Anatomy of the
Yearbook + Jobs
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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In broad terms, it’s about …
CONNECTING
 REFLECTING
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Anatomy of a Yearbook
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CONNECTING
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Academics (15-18%):
student/faculty, curriculum
experience, courses, classroom
routines, field trips, guests
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Section Theme Examples:
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“Meeting of the Minds”
“The Brain Connection”
“United to learn and grow”
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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CONNECTING
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Organizations/Clubs (10-13%):
activities, and events
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Section Theme Examples:
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“A Common Connection”
“The Club Connection”
“Coming together”
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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CONNECTING
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People (25-30%): portraits, feature
stories
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Section Theme Examples:
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“The Human Connection”
“All for One”
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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REFLECTING
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Student Life (25-30%): nonschool, daily routines, dances,
assemblies, pep rallies,
entertainment, hangouts,
traditions.
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Example: “Mirror Images”
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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REFLECTING
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Sports (15-18%): season
highlights, record of all sports.
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Section Theme Example:
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“Instant Replay”
Anatomy of a Yearbook
Breakdown of Anatomy:
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Cover Spine (Photos and Title)
End Sheets (Usually Blank)
Title Page (School and Book Info, Photos)
Opening Section (Photos and Words that
establish the overall theme)
Sections w/ Section Dividers (Photos and
Words that represent what happened during
the year in that area of our coverage)
Index / Table of Contents (List of names)
Closing Section (Farewell presentation of the
theme)
Autograph Pages
**Blended Coverage (Runs throughout)
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Cover Spine:
The readers first impression
 Introduces the year’s theme
 Yearbook name and year
 School name and volume
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Anatomy of a Yearbook
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End Sheets:
Holds pages to cover
 Can be custom
 Plain or printed
 Space for autographs
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Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Title Page:
Yearbook name
 School name, address, phone
numbers, email, website
 Thematic photo and caption
 Volume number
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Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Opening Section:
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Verbal and visual introduction to
the book and the year
incorporating the theme
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Section Dividers:
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Verbal and visual introduction to the section
incorporating the overall theme and a specific section
them if there is one.
Student Life
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Electives
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Core classes
People
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In and out of school learning activities
Clubs/organizations
Academics
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Elective classes
Organizations
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Many pages … sometimes throughout the whole book
Routines, activities, events and relationships
Classes, faculty, staff
Sports
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Teams and seasons
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Index/Table of Contents:
List of proper names
 Include faculty, sports and
organizations
 TOC: Directs reader through book
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Section dividers and starting page
numbers
 High interest topics and page
numbers
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Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Closing Section:
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Verbal and visual
closing/conclusion to the book and
the year incorporating the theme
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Autograph Pages
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Blended Coverage:
A themed element that runs
throughout the book
 Includes lots of photos from
students
 The objective is to get students to
look at each page with interest
because they never know if they’ll
see themselves
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Anatomy of a Yearbook
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That’s what goes in the
yearbook … What does NOT?
Anatomy of a Yearbook
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Copyrighted material!
Vulgar or obscene content!
Libelous material!
Material that constitutes an invasion
of privacy!
Material that may cause a
substantial disruption of the school
day!
Anything in bad taste!
Any students who are on the “do not
photo” list!
Yearbook: Departments
EDITORS IN CHIEF!
 Requires the most organization and flexibility.
 Work to establish theme and ladder.
 Responsible for the complete package of deadlines,
design, data management, proofing and communication.
 They do not have to do each job personally, but they do
have to make sure that each job is being done fully.
 Works with all the Staff and the Adviser to decide theme,
direction, plot a course and then make sure that everyone
stays on that course.
 Works closely with each section.
 Address complains, criticisms, errors, and problems.
 Track the book for repeat photos and content.
 Takes full responsibility for all content on all pages of the
book!
Yearbook: Departments
BLENDED COVERAGE DEPARTMENT
 Formulate a theme and plan for blended coverage of
students that helps us achive 3X coverage.
 Content collection, module design, creation and
placement.
 Complete work on deadline so as not to hold up section
pages
 Adhere to pre-set design guidelines, and communication
about their progress at staff meetings.
 Track used photos, and tag the students in their photos.
Accurately spelling names.
 Proofing and assuring accuracy of all content on their
pages.
 They may have other staff members (not in their section
team) collecting content and creating modules for them,
and they must manage that work.
Yearbook: Departments
STAFFERS
 Staffers “OWN” the pages they’ve been assigned.
 They stay with the vision of the Editors in Chief/Theme
and work to make it a reality in their area of coverage!
 Duties include formulating specific section & page themes
that match the overall theme, content collection, page
design and creation, completion on deadline, adherence
to pre-set design guidelines, and communication about
their progress at staff meetings.
 Develop topics, angles, headlines, sidebars - visual and
verbal content for their sections.
 Tagging the students in their photos. Accurately spelling
names, and representing events.
 Proofing and assuring accuracy of all content on their
pages.
Yearbook: Departments
GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT
 Plan the visual execution of the concept/them
through fonts, layouts, colors, textures, and
graphics
 Creating and tracking use of modules
 Works on layout of each section with the section
teams
 Creates unifying visual elements throughout each
section
 Look for ways to avoid visual monotony
 Checks layouts for color, consistency, quality
 Creates cover, section dividers, title page, opening
pages and closing page
 Creates custom graphics to be used by the sections
Yearbook: Everyone’s Job
ALL STAFF WILL …
 Volunteer for, and work on photo assignments
before, during, and after school hours.
 Accurately record, archive and tag all photos.
 Be responsible for having the camera, card,
batteries and shooting … and returning equipment!
 Use photocomposition techniques to ensure
interesting photos.
 Write interesting, complete, and accurate headlines
and captions for pictures.
 Gets names correct!
 Download and save photos right away.
 Work in Photoshop on post-production photography
techniques.
Yearbook: Everyone’s Job
ALL STAFF WILL …
 Come up with story angles, topics, write questions,
interview people, write stories, write sidebars,
headlines, and captions.
 Design modules and laying out pages.
 Plan and execute all spreads.
 Work to review, edit, correct, and finish pages
assigned.
 Verify names and spellings.
 Index names.
 Do whatever other jobs are required to put out a
quality yearbook.