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
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
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
COVERAGE
Many Ways to Tell the Story
Essentials
The fact that the same spread topic is covered each year does not mean you should tell the “same old story“ time and time again. Creative staffs brainstorm new angles, different coverage strategies and more to tell the stories of the year.
7/13/22 – Ann Akers
Making Your Coverage Inclusive
Essentials
If you’re up for the challenge of telling new and different stories of as many people, groups and events as possible, you’ll find these tips helpful as you attempt to cover the whole school and the whole year.
7/13/22 – Erinn Harris
Mining Stories
Essentials
Find the “golden nuggets” that will delight your readers by actively digging for the compelling stories that lurk all around you.
7/14/22 – Michele Paolini
A Different Book Every Year
Next-Level
FOMO rules! Not only will changing things every year encourage your staff to be more creative, it makes the process more interesting. And, it should convince the readers that they never want to miss out!
7/13/22 – Erinn Harris
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
Finding Inspiration/Making It Your Own
Essentials
You’ll learn about some great sources design inspiration and see some trending looks, but, most importantly, understand the difference between re-executing a look and being inspired to create the perfect answer for your project.
7/13/22 – Erinn Harris
Color: Use It, Don’t Abuse It
Essentials
I love Skittles, but I shouldn’t taste the rainbow when I flip through your yearbook. Learn how to both create a cohesive color scheme that ties into your theme and carry it out throughout the book effectively.
7/13/22 – Katy Hoffstatter
Understanding Square One
Essentials
Go through the process of planning and creating a yearbook spread using this powerful Herff Jones tool.
7/13/22 – Katy Hoffstatter
Just My Type
Essentials
These five typographical tips will help elevate your design. We’ll talk font pairing, voice, accent fonts, hierarchy and visual relationship — and your type will shine!
7/13/22 – Meredith Bledsoe
Type Matters
Essentials
One of the key pieces that will pull together any yearbook is the use of type. It’s important to know the ins-and-outs of type that works together and gain a better understanding of how fonts communicate messages to readers long before they ever read a single word of your yearbook!
7/13/22 – Nicole Laughrey
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
Trending & Timeless
Next-Level
In some ways, yearbook design is not all that different than fashion or interior design. Great books can create a lasting visual timestamp of the year, anchoring the volume in a very specific timeframe. Or, they can designed to stand the test of time. Looking at both trending techniques and classic principles will help you design with intention.
7/13/22 – Kyle Lewis & Ann Akers
Beyond the Words
Next-Level
Effective, high-impact headline design is just as important as crafting those phrases to attract attention and guide readers to the copy. See how contrast and consistency in an array of patterns help staffs create an identity for a book or section without becoming redundant.
7/13/22 – Rebecca McGrath
How to Wow Visually
Next-Level
Learn about key factors in yearbook design that WOW readers.
7/7/21 – Katy Hoffstatter
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.
7/13/22 – Robin Christopher
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
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
eDesign
In the Know
Essentials
Join eDesign Product Manager Mark Childers for an exciting overview of eDesign and the yearbook goodness it brings. This fast-paced introduction is appropriate for all staffers, both new and returning. Mark will provide an overview of eDesign, highlighting the latest features and demonstrating the creative power eDesign provides.
7/13/22 – Mark Childers
All About the Efficiency
Essentials
eDesign is about so much more than exciting design. Its organizational and tracking efficiencies maximize productivity and minimize stress — and that’s a lot to cheer about! Today we’ll cover tips and tricks for setting up eDesign and working efficiently throughout the year. All are welcome to attend this session, but the content will be most applicable to advisers and editors.
7/14/22 – Mark Childers
Canva Wow
Essentials
Our exclusive relationship with Canva makes adding cool graphic effects to your pages as easy as imagining the possibilities!
7/14/22 – Natalie White
Canva: It’s the Design for Me
Essentials
Elevating your yearbook design doesn’t have to be rocket science. Get #IB what others are doing to make their book stand out. We will break it down so you have the tools you need to make your spreads go viral.
7/13/22 – Katy Hoffstatter
eDesign: The Power is Yours
Essentials
These are aspects of eDesign everyone on staff needs to understand. This is a great place to get started.
7/13/22 – Joanna Pennoyer
eDesign Organization
Essentials
Understand the tools that help you organize your book, your deadlines, the staff and your photos.
7/13/22 – Joanna Pennoyer
Page Builder Tools
Essentials
Learn about the fundamental tools used to create a spread.
7/13/22 – Joanna Pennoyer
Reports and eShare
Essentials
From tracking coverage and sales to helping solicit photos, eDesign does it all.
7/14/22 – Joanna Pennoyer
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
More eDesign Page Builder Tools
Next-Level
These additional tools provide even more powerful functionality.
7/13/22 – Joanna Pennoyer
eDesign Wow
Next-Level
Don’t miss out on important features like Caption Builder, the Align tool and portrait page wizards that will make you smile.
