What is a yearbook THEME?
Yearbook Academy Theme Videos
Dream Your Theme Workbook
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS TO JUMP-START THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Describe your school using one adjective.
Describe the people who attend your school in one word.
List catch phrases and expressions used by the students at school.
What’s the first thing people notice when they come to campus?
What do you enjoy most about school?
What event will be most important to your school in the coming year?
What physical changes will be noticeable?
Will the school be smaller, larger or the same?
Can you predict the mood of the students next year?
What will it be like?
What changes have occurred since the previous year?
What outside influences have affected the students or school?
TYPES OF THEMES
• Anniversary themes can be tricky. Make sure you don’t abuse the “party/ celebration” concept and remember that the anniversary of the school is probably not as important to the average student as it is to a staff that has been assigned to come up with a theme that fits the school and defines the year.
• School initials might be a possibility for a fun concept if you are lucky enough to be able to make a play on words.
• School colors are a favorite with many readers, but that does not mean you have to be boring or traditional.
• Mascot themes give the students a fresh look at a familiar figure on campus.
• Wordplay with the name of the school can be fun and these themes are often listed among reader favorites, but it only works if the play is obvious.
• Location themes are limited to schools with obvious ties to street names or major geographic landmarks.
• Event themes are based on a specific happening that truly affected the school.
• “Fun” themes make use of contemporary graphics and/or fun phrases.
• Pride themes focus on spirit and student or school accomplishment.
• Reaction themes provide the students with a chance to be heard, and typically make use of lots of quotes and first person stories. • Unity/diversity themes examine the school’s population and explain affects on the various aspects of school life.
• Change themes need to be tied to the year with specific major changes in the school or its programs.
• Double-edged themes provide a compare and contrast format with a serious side and a lighter approach.
• Contemplative themes ask the reader to think about school or life.
• Concept themes use a mix of catch phrases or ideas based around one central idea. The sections may not be named with direct spin-offs from the main idea. In fact, there may be fewer or more sections than normal if the concept suggests that the book be divided some way other than into the traditional sections of student life, academics, sports, organizations and people.
WHERE IS THEME VISIBLE
• Cover & endsheets
• Title page
• Opening spread(s)
• Divider spreads
• Closing spread
• Last page of the book
• Theme magazine
• Folio/page numbers
HOW IS THEME FURTHER DEVELOPED
• Photographs that tell the story
• Design that is distinctive
• Easily identifiable type
• Copy and captions that tie the theme to your school and the specific year
• Colors and textures
SECTIONS
• Student Life:
• Academics:
• Sports:
• Clubs & Organizations:
• People:
• Ads & Index:
COVERAGE
TYPES OF COVERAGE
COVERAGE: Refers both to the topics featured on individual spreads and how the topics are highlighted. For example, typical topics covered in a student life section would include summer, the first day of school and homecoming. Typical homecoming coverage would include photos, copy and captions detailing the event.
TRADITIONAL COVERAGE: Sections include the following: student life, academics, sports, organizations, people, reference, ads and index. The reference section is optional and can include clubs and sports group photos. Some books organize the people, reference, ads and index pages all under the banner of reference.
CHRONOLOGICAL COVERAGE: Organizes the book in the order in which events occur. The book may begin in the summer or with the first day of school and progress to the last few days of the final deadline. Spring activities can be covered but without a final accounting of events. The people, groups, ads and index are often covered in a section titled reference. Sections of the book can be summer, fall, winter, spring and reference. Books can also be organized by months, weeks or partial chronological.
UMBRELLA COVERAGE: A topic or overlying concept is used in organizing the book. With this type of coverage, each spread includes multiple packages relating to the same broad topic. The staff has a theme and then a list of broad spread topics that work with the theme are generated. These become the spreads in the book. Sports, clubs and academics fall under those broad topics. This books needs a detailed table of contents and reader points to help navigate the coverage. *Some books combine traditional and umbrella coverage. Your student life section could be organized under umbrella coverage.
DIGEST COVERAGE: Coverage that is broken into bite sized chunks. Comes from the idea that it is easy to digest. Short for “the Reader’s Digest version.” Or, a shortened condensed version of a story. Brevity in reporting allows for more modules to appeal on a spread.
JUMP COVERAGE: Using more than one spread for a topic and linking the additional spreads to the first with a headline, logo or similar design.
MODULAR DESIGN: Coverage broken into modular pieces, or mods, on a spread.
Yearbook Academy Theme Videos
Dream Your Theme Workbook
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS TO JUMP-START THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Describe your school using one adjective.
Describe the people who attend your school in one word.
List catch phrases and expressions used by the students at school.
What’s the first thing people notice when they come to campus?
What do you enjoy most about school?
What event will be most important to your school in the coming year?
What physical changes will be noticeable?
Will the school be smaller, larger or the same?
Can you predict the mood of the students next year?
What will it be like?
What changes have occurred since the previous year?
What outside influences have affected the students or school?
TYPES OF THEMES
• Anniversary themes can be tricky. Make sure you don’t abuse the “party/ celebration” concept and remember that the anniversary of the school is probably not as important to the average student as it is to a staff that has been assigned to come up with a theme that fits the school and defines the year.
• School initials might be a possibility for a fun concept if you are lucky enough to be able to make a play on words.
• School colors are a favorite with many readers, but that does not mean you have to be boring or traditional.
• Mascot themes give the students a fresh look at a familiar figure on campus.
