The Yearbook World of Scott Geesey
from Jostens Yearbooks of central/northern Pennsylvania
ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 19, 2021
FRESH IDEAS FOR A NEW YEAR: It's Not Too Late to Try
Hello! Here comes 2022...and all the challenges this new year will bring. COVID just won't go away and we'll see how much it again affects schools in these early weeks of the new year.
Last year most schools were disrupted for most of the year. Could we return to that this year?
We all have our frustrations over this continuing situation. Kids and educators are all under stress and it's been a rough stretch.
But it's also an opportunity to tell the stories of yet another unique year in your 2022 yearbook. It's not the same as last year, some things are different. Let's tell those stories, to be remembered forever.
No matter what happens with school, what are some fresh ideas to consider in the second half of the educational year?
Hopefully you have your yearbook completely planned at this point. Your page ladder is fully filled out.
But it's not too late to add or change to some new ideas for covering this year. How about some suggestions?
GET MORE CREATIVE: Hopefully you've already checked out the December episodes of The Yearbooking Report. See the links here in the right column.
Jostens Creative Design Manager Rick Brooks shared a list of fresh creative ideas, what's hot and trendy for this year AND next year. Color usage is interesting - a definite difference between more subdued colors and bolder colors. Both are popular this year - the video shows some examples.
Font usage looks interesting with some experimentation that's hot right now. Not many yearbook staffs do much with typography so check out what Rick has to say on those trends.
And continuing the ideas of opposites, take your pick on new design ideas - either a more mature understated design or the "grunge" look. Both are popular this year.
The Yearbooking Report videos shows you a lot of examples, while the TYR podcast has all of Rick's insights. Great listening!
DON'T OVERLOOK COVID: I've hit this many times - "we don't want pictures of kids in masks or coverage of COVID."
But we can't avoid it - COVID is still the big deal of the year, as it was last year. And it's our job to report the stories and memories of the year.
So we NEED to again cover COVID in your book because it's such an important part of another school year. We all hate it - but it's there and can't be ignored.
For years I've shared the quote - "What do we want people to remember 30 years from now?" Three decades from now we want people to remember not just your school year but how we dealt with this bizarre situation we're dealing with. It's history - don't shortchange your readers by ignoring what's happening around us.
TRY JOSTENS' COOL CREATIVE READY-MADE SPREADS: If you're a Jostens school and somehow missed this, we have some slick page spreads that would look great in any yearbook. And they're just waiting for you to check them out.
If you have holes on your page ladder because of disrupted events, or you just want to add something really stylish to your book, these creative spreads fit the bill.
On your Yearbook Avenue website go to Plan, then Creative Ideas, then Spread Gallery. Choose your book size and see the seven brand new spreads filled with information and reactions from students everywhere.
Money and jobs, television, technology, dating right now, the stress of this year and more - all there to download and use on your own pages and at NO CHARGE. Even last year's cool spreads are still available for use, examine those as well.
DON'T AVOID CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS: Let me repeat this one from a prior update: students have opinions on these subjects just like adults do. And they might have differing opinions on some of these.
Too many yearbook advisers steer clear of these topics because of a fear of some reaction from above. What to do? Let your administration know in advance that you plan to report on them in the book with fair coverage. If students are thinking and talking about these things they deserve to be remembered for themselves and for future generations.
Please consider these ideas for your book this year. It's another year like no other, but it's not too late to switch some gears and add some real creativity to your effort. Let's go do it!