable. Captured through the photographic effort of the Horizons’ staff, the dominant image of the opening of the new Upper School campus gives a glimpse into the excitement of the students. Photos such as these, as well as other storytelling images, add the wow factor to spreads and support coverage content like nothing else. To have images as good as these, photographers need to make a special effort to be ready to capture the moments that only happen once.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Visually Appealing Headlines – The importance of visually compelling headlines is not stressed enough in the designing of content spreads. The Archives staff lures the viewer in with the ingenious usage of typography and photo manipulation. The entanglement of the letters and the students in the classroom gives the “crowded” headline a visually enhanced look that further defines the spread prior to reading the story or captions. The white type is a nice contrast to the complex image; it also plays well with the young man who does not have a desk and is seemingly forced to sit on the floor. The use of the convincing, relaxed, candid image, which was taken either prior to the bell or just before the class was released, provided the staff a visual representation of the challenges the students faced each day due to budget cuts.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Trending – Covering trends is a mainstay in yearbooks all over the country. The Lancer Legend staff used fashion to connect their student body to this year. Students will inevitably look back on those pages years from now and identify with one or more of the individuals in the spread and comment on their fashion tastes in their high school years. That being said, the staff did a great job organizing the visually calming spread through the use of an eyeline, clear photography and a block of color down the right side of the page with a color-matching headline. In addition, the dominant picture is well positioned to lead the reader’s eye to the content on the page.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Showstopper Photography – Thumbing through the pages, you can’t help but pause on this women’s basketball spread. The goal of any staff is to get the viewer to read the primary and secondary coverage of the spread. Captivating photography is the most effective way to draw in readers. The staff’s ability to “get close” made a good photograph great. Capturing peak action while sharply focused and with exceptional depth of field, the full-page, dominant image showcases the key elements of excellent sports photography. Additionally, the dominant image was nicely placed on the right page, leading the viewer’s eye back to the left page. It is important to note that understanding the photo equipment can make or break the visual quality of pictures; therefore, if strong photography is a goal of a staff, find a way to upgrade.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Summer Experiences – It is easy to capture the coverage that takes place during the school year. However, covering students during the three months students are not on campus can lend itself to some very interesting content. The “Experiencing the World” spread has a dominant photo that can’t help but be looked at. The staff also did a thorough job telling the stories behind the pictures. The diversity of the imagery and the students’ experiences makes for distinctive coverage. If a staff can acquire strong images from students’ experiences, seize the opportunity to tell their stories.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Pull quote – Incorporating typography as a thematic design element can add points of interest that can further explain the coverage on the spread. The pull quote in the upper left corner of this spread was pulled from the feature story and supports the dominant image. The effective use of color visually ties it to the headline of the feature story. Probably the greatest asset of the spread is the purposeful wide margins around the edges that were used in the design theme. This design element allows the viewer to enter the spread at multiple points. Like the pull quote, using position, size, color and white space around the type can guide the viewer to read important points of view.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Headlines with flair – It didn’t take long to realize the eye quickly goes to the headlines in this book. The effort to make the headlines a design feature is subtle but effective. All too often headlines are misused as labels of what is on the page. But when written well, creative, witty headlines can captivate the reader and encourage them to dig deeper into the content on the spread. The “Hands on Learning” headline introduced the Career and Technical Education courses. The use of color in the headline was tied well to the layout within the bodies of color across the top and bottom of the spread, as well as the use of drop cap and the folio. Creating focal points on spreads is important; whether it be the dominant photo or the headline, the viewer needs to be instantly visually connected to the content.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Alternative Sports – Reaching beyond the school walls is always a nice way to extend coverage. The Arrowhead staff chose to cover students who were involved in athletics and activities outside of the school’s organized athletic teams. Their efforts provided a closer look at students who might not otherwise have a voice in the book, and they also showcased some captivating photography. Carried by a strong eyeline just below the center of the spread, the strong photography is well placed within the grid system so most of the images face the gutter. It was also nice to see that the staff did not shy away from giving their favorite image more than half a page. All too often the dominant images are not truly dominant and do not anchor the spread. Atypical content can produce captivating spreads.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Theme and coverage – The ability to marry the content of the book to the theme makes your book that much more cohesive. The students of Bloomington High School were immersed in a major school renovation during the school year. The coverage about students who wore braces was a nice touch as it provided a tie between the challenges of the school year and the day-to-day issues that students face with braces. The metaphor that the daily challenges the students faced will eventually lend themselves to a beautiful smile for years to come, as the renovation will lead to an improved building, was an ingenious way to cover a relatable topic that helped define the theme.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Technology – In a time of constant changes and advancements in the way students communicate through social media, the Sisunga staff captured highlights of 16 students and their favorite social media apps. This showcase used quotes from each student to let them share their use of a particular app. Viewers can easily tie their experience with the content back to the students on the spread. Covering content that could be gone tomorrow is a fascinating concept. Spreads like this serve as almost a time capsule of student interests.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Curve Ball – In establishing a cohesive design theme throughout your yearbook, the overall style of each spread should make them feel that they are all part of the same book. This is done with consistent use of typographic styles, colors, folios and graphic elements. Then, a small change in the layout can make for a pleasant surprise for the reader. The Saga staff captures attention with a spread on student artists that follows their design theme, but the layout style is just different enough. Don’t be afraid to break out and mix up your layout styles. Sometimes a little well-placed inconsistency can be a good thing.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Dominant images – Your photography needs to be exceptional if you decide to allocate a single image to fill a page as the dominant image for a spread. In the Villa Montemar, the beautiful photography creates a magazine feel as nearly every spread has a full-page dominant photo. Scanning through the book, large images create a calming effect as each one is savored before the page is turned. Grabbing the attention of the viewer is a goal of every yearbook program; using interesting dominant photography is always effective.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Cut it out – There is no shortage of pictures in this annual. The images demonstrate a strong sense of color and clarity while showcasing action. The inclusion of an astonishing eight cutout images across the center of each sports spread was a subtle technique used to break up the spread between the top and bottom regions. Cutout images for some yearbook staffs can be a risky decision. The Scimitar staff executed the cutouts with great precision. Utilizing cutouts in a design can help create an unexpected focal image, an interesting collage of multiple images, and add depth if the image overlaps other images or type. In the end, execution in removing the background is the key when working with cutouts.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Future coverage – Often, yearbook staffs don’t think about how students, during high school, are making decisions on the next steps in their lives. Add to that facts or figures that can explain the outcome of an event, and the reader can easily deduce what has or will occur. The Golden Leaf staff conducted a survey that illustrated what graduating students will be doing following high school. With 49% of students enlisting in the military, 44% of students planning to attend college and 6% deciding to go to work or an alternative school, the 100 students surveyed displayed results that are atypical of U.S. high schools. These survey results may be compared to future graduating classes. In addition to the survey, the primary coverage was served in six different forms to help tell the story of the JROTC program this year.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Stunning photography – It can be a risky decision to fill one spread with a single photograph; but, if the image works, it’s as good as gold, which is what photographer Bianca Fuentes accomplished. First, her image is in focus. In addition, the photo uses dramatic backlighting; demonstrates the rule of thirds; advantageously employs the inclusion of negative/open space; and was shot at an angle that those in attendance would not have seen. Finally, the picture was timed appropriately so the shot’s subject was facing the camera with her arms not covering her face. The positioning of the image on the spread, where the subject’s arms lead the eye back to the theme copy, works synergistically with the image. Strong photographs such as this can carry a spread.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Moving the eye – Using design elements to not only add visual interest but aide in the functionality of the layout is critical when introducing elements into the theme design. The Eyrie staff utilized a series of three flowing lines in a variety of ways. In some spreads, the lines highlighted an individual or secondary coverage. In this spread, the lines carried the eye throughout the spread and created a visual barrier between the feature story and a series of captions. The staff also called out students’ names in bold. This served two purposes. First, it allowed readers to quickly identify themselves or others. But, second, it also helped encourage individuals to read the content where those names resided. With the time and effort that goes into every spread, the goal is to get the viewer to see it all before they turn the page.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Secondary coverage – The opportunity to produce an anniversary book can be exciting, but honoring the past while telling the story of the year can be a challenge. The Bak staff utilized a bar at the bottom of the spread to help organize additional content information. Covering “Throwback” moments and individual spotlights over the last 20 years, as well as current Fast Facts and Steps to Success, the coverage anchored the spreads and led the reader to look at what was to come in the following pages. The ability to direct the reader to the bar by using a consistent color scheme and bold contrasting headlines was well done. Integrating secondary coverage can dramatically open the doors to incorporating more information to captivate the reader’s attention on each spread.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
Many voices – The underlying challenge of every book is telling the story from the students’ perspectives; this includes capturing the voices of as many different students as possible. The Stinger staff successfully accomplished this using a combination of tactics. First, they incorporated a large number of pictures throughout the book that were well captioned, always identifying all students and their year in school. Additionally, the Academic STEM spread highlighted an impressive 30 students and staff. Finally, they used a consistent design element on every content spread that included students headshots and quotes, where each student was asked to respond to a particular prompt depending on the page. This allowed the staff to collect nearly 150 students’ voices that helped to explain their theme, “This is how we Wynne.”
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
On the same page – Looking back on the years in high school, the required readings in English could have been seen as either a highlight or a curse. This spread’s light and airy feel, created by the purposeful white space, provides the viewer a calm feeling when moving around the spread. This aligns with the coverage of students discussing books they have enjoyed. The bold headline and dominant photo brings the reader in with the generous white margin moving them from the left to the right page. The variety of angles used to cover this topic make reading this spread fun.
– written by Brad Cook, adviser, Gresham High School
