When you have over 300 pre-designed theme ideas from which to choose, how do you pick the “right” one for your school yearbook? Good yearbook themes are the ones that make grab us at the cover and make us gush over its cool design. Great yearbook themes capture the here and now. One way to make your yearbook theme so 2023 is to apply graphic design trends from the year. Incorporating these trends as well as pop culture makes your yearbook relevant now and will make your grandkids deem it a ‘20s relic.
Yearbook Theme #1: Watching
With 200 drag-and-drop graphics to customize this streaming media theme, your yearbook will showcase the memorable events of the school year in a format, frankly, we know too well. Press play on sports action shots, recap spirit week, make section dividers menus, and “favorite” key classroom moments.
Yearbook themes based on technology aren’t timeless, and that’s a good thing. Remember Clippy? He represents a moment in time, as does your yearbook.
It may be tempting to search movies and show titles for the headlines of every spread and to use our drag-and-drop templates to create three layers of menus as modules. If that seems overwhelming, keep it limited to the thematic pages: title page: table of contents, divider pages, and closing. Use the theme’s graphic package to enhance, not dominate content. Like all things Treering Yearbooks, it’s fully customizable.
The “Watching” yearbook theme will make your school want to rewind and relive its memories. Yes, we’re still watching.
Yearbook Cover Idea #2: Well Plaid
Middle and high school yearbook theme ideas can get their inspiration from your campus building as well as what’s trending. Private schools, schools with a Highlander or Scottie as the mascot, or even school districts in cities such as Glasgow, Aberdeen, or Lothian can play off their tartan as a theme element. Some thematic coverage ideas include:
- Uniform combinations and how students accessorize
- Where’s Scottie? a Where’s Waldo-esque feature with your mascot hidden in a crowd
- Punny titles such as Breaking Plaid (school records) or The Powers Plaid Be (student leadership)
- Plaid hair days and other spirit week coverage
Yearbook Theme #3: Vibrant Nostalgia
We told you last year that nostalgia was a hot trend. (We even did a 90s-themed event for advisers!) With the rise of Y2K aesthetic and the popularity of serif fonts, the Windows 95 look is popping up on packages, movie posters, and social media.
Both design geeks and fashionistas will love how we featured Pantone’s Fall/Winter Color Trends within the “Vibrant Nostalgia” theme palette.
Click here to check out all 300+ themes available for free in the Treering Yearbooks design application. And if you’d like more ideas for your school’s yearbook theme this year, check out these five questions to ask your yearbook team.
