It’s one of the most looked-at sections, but it receives the least attention from designers. But if we’re really creating yearbooks for the people, we should give them more love.
Coverage in the people section tends to be an afterthought – the same sidebar design, a generic question, a random poll. Providing more substantive coverage gives buyers a better product and a truer reflection of the year. Even if you’ve already finished planning for this year, save these ideas for the next book.
Food: This is always an appetizing topic for the yearbook. For an in-school perspective, include the best cafeteria options, packed lunches and go-to snacks. Club coverage could feature munchies members bring to meetings and holiday parties. Feature students who are vegan or vegetarians. Outside-of-school coverage could rank top restaurants in town, newest openings and favorite fast food joints. And don’t forget—tasty treats like doughnuts and ice cream make for great photography.
Drink: Don’t stuff yourself on just french fries and pizza. There’s plenty of liquid love, too. Feature favorite Sonic drinks and snow cones. Have students rate the latest sparkling water flavors and brands. And don’t forget coffee. All the blend options and caffeine cravings offer plenty of coverage opportunities.
Transportation: Avoid focusing on the types of cars and look at the nitty-gritty of school transportation. Run a survey that displays the different ways students get to school; add quotes and mugs to give a personal feel to the results. Find students who walk, skateboard or bike to school. Run a map of the student parking lot and the numbers for how long it takes to get in and out. Focus on first-year drivers and their initial experiences.
Obsessions & interests: Whether it’s pop culture, collections or hobbies, students have fascinating interests. Showcase current trends and popular products. Find students with unusual collections. Talk to people about their latest obsession. Find out if they’re spending their time binge-watching House of Cards or staying up till 4 a.m. playing Fortnite.
Personalities: Showcase students’ personalities in tangible ways. Feature keychains and vinyl stickers on laptops and water bottles. Consider using cutouts of backpacks, cell phone cases and watches. Include various styles of colored hair, glasses and shoes. Have students talk about why they like the particular style and how it connects to them personally.
Social media & technology: This is a gimme, but be innovative with coverage. Feature funny texts from mom and dad, cell phone screensavers and social media faux pas.
Studying: Think study playlists, snack preferences, locations, procrastination polls.
Classwork: We’re in school all day and yet, we rarely cover those moments. Don’t overlook an opportunity to share the coolest outputs from note-taking.
In school, outside class: What about all those other moments during the day? Cover passing periods, study hall and detention.
Profiles: Focus on students not involved in clubs and sports who have an interesting story to tell. Consider featuring their hobbies, interests and talents. Run a mixture of longer stories with shorter mini-stories and extended quotes.
Clubs & classes: If there are limited pages for academics or clubs, the people section provides another place for coverage. Or if you have classes or groups that don’t justify a full page or spread, but need some recognition, feature them with the portraits. It could be a Q&A, a feature story or a grouping of photos and captions. Another option is to run cutouts and quotes, including multiple club members or classes.
Faculty: In the staff section, don’t forget smart coverage of your teachers, administrators and support staff. Consider profiles of custodians and cafeteria workers, features on what teachers do outside of class, coffee cup quizzes and timelines of their day.
Bonus tip: If you need help planning the people section or crafting space for packages, see our two-part people series. The first focuses on planning the portraits as a whole and simple tips for squeezing a little more space out of those mugs. The second tackles design, theme connections, and more space saving suggestions.