Themes and Designs

• Create a theme that offers hints at the possible future for classmates and for that particular generation of graduates. If your class clown wants to be a lawyer, then take a series of photographs of him in a mock series of scenes "trying a case" with fellow classmates as judge, jury and defendant. Get your peers involved in brainstorming creative ideas for themes.
  
  A yearbook design can have a look of sophistication or of hometown charm, depending on your goal. A take-off on a magazine cover and its design layout is one way to really catch people's attention. A yearbook that has a quilted effect can give a sense of a close-knit community, while more graphic art can offer a metropolitan feel to your yearbook's design.
  
  

Professional Look

• A good graphics program can help you create a yearbook that is indistinguishable from one designed by a professional graphic artist or designer. Then it's just a matter of sending it to the printers.
  
  A professional-looking presentation of photographs, displaying not only students, faculty and staff, but also intermingling people in the news, local and world events, will give a sense of history to your yearbook. Again, you can take a serious approach to this or try a more humorous slant. Of course, don't leave out important class photos, highlights from field trips, snapshots of opening night of that production of Hamlet or charity events that the class participated in. You can even try a bit of an expose style, gathering information and materials for your yearbook by conducting interviews and including more human interest photos or candid shots.