For Nike, it’s a swoosh. For FedEx, it’s bold letters forming an arrow in the white space. For Starbucks, it’s a lovely siren on a green, black and white circle. These companies’ logos are iconic because of their visual appeal. Yearbook theme logos should be, too.
Creating a strong visual/verbal connection for your yearbook starts with the cover. Once a theme word or phrase is chosen, attention should move to the visual aspect. Typography, graphics and colors all play a part in creating a cool theme logo.
Typography
The fonts should reflect the theme’s personality. Typography conveys a mood—a handwriting font expresses whimsy or fun, a bold sans serif emphasizes strength or power, a serif implies a clean or classic feel. We recommend staffs limit their type choices to two or three fonts that fit the look of the theme.
Graphics
A graphic element provides a visual connection to the verbal aspect of the theme. Lines, shapes and angles are all options for extending the theme visually. Lines come in a variety of point sizes, ranging from thin to thick in straight, curved and wavy styles. Shapes offer an assortment of options—dots, circles, squares, bars; even stars and asterisks have been used to accent the theme. Angles, like slanted lines or altered shapes, can convey a visual shift. Patterns and textures also can bring a unique feel to the book. Another compelling look uses art or illustrations with the theme logo. A journal-type theme would benefit from doodles and hand-drawn graphics. The 2018 Renaissance, the yellow cover above, incorporated real photos with their theme logo and inside pages. Beachy images of tropical flowers, sunglasses and flip-flops all added to the “Everything under the Sun” theme.
Colors
Color choices also make a huge impact on the theme logo. A traditional spirit theme should use school colors. A fun, sassy theme needs bright, bold colors. A classic theme might incorporate black and white, or use subtle, softer shades. Color treatments like halftones, duotones and gradients also can contribute to the theme’s visual element. After coming up with a theme word or phrase, the staff needs to consider visual motifs. Typography, graphics and color all play a role in the design and cover’s overall look. Let’s create strong visual/verbal connections to make our theme logos iconic.
Needing some cover and logo inspiration? Check out this video of 2017 and 2018 covers:
