Theme Introduction
Essentials
Learn about the roles different theme elements play in a yearbook and some theme types.
7/7/21 – Katy Hoffstatter, Anne Martin
Finding Inspiration
Expert
Encouraging everyone on your staff to seek out visuals they like will create a collection of colors, fonts and type treatments you can use in many ways. Here are great ways to find inspiration.
7/7/21 – Katie Merritt and Sergio Yanes
Keep your Theme in the Driver Seat as you Plan Your Coverage and Design
Expert
Walk through the ways a theme can unfold and be the driving force behind how you tell the stories of the year.
7/7/21 – Nancy Smith
COVERAGE
Finding Coverage that Tells the Story of the Year
Next-Level
Stories won’t magically appear in your yearbook room. You have to go find them. Learn how to make sure you get the stories that best tell your story.
7/7/21 – Nancy Smith
It’s All In The Details
Expert
Details can make or break your book. This class will show you everything to cover to make sure your book is complete and accurate.
7/8/21 – Nancy Smith
DESIGN
Keynote: A New Chapter in eDesign
Essentials
Join eDesign Product Manager Mark Childers for an exciting overview of the new eDesign and all the yearbook goodness it brings.
7/7/21 – Mark Childers
Modern Design Trends
Essentials
Be inspired by yearbook spread designs from across the country — and learn what makes them fresh.
7/7/21 – Dan Mueller
Designing with HJ Templates in eDesign
Essentials
Walk through picking out styles and using pre-made layouts for your eDesign book.
7/7/21 – Katy Hoffstatter
Color: Use It, Don’t Abuse It
Essentials
We love Skittles, but we shouldn’t taste the rainbow when we flip through your yearbook. Learn how to create a cohesive color scheme and carry it out throughout the book effectively.
7/7/21 – Katy Hoffstatter
eDesign: And Now the “How”
Essentials
eDesign Product Manager Mark Childers will cover the things you need to know to set up eDesign as well as tips for efficiency and organization through the year.
7/8/21 – Mark Childers
eDesign: Introduction and Tour
Essentials
Understand that basics of Herff Jones’ eDesign and how to create a spread.
7/8/21 – Katy Hoffstatter, Dan Mueller
Canva: It’s the Design for Me
Essentials
Get inspired by what others are doing to make their book stand out. We will break it down so you have the tips and tools you need to make your spreads go viral.
7/7/21 – Katy Hoffstatter
eDesign: Design a Layout
Essentials
Walk through creating a layout from scratch using eDesign, learning how to use Square One mods and how to adjust and clean up a layout to prepare it for production.
7/8/21 – Katy Hoffstatter, Dan Mueller
How to Wow Visually
Next-Level
Learn about key factors in yearbook design that WOW readers.
7/7/21 – Katy Hoffstatter
Understanding Square One
Next-Level
Go through the process of planning and creating a yearbook spread using this powerful Herff Jones tool.
7/7/21 – Dan Mueller
eDesign Tips for Efficiency and Creativity
Next-Level
Learn how to use coverage and staff reporting, book setup and cool new page creation tools.
7/8/21 – Katy Hoffstatter, Dan Mueller
Typography In Design
Expert
Fonts can make or break your book. You’ll be able to distinguish the different types of fonts, learn theories about how many fonts should appear in your book and see how typography can drive your design.
7/7/21 – Carrie Faust
White Space Is Your Friend
Expert
Learn more about using white space to help direct your readers around the spread and help them understand how you want them to consume the content you’ve provided. Raise the bar on your designs with your consistent — and planned — use of this powerful design tool.
7/7/21 – Sergio Yanes
The Power of Hierarchy
Expert
Create spreads that make sense to readers without them even knowing why. It’s about scale and level of importance, and it will transform your book.
7/8/21 – Robin Christopher
Look to the Pros for Trends in Design
Expert
We are surrounded by professional design. See examples that can inspire your theme work and other parts of your book!
7/7/21 – Nancy Smith
PHOTOGRAPHY
Setting Up A Photo System
Expert
Talk with advisers about establishing a coverage plan for photography and learn ideas to organize the photos once they are off the camera!
7/7/21 – Deba Klevens
WRITING
Interviewing and Story Angles
Essentials
Figure out how to conduct an interview and focus in on a strong story angle.
7/8/21 – Dan Mueller
Captions
Essentials
Help your photos maintain (or even grow) in value through the years by capturing the details that will help memories last forever.
7/8/21 – Danielle Corgan
Talking to Strangers
Essentials
To get the story you have to get out of the classroom and talk to people — not just your friends. Get over your fears and learn how to get great stories from strangers.
7/8/21 – Jeff Kuchno, Ann Akers
Writing a Journalistic Story: Facts, Figures and Feelings
Next-Level
Learn to take the information you’ve gathered and craft a journalistic story.
7/8/21 – Nancy Smith
MISCELLANEOUS
Speed Topics
Essentials
A series of four-minute speed sessions with details about small, but important, aspects of yearbook: Club Photo Day, Inclusion, Sales and Headshots.
7/7/21 – YBK-STL faculty
How to Build Your Team
Essentials
Hear more about best practices for working with your staff and helping them improve throughout the year.
7/8/21 – Nancy Smith
Building Your Brand Through Social Media
Next-Level
Learn about extending your publication’s coverage, developing a recognizable brand and putting out high quality content on your platforms of choice.
7/8/21 – Jen Ortman
Yearbook And the Law
Next-Level
Learn about legal rights and responsibilities of student journalists and some of the common questions and pitfalls.
7/8/21 – Nancy Smith
ELEMENTARY
Getting Started As An Elementary Adviser
Essentials
Planning ahead is the key to success. Get your strategy set, from choosing a look to recruiting contributors.
7/7/21 – Anne Martin
Building Your Book: Elementary Coverage
Essentials
Get a plan in place for what will go on each page of your book. Learn about different coverage options so you can plan all content for your book.
7/7/21 – Anne Martin
Designing with HJ Templates in eDesign
Essentials
Walk through picking out styles and using pre-made layouts for your eDesign book.
7/7/21 – Katy Hoffstatter
KEYNOTES
Keynote: Power In What You Do
Expert
Join Canva’s Head of Education for insight on the many ways the pandemic changed the educational process, the power of creativity and the importance of the work you do in yearbook.
7/7/21 – Jason Wilmot
Content for Advisers/Editors
Advisers: How to Teach Design
Essentials
Design is not easy. Learn how to walk your students through these important steps in creating layouts that work for yearbook.
7/7/21 – Nancy Smith
Deadline Planning
Essentials
Think ahead, gather school and event calendars, plot out the year and set your own deadlines that will beat your plant deadlines. Make your year stress free.
7/7/21 – Teenie Reddeck
Staff Infection
Essentials
Create the kind of infectious team morale you want and need to last through the deadline season. Come and learn how to create an enthusiasm that spreads!
7/8/21 – Natalie White
Production Planning
Essentials
Get tips and strategies for how to plan out your year to balance coverage, workload and deadlines.
7/8/21 – Nancy Smith
What the Judges Want
Essentials
Learn how yearbook competitions are judged — and what you need to do to move your yearbook to the next level.
7/8/21 – Ann Akers, Carrie Faust
Get Ready to Get Ready (Staff Prep)
Essentials
Walk through essential steps for getting your staff ready to tackle a new yearbook, especially in the the wake of COVID.
7/7/21 – Robin Christopher, Elizabeth Doebler
