By Anne Hayman, yearbook adviser
Arlington High School, Arlington, Washington
Why is it so difficult to catch our own mistakes? According to psychologist Tom Stafford, what is on the screen or on the page is competing with what is in our head. Share the check. Work together to edit and proof spreads.
First of all, it’s called “Speed Dating” because we only spend a short time with each spread. We’ve checked printouts on regular paper, proofs from the plant and the spreads on the computer screen. It depends on the purpose and the timing.
For example, when working on proofs, we handed them out (preferably in a circle) and gave each kid those little sticky notes shaped like arrows (Sign Here style). Each staff member stands in front of a spread and looks for something specific: folio, photo credit, names in captions, font, number of faces in each picture, is there a dominant element, eyeline, etc. They mark the spread if there is an issue. If not, they leave it alone. Then, we rotate to the next spread. Staff members become experts in their areas. I’ve done all sorts of variations of it before asking them to focus on the copy or on the final proofing. We’ve have rotated from spread to spread using a specific playlist set at one-minute intervals. We have also waited, for what seems like forever, for each person to finish reading all the captions on the a spread or checking a spread for photo alignment.
Honestly, “Speed Dating” works best if kids look at spreads they did NOT work on. Also, I like it best when they can’t write directly on the spreads but limit themselves to what an be written on sticky notes (We have used a blank piece of paper to comment on spreads on the computers.) This next deadline, I’m going to have them go around and look at spreads on the computer screen JUST for layout problems so they can see what everyone is doing and make sure designs are consistent within a section and throughout the book.
Excerpt from Elements magazine “How’d You Do That?: Check Spreads & Proofs.”
