As Design Editor, I play a key role in ensuring that the yearbook has a polished, professional look that reflects the spirit of the school year. I take pride in crafting a cohesive visual experience, constantly reworking and refining spreads to make sure they are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and engaging. I experiment with new and unique design styles, testing out different layouts, color schemes, and typography to keep the design fresh and exciting. My goal is to create a yearbook that is both a memorable keepsake and a visually stunning representation of the year’s highlights. I carefully consider every detail, from the smallest graphic to the largest page layout, to achieve the best possible design outcome.
Yearbook Layout & design
I once heard that you should be able to take pages from multiple books, mix them up, and still confidently place them back where they belong. Each page should be unique, yet all should share a cohesive design. You should be able to tell a page comes from a set with consistent design choices like fonts, shapes, and colors.
As Design Editor, I put a great deal of effort into ensuring our book maintains consistency. With numerous staff members creating their own spreads, it's easy for the book to lose a sense of visual unity. To help with this, I created over twenty design templates at the beginning of the year to give staff a strong starting point.
As their confidence grew, many began designing their own spreads and developing their personal styles. I encourage this creativity and am always available to guide them through the process. By referencing existing spreads, I help them design pages that are both original and aligned with the book’s overall aesthetic. We’ve established set fonts for all copy and specific headline styles to further maintain consistency while allowing for creative expression.
Spread in the 2023/2024 Shield Yearbook, Summer Travel
Spread in the 2023/2024 Shield Yearbook, State Football, Placed for Honorable Mention in JEA 2023 Winter Contest
Spread in the 2023/2024 Shield Yearbook, Winter Play
Spread in the 2024/2025 Yearbook, It Ends With Us, Twisters, and other Summer Blockbusters
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, DECA Pickleball Tournament
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, Homecoming Spirit Week
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, 2024 Election
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, Cabaret Night
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, Summer Events
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook - ATSC Show Choir
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, Reading
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, Valentine's Day
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, Journalism Department
Spread in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook, State Football
Graphics and Info Graphics
Graphics in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook - Show Choir Dress Q&A
Graphics in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook - Homecoming Spirit Week Percentages
Side Mod in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook - Summer Trends
Graphics in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook - Presidential Election
Graphic in the 2024/2023 Shield Yearbook - Twisters
Graphic in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook - Pickle Ball
Graphic in the 2024/2025 Shield Yearbook - Presidential Election - How Do You Obtain Your Political News?
Graphic in the 2023/2024 Shield Yearbook - Thrifting
SENIOR ADS
When parents have the oportunity to purchase a senior ad for their student, they can either design it themselves or submitt assets for me to use. Out of the 53 ads purchased this year, I was tasked with designing 24 of them. First, I had to create a plan for each spread so we could fit all 53 ads of varying sizes. Below is the rough draft and final draft of the layout for 10 spreads. I wanted to mix up the sizes (1/8 a page, 1/4 a page, 1/2 a page, and a full page) so it was important I plan everything out.
When designing the ads, I used the messages and photos provided by parents and used the same fonts we use throughout the entire book. Below are ads of ads I created using assets provided.
Online Ad submission where we are able to see the Headline and Body text.
Final 1/2 page ad created using assets provided
Senior ad designed using assets provided.
Senior ad designed using assets provided.
Senior ad designed using assets provided.
Senior ad designed using assets provided.
Full page of senior ads.
USING CRITIQUES
I competed in the 2023 Journalism Education Association Nation Student Media Contest in Boston under the category of Yearbook Layout: Inside Pages. I received an Excellent for the work I produced. Because this was a contest where all students were given the same materials(photos, stats, topics, ect.) the spread I created was not used in Westside's yearbook. However, I was able to implement the advice I received into the spreads I created after.
Submission for the 2023 Journalism Education Association Nation Student Media Contest - Award Level: Excellent
Critiques given from my layout
FINDING inspiration
I have grown in my design abilities and am able to create layouts working on a blank spread but even then I need some inspiration. It is easy to get stuck on creating a layout when you have nothing to work off of. Sometimes even taking a quick peek at other spreads can really help get your creative juices flowing. Even if you start off with the exact design of another spread, whether it be from our school or elsewhere, things are bound to change and turn into an entierly new creation. Through revision process after revision process, no two spreads are exactly alike. We have a cabinet full of award winning books from across the country and we often find ourselves pulling inspo from them. We also have a staff Pinterest board where we save any and all design and coverage ideas. I like to use magazines and artistic publications to incorporate the newest trends and styles into my work.
Pinterest Collage of magazine design inspo