• Wordplay with the name of the school can be fun and these themes are often listed among reader favorites, but it only works if the play is obvious.
• Location themes are limited to schools with obvious ties to street names or major geographic landmarks.
• Event themes are based on a specific happening that truly affected the school.
• “Fun” themes make use of contemporary graphics and/or fun phrases.
• Pride themes focus on spirit and student or school accomplishment.
• Reaction themes provide the students with a chance to be heard, and typically make use of lots of quotes and first person stories. • Unity/diversity themes examine the school’s population and explain affects on the various aspects of school life.
• Change themes need to be tied to the year with specific major changes in the school or its programs.
• Double-edged themes provide a compare and contrast format with a serious side and a lighter approach.
• Contemplative themes ask the reader to think about school or life.
• Concept themes use a mix of catch phrases or ideas based around one central idea. The sections may not be named with direct spin-offs from the main idea. In fact, there may be fewer or more sections than normal if the concept suggests that the book be divided some way other than into the traditional sections of student life, academics, sports, organizations and people.
WHERE IS THEME VISIBLE
• Cover & endsheets
• Title page
• Opening spread(s)
• Divider spreads
• Closing spread
• Last page of the book
• Theme magazine
• Folio/page numbers
HOW IS THEME FURTHER DEVELOPED
• Photographs that tell the story
• Design that is distinctive
• Easily identifiable type
• Copy and captions that tie the theme to your school and the specific year
• Colors and textures
SECTIONS
• Student Life:
• Academics:
• Sports:
• Clubs & Organizations:
• People:
• Ads & Index:
COVERAGE
- Sections titles and supporting visuals
- Coverage strategies
- Concept-related layers of coverage
- Headline packages
TYPES OF COVERAGE
COVERAGE: Refers both to the topics featured on individual spreads and how the topics are highlighted. For example, typical topics covered in a student life section would include summer, the first day of school and homecoming. Typical homecoming coverage would include photos, copy and captions detailing the event.
TRADITIONAL COVERAGE: Sections include the following: student life, academics, sports, organizations, people, reference, ads and index. The reference section is optional and can include clubs and sports group photos. Some books organize the people, reference, ads and index pages all under the banner of reference.
CHRONOLOGICAL COVERAGE: Organizes the book in the order in which events occur. The book may begin in the summer or with the first day of school and progress to the last few days of the final deadline. Spring activities can be covered but without a final accounting of events. The people, groups, ads and index are often covered in a section titled reference. Sections of the book can be summer, fall, winter, spring and reference. Books can also be organized by months, weeks or partial chronological.
UMBRELLA COVERAGE: A topic or overlying concept is used in organizing the book. With this type of coverage, each spread includes multiple packages relating to the same broad topic. The staff has a theme and then a list of broad spread topics that work with the theme are generated. These become the spreads in the book. Sports, clubs and academics fall under those broad topics. This books needs a detailed table of contents and reader points to help navigate the coverage. *Some books combine traditional and umbrella coverage. Your student life section could be organized under umbrella coverage.
DIGEST COVERAGE: Coverage that is broken into bite sized chunks. Comes from the idea that it is easy to digest. Short for “the Reader’s Digest version.” Or, a shortened condensed version of a story. Brevity in reporting allows for more modules to appeal on a spread.
JUMP COVERAGE: Using more than one spread for a topic and linking the additional spreads to the first with a headline, logo or similar design.
MODULAR DESIGN: Coverage broken into modular pieces, or mods, on a spread.
- MODULES (MODS): A package (sidebar, set of quotes, etc.) of brief content used to expand coverage. Modules often relate back to your theme or concept.
- PICTURE PACKAGE MOD: A grouping of photos, starting with one dominant photo and others getting smaller in size.
- PRIMARY COPY MOD: First level of coverage, usually the most important story or topic of the spread with the largest headline. Also labeled level-one copy or dominant copy.
- SECONDARY COVERAGE MOD: Second level of coverage, smaller text and photo size than a level one.
- SUPPLEMENTARY COVERAGE MOD: Any small level of coverage, primarily used to get more student quotes and faces in the book.
- TERTIARY COVERAGE MOD: Third level of coverage, smaller in text and photo size than a level-two mod.
THEME DEVELOPMENT PLANNING ACTIVITY:
Print and cut photos, colors, textures, shapes, fonts, and titles from any available physical and digital media. For example, you can work on a google doc and then print your design inspiration, or screen shot your Pinterest page. Glue all of your images and text down onto each of the 3 poster boards poster board and use sharpies to draw, write, and add details. Each staff member should spend 12 minutes and contribute 3-6 ideas and examples per board. Spend the next few minutes using color coded sticky notes (shown above) to identify your likes and dislikes. Review your results and discuss as a class.
What are your thoughts on....
Print and cut photos, colors, textures, shapes, fonts, and titles from any available physical and digital media. For example, you can work on a google doc and then print your design inspiration, or screen shot your Pinterest page. Glue all of your images and text down onto each of the 3 poster boards poster board and use sharpies to draw, write, and add details. Each staff member should spend 12 minutes and contribute 3-6 ideas and examples per board. Spend the next few minutes using color coded sticky notes (shown above) to identify your likes and dislikes. Review your results and discuss as a class.
What are your thoughts on....
- Designing the Cover: Visuals + Text
- Setting Design Rules: Colors, Fonts, Shapes, Patterns, Textures, Layouts

Yearbook Theme Packet |