2015 DESIGN CONTEST
GRAND| PRIZE
Susan Wang
Arrowhead Christian Academy Redlands, CA
Crystal Kazmierski, adviser
This magazine-style design breaks away from a traditional look to provide a visual surprise as the reader flips through the yearbook. Verbal and visual content combine, delivering interesting information that is easy to read. Color used in the headline provides visual accent while highlighting clever wordplay. Color and typographic accent is also used to emphasize the names of the apps in the copy blocks. In addition to overall creativity, the design showcases phenomenal production skills with careful preparation of the images.
1ST | PLACE [ TIE ]
Bayleigh Ivan
Grand Blanc High School
Grand Blanc, MI
Ava Butzu, adviser
Red accent color, used sparingly, adds visual energy as it echoes across this special feature spread. The impactful environmental portrait, packaged with a statement accented with over-sized red quote marks, pulls the reader into the presentation while the placement of the well-designed headline presentation acts as a bridge from the large photo to the feature story. The red drop cap to begin the feature story serves as a reader-entry point. In an all-color yearbook, a special look is created by not using process color photography and bright colors.
1ST
PLACE
2015 DESIGN CONTEST
1ST | PLACE [ TIE ]
Emma Shane Jones
Whitewater High School
Fayetteville, GA
Jennifer Kaiser, adviser
A carefully planned full-spread photo gives this opening spread a sophisticated, magazine-style look. Impactful, direct quotes are displayed adjacent to each student featured in the photograph and are accented with oversized quote marks and names. Transparency is used to increase readability as well as to define the space for each quote box. Key phrases are emphasized in the quotes to encourage readership.
2ND | PLACE
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, KS
C. Dow Tate, adviser
A powerful horizontal image of the Kansas City skyline is digitally merged with the primary headline and surprises the reader because the headline is anchored to the bottom of the spread rather than in a predictable location at the top. Unity is achieved by using a similar design for three of the feature modules including matching the headlines with the spread’s main headline by repeating fonts, colors and shades.
Serena Summers
3RD | