As you begin your summer and reflect on the school year that was, there are likely several things about your yearbook that you’ve identified as things you want to remember to replicate next year or to never do again. We’ve been doing some reflection of our own and have a few dos and don’ts for you to consider when you begin the yearbook creation process for next school year.
- DO – Make your yearbook as unique as possible. It’s a record of the year of your school community and should be as distinct as your school’s personality. No one has ever looked back on a yearbook and wished they had made it more like the one in a neighboring school.
- DON’T – Try to just make subtle tweaks to your work and design for next year’s publication. Each edition should be as special and distinct as the year it represents. Every yearbook staff will have different ideas each year, and those should be considered to make your yearbook creation as fresh as possible.
- DO – Seek inspiration from sources that may not seem obvious. If you’re at an MLB game this season, grab a program. It’s not the first place you might think to seek inspiration, but it will have all sorts of ideas on areas of your school you can spotlight and interesting ways to present information in an entertaining way.
- DON’T – Exclude suggestions from unlikely sources. Everyone has a unique perspective on your publication. Kids in the AP Economics class will have a different perspective than those in the art room. You never know who might make the suggestion that puts the finishing touch on your yearbook publication, so be open to all ideas.
There’s always room for improvement in your yearbook, and you never know where inspiration may strike. A cloud in the sky may be the perfect clip art design. Seriously! It’s happened to us before. What are some of your dos and don’ts?