Capturing the spirit of a school year within the pages of the yearbook is an art form, and like any craft, it requires a carefully constructed framework. The good news? It doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Let’s break it down into three easy steps:
Yearbook Planning Step 1: Assemble your A-list
By nature, the yearbook creation process is interactive and collaborative. “Resourceful recruitment” is essential to building a cohesive team that highlights individual strengths. Whether you’re canvasing the school with “help wanted” posters or handing out yearbook staff applications, be sure to cast a wide net and consider these five specific personality types while curating your dream team.
Once you have staff members in place who are committed and excited to get started, you’ll want to elicit the best from each to maximize potential. With clear roles and responsibilities designed to cater to each group member’s expertise, you’ll allow for better overall communication and conflict resolution while enhancing individual growth. The outcome is a yearbook that shines as brightly as your star-studded team.
Yearbook Planning Step 2: Leverage Your Ladder
Imagine your yearbook ladder as the “visual Post-it note” guiding your narrative. This blueprint outlines the content for each spread and serves as a compass for your team. Use it to determine the book’s length, prioritize ideas for sections and stories, allocate space, and track – or change – the deadlines you’ve set for yourself. Even better, your ladder doubles as a reminder of your yearbook’s ultimate vision.
So gather the school calendar and past yearbooks, and embark on a ladder-constructing journey with your team. You can download a free one right here!
Yearbook Planning Step 3: Calculate Your Page Count
Determining your yearbook’s page count is something important that you can quickly check off your to-do list (and doesn’t that feel great?). Schools typically rely on two methods to determine this: enrollment statistics (here’s a helpful guideline) and the yearbook ladder. We generally advocate for the latter as it offers a more nuanced approach tailored to your school’s unique character. Additionally, schools that partner with Treering can increase or decrease their page count as the school year evolves.
Laying the groundwork using these three steps will help kick off a successful yearbook experience each year while making the process streamlined for everyone involved. And lastly, don’t forget our unofficial, but equally critical, Yearbook Planning Step 4: Put the “Fun” in “Fundamentals.” Keep class engagement high by fostering a sense of lighthearted joy. Sharing laughs = happy staff!
