Jim Jordan's 40 Things To Do After The Yearbook Is Done

33. TAKE A DESIGN FIELD TRIP TOGETHER For a time, I was thinking that you could find all the design inspiration you need online, but lately, that has changed. Some of the magazine distribution sites, like ISSUU and Zinio, are charging for more of the publications they offer; and unless you dig deep, it is too easy to find old, overused inspiration on Pinterest or Google. So there is definitely still a place for the old-fashioned, design-inspiration field trip. The easiest one to do is gather all the editors together and head down to your local bookstore, newsstand or Barnes & Noble, armed with your cell phones. It’s a great way to bond, finding cool design ideas around the magazine rack. Don’t forget to go to the Design/ Graphic Arts section and look through their books as well. If your program can afford it, budget $50-$100 to actually purchase the magazines you love the most. Plus, it’s important to keep supporting our local bookstores. Another great place to find inspiration is your local mall. Check out the bookstores, but also look at the displays and advertising you find. Pay attention to

the colors of any typography being used. Look for reoccurring themes and trends. You might even find a better theme idea than you are currently thinking of using. Have your phone ready and capture what interests you. When you are out and about, you are always on a design-inspiration field trip! Create a time for the editors to share what they have found, and have them explain exactly what they love about each discovery. 34. CREATE MOOD BOARDS Some staffs also create mood boards to gather inspiration in one visual place. The element can be clips from magazines, ads, college lookbooks, anything they have collected that they love the look of — possible font choices, color palettes, interesting layouts. Using a standard poster board, they arrange all their elements and then present them to the class. It has much of the same purpose as the digital portfolio, but it groups all your favorites in one place. 35. TRAIN YOUR LEADERS FOR THE TASK AHEAD Provide as much leadership training as you can to prepare your editors for the task they are facing. Most of the time, we as advisers know how we want them to lead, but we never prepare them with the tools that will help them succeed. 36. REVISE YOUR STAFF MANUAL If you don’t have a staff manual, create one; if you do have one, this is the time to make any needed revisions and updates. The most important parts of our staff manual are the detailed job descriptions of every position on staff — from writer to photographer to managing editor to index editor to editor-in-chief, everyone on staff can look in the manual to know exactly what is expected of them. The other important part of this manual is the style guide, which will answer all the most significant style concerns a staffer will face over and over again. (i.e. is it boys, boy’s or boys’ cross country? Is it one through ten you write out, or does ten become 10?) It will save any editor who reads copy tons of time, especially if the staff actually reads it and learns

From Inspiration to Final Design. Decamhian editor-in-chief Ashley Krause was inspired by a spread in Elle magazine and manipulated the look for her trends spread.

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