An introductory look at developing a good theme for a high school yearbook.

1. THEME
& COVERAGE
The theme is the plot of the novel.
The coverage is the novel.
By Bradley Wilson, PhD
bradleywilson08@gmail.com
bradleywilsononline.net
©2013

2. YOU’RE
PART
OF THE
STORY

3. WHAT IS A YEARBOOK
•
•
•
•
•
Historical record
Journalistic exercise
Public relations tool
Educational experience
Business experience
Maybe it’s all of the above,
but in what order?

4. THE THEME
The theme unifies the book. It gives a purpose to
the book and a plan for every spread. The theme
should sparkle with creativity and should allow
the staff to highlight unusual aspects of unusual
events.

5. THEME
DEVELOPMENT
Develop theme on
Cover
Endsheets
Title page
Opening
Division pages
Closing
Last page
Not in every headline
Sidebars
Folios

6. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
•
Make an inventory of all pertinent facts
about the school.
•
•
•
•
Circle facts on the list that stand out.
Note similar items.
Identify key words.
Identify key concepts.

12. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
•
Using the key words, generate a list of catch
phrases & concepts.
•
Consult other students, teachers, yearbook
experts for additional phrases or concepts.
•
Check out magazines, billboards, CD covers,
TV graphics for ideas.

13. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
•
•
Develop verbal possibilities
•
Brainstorm phrases that spin off key words in
your phrase.
Brainstorm phrases that mean the same
thing as your theme.

18. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
SCHOOL PRIDE
Better Yet
For All the Right Reasons
First & Foremost
You Can’t Ask for Anything More
Enough Said
Can You Top This?
One Better

19. Theme: One
School: Springstead High School
Mascot: Eagles
Colors: Red, White & Blue
1,876

20. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
Play on name of school
whatchamacallie (McCallie HS)
Still Waters Run Deep (Stillwater HS)
A League of OUr Own (Ohio University)
South of the Border (Southview HS, 6 miles S. of MI
border)
Every Day is St. Patrick’s Day (St. Patrick’s HS)
ahs (Abilene HS)
Not Your Typical Hooker (Hooker HS)

21. Theme: M & M
School: McNeil High School
Mascot: Mavericks
Colors: Blue & Green
Population: 3,200

22. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
Consider significant events
A piece of cake (anniversary)
XXX-rated (30th anniversary)
A Full House Beats 3 of a Kind (9th grade added)
First Class (1st graduating class)
Pay atTENtion (10th anniversary)
Doubletalk (schools merge)
Fine Mess (construction)

23. Theme: enROUTE
School: Oviedo HS
Event Theme:
School Remodel, Year 3
This school has endured complete
demolition & reconstruction for three
years

24. Theme: Moving On
School: West Orange HS
Event Theme:
School remodel
This school being remodeled

25. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
Consider location
Don’t blink (small, one stop light)
Hitting the High Spots (on a hill)
What’s the Catch? (on a lake)
Who’s on First? (on first St.)
Outstanding in Our Field (in a field)

26. Theme:
First & Central
School: Little Rock Central HS
Mascot: Tigers
Colors: Gold & Black
Population: 2,553

27. Theme:
Hoover at the Center
School: Hoover High School
Mascot: Pirates
Colors: Orange & Black

28. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
Consider mascot or colors
From Ray to Z (stingrays)
Good Knight!
We Speak Pirate
Miners Allowed (the miners)
Great Scot! (Scottish highlanders)
A Horse of a Different Color (Mustangs)

29. Theme: Bleed Black &Gold
School: Hawamba High School
Mascot: Indians
Colors: Gold & Black

30. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
Compare and Contrast
Now Look What You’ve Done!
Inside Out
There’s One in Every Crowd
First, the Good News
What Next?
Try Not to Stare
What’s Gotten into You?

31. Theme:
there’s a FIRST
time for everything
School: Maclay School
Why the theme: First time the school
had a football team, field and was
rated number one in the district for
academics

32. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
Have fun
It’s Not Easy Being Green
It Takes All Kinds
Your Guess is as Good as Mine
Don’t Even Think About It!
We Know You’re in There
For a Good Time Call
So?

33. Theme: Domin8
School: New Smyrna Beach
Middle School
Mascot: Chargers
Colors: Green & Gold
Population: 1,299

34. Theme: It’s About you
School: Florence High
School
Mascot: Eagles
Colors: Red & White

35. Theme: me. you. we.
School: Trinity HS
Colors: Red & White
Population: 1,564
This theme also presents the individual
experience vs. the group experience

36. Theme: i
School: Oak Grove HS
Colors: Green & White
Population: 1,310
Notice that this theme emphasizes the
individual warrior, the “I,” but the picture behind
the “I” is the student population

37. Sweating it out
Kirkwood High School
Kirkwood, Mo.
H.L. Hall, adviser
1991

39. LET’S TRY IT
Compare and Contrast
Now Look What You’ve Done!
Inside Out
There’s One in Every Crowd
First, the Good News
What Next?
Try Not to Stare
What’s Gotten into You?