7/13/22 – Joanna Pennoyer
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography Basics Anyone Can Use
Essentials
Raise the bar on photography with these guidelines, tips and tricks.
7/14/22 – Natalie White
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 – Debra Klevens
WRITING
Let the Story Tell the Story
Essentials
Say goodbye to boring “reports” and hello to compelling features full of quotes and interesting details.
7/14/22 – Erinn Harris
50 Ways to Tell a Story
Essentials
Mods. Sidebars. Alternative Story Forms. Whatever you call them, they are a great way to expand your publication’s coverage, play with design and explore unique forms of storytelling. If you’re stuck in a picture and quote rut, this session will give you some new ideas.
7/14/22 – Erinn Harris
Worth 1,000 Words
Essentials
Learn the formulas that will help you master the lost art of caption writing
7/14/22 – Nicole Laughrey
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
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
SALES + PROMOTION
Six Ways to Make Book Sales Fly
Essentials
Make book sales a priority with the sales campaigns and tips.
7/13/22 – Natalie White
Social Media Best Practices
Essentials
Learn why your staff should use social media to crowdsource ideas and content, sell books and keep yearbook front and center in the school — and how to drive engagement with tips and tricks for success.
7/14/22 – Sondra Vernengo Robison
Understanding and Reaching Your Buyers
Essentials
If you don’t already have staffers dedicated to selling the yearbook (and ads), consider recruiting some additions to the roster.
7/14/22 – Katelan Barron
Use Your Influence
Next-Level
Grow your following like the successful influencers do — with regular on-brand messaging, the chance to engage and both consistency and surprises. TikTok and Reels rule here. Like yearbook, social is a creative endeavor that’s part art and part science.
7/14/22 – Sondra Vernengo Robison
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
ELEMENTARY
How to YBK
Essentials
With so many resources at your fingertips, here’s how to find them and how to use them. We’ll cover everything from the My HJ and yearbookdiscoveries.com to eDesign help and the kit.
7/14/22 – Caroline Mattox
Money Talks
Essentials
It can be a good thing to be a sellout. Learn how to find online book sales information and how to promote to parents through various channels. Beginning with a quick eBiz overview, book sales support, social media, we’ll cover resources that work.
7/14/22 – Caroline Mattox
Filling the Pages
Essentials
Nail down what to cover, how to cover it and how you don’t have to yearbook alone. Learn about what to include, planning out pages, how to ask for help and using eShare.
7/14/22 – Caroline Mattox
Book Build Out
Essentials
You don’t have to be a graphic artist to have an amazing yearbook!
7/14/22 – Natalie White
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
Advisers + Editors
Habits of Highly Effective Editors
Best Practices
Aspiring staffers often observe their own editors, hoping to follow in their footsteps in years to come. Learn about key traits that set all kinds of leaders apart and begin working right now to become a respected editor remembered for all the right reasons.
7/14/22 – Joseph Maffey
10 Hacks to Yearbook Smarter, Not Harder
Best Practices
Learn about tried & true processes for organizing the chaos so your staff can maximize productivity and create a quality publication. Topics covered include deadline organization, theme prep, staff collaboration, grading, and more.
7/14/22 – Jen Ortman
You Be the Judge
Best Practices
Guidelines that judges will follow in reviewing yearbooks for regional, state and national competitions are also helpful in maintaining usefulness and added value to your own publications over time. Prepare to think about the details that will give your publication that competitive edge with judges and with your readers.
7/14/22 – Ray Slye
Speed Topics
Best Practices
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
Advisers: How to Teach Design
Best Practices
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
Best Practices
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
Production Planning
Best Practices
Get tips and strategies for how to plan out your year to balance coverage, workload and deadlines.
7/8/21 – Nancy Smith
Deadline Planning
Staff Organization
Think ahead, gather school and event calendars, plot out the year and set your own deadlines to beat your plant deadlines. You can do this!
7/14/22 – Teenie Reddeck
Relationships Matter
Staff Organization
A shared purpose and strong culture will unify your staff, and there are other people on campus you need to work well with as well.
7/14/22 – Erinn Harris
The Fundamentals
Staff Organization
There’s no question that yearbook involves a lot of hard work, but the best programs also make sure that’s balanced with good times too.
7/14/22 – Erinn Harris
Staff Infection
Staff Organization
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!
7/14/22 – Natalie White
Plan for Success & Celebrate It
Staff Organization
Successful yearbook leaders understand the delicate balance between rigor and flexibility/organization and celebration. Ensure staff success with planning, training and communication — and make sure your successes and hard work are recognized.
7/14/22 – Caroline Mattox
How to Build Your Team
Staff Organization
Hear more about best practices for working with your staff and helping them improve throughout the year.
7/8/21 – Nancy Smith
