Over the past year, the pandemic has changed how we operate academically and professionally. Especially with our shift to online learning and virtual collaboration, we saw drastic changes in how our yearbooks were being brainstormed and created. However, these changes, although difficult, have not all been negative. In fact, 2020 has actually given us new insights into Covid yearbook trends that we can now take advantage of in the 2021-2022 school year.
First, with our return to in-person learning, we need to utilize the excitement of our faculty, staff, and students, maximizing in-person collaboration within our yearbook teams. This is especially true when it comes to in-person brainstorming, which provides a much more efficient method of spontaneous creativity than virtual meetings do. However, taking into consideration the ways in which we needed to adapt last year, we can apply our new technological prowess to in-person collaboration. For example, we could use the same project management programs that, out of necessity, we had used during Covid. We could also pop into virtual meetings to check in and/or follow up on the creative process, especially if certain staff members or students have a longer commute than others.
Furthermore, the in-person school setting will naturally lead to more events, which will allow us to fill more pages within the yearbook. Even with the extended page count, though, we could still increase it even more by asking both parents and students to submit pictures, just as they did during the pandemic. This would add a deeper sentimentality to the yearbook since, in addition to the typical event coverage, we would be seeing moments from the personal lives of our students.
Lastly, we can take our 2020 innovation and apply it to the new school year. Last year forced us to pivot and adapt to our circumstances, and we came up with a lot of incredible ideas. We did whatever it took to make our students smile, because w
e knew they needed it. Why stop in 2020, though? The lives of children and adolescents are often stressful, and we have the ability to give them joy through how we design their yearbook. Let’s take our pandemic push for positivity and apply it to how we create and innovate in-person. If you’re unsure where to start, Canva is a free tool you can use to easily create graphics for your yearbook, intertwining classic and current design trends (e.g., retro, ombre dots, paint splash, color minimalism, etc.).
What do you predict is in store for yearbook teams in 2021-2022? Reach out to us on Instagram and let us know what you think! (@unitedyearbook)
David Wong, United Yearbook
David Wong is a senior student at Biola University, majoring in Business Management. He is a Marketing Coordinator Intern for United Yearbook, which is a subsidiary company of TSE Worldwide Press. He utilizes his experiences in business as well as his passions and personality to make an impact with this role.