40. LET’S TRY IT
Compare and Contrast
Now Look What You’ve Done!
Inside Out
There’s One in Every Crowd
First, the Good News
What Next?
Try Not to Stare
What’s Gotten into You?

41. EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
OF THE THEME
What are other ways you can say
“there’s one in every crowd”?
unique
original
one and only
THE (whatever)
different
stand alone
stand out
individual
special
one of a kind
just for you
singled out
authentic
nonconformist
rebel
limited edition
short supply
innovative
single
inventive
visionary
artistic
extraordinary
bizarre
atypical
particular
peculiar
quirky
idiosyncratic
characteristic
eccentric
odd duck
creative
exotic
dominant
diverse
alone
all by myself
designer
odd
extremes
off beat
non-matched
weird
oppositional
clashing
deviant
defined
exclusive
personalized
unparalleled
outstanding
indescribable
incomparable
mystic
unsurpassed

42. THE CREATIVE PROCESS
— BRAINSTORMING
Apply verbal possibilities
• Word Spin-offs
• Alternate Word Spin-offs
• Concept Spin-offs

43. SINGLE WORD SPIN-OFFS
Using the word “one,” come up
with possible section spin-offs
Theme: There’s One in Every Crowd
Opening:
Student Life:
Academics:
Sports:
Organizations:
People:
Ads/Community:
Closing:

44. EXPAND ON WORDS
What are phrases that use “one”?
One and all
One and only
One and the same
One at a time
One by one
Then the next one
One for the books
One for the record books
One good turn deserves
another
One in a thousand
One in a hundred
One in a million
One jump ahead
One move ahead
One of these days
Wear more than one hat
With one hand tied behind
your back
One of those days
One up
One way or another
All in one breath
All in one piece
As one
At one fell swoop
Do you one better
Every last one
Go in one ear and out the
other
Go you one better
Hole in one
In one ear and out the other
Just one of those things
Kill two birds with one stone
Like one of the family
Off to one side
On one hand
Pull a fast one
Six of one and half a dozen of
the other

45. Theme: red & white
School: Camden Fairview
High School
Enrollment: 849

46. The visual (ampersand) drives the theme development

47. Rule 1- Bloom.
Theme:
OUR OWN beat
School: Bellaire HS
Note how the theme logo is a
visual representation of a sound
What graphic elements
will be used for visual
development ?

49. What graphic elements
will be used for visual
development ?

51. Notice the repetition of background

52. Theme: NOISE
School: Lovejoy HS
Again, note how the
theme logo is a visual representation of a s
What graphic elements
here will be used for visual development ?

53. Theme: me. you. we.
School: Trinity HS
Colors: Red & white
Population: 1,564

54. EFFECTIVENESS
Does it apply to your entire school community?
APPLICABILITY
Will it cover the ups & downs of the school year?
APPEAL
Will students relate to the theme?

55. THEME PROCESS
• Does the theme copy specifically and
interestingly spell out how the theme fits
your school on all the theme pages?
• Is the theme unique to this school, this year?
• Does the theme have graphic appeal?
• Are good quotes used in the theme copy?
• Does each copy block add something new to the
theme?

56. Theme: FACE IT
School: Olympia HS
Mascot: Bison
Colors: Blue, Black & White
Population: 1,564

57. The staff created stickers for every buyer and their sticker would show
through the die-cut area replacing the mascot.

61. Theme: We Are Connally
School: Connally HS
Event Theme:
School pride theme

68. Theme: Inspi(red)
School: Bishop Kenny HS
Mascot: Bison
Colors: Red &White

69. Endsheets begins
the story

74. Theme: In the Details
School: Red Raiders
Colors: Red and black
Population: 1,299
First senior class. School is three
years old

80. Wings
Arrowhead Christian Academy
2009

84. WHY HAVE A THEME?
• What do you think?
• Can you have a themeless book?
• Chronological books
Don’t do a theme because someone tells
you to; do it because it’s right.

85. THEME PACKET
Sketch and/or mock-up
• Cover
• Endsheets
• Title page
• Opening and/or closing
• Division pages
• Folio
• Inside pages

86. By Bradley Wilson, PhD
bradleywilson08@gmail.com
bradleywilsononline.net • Twitter: @bradleywilson09
©2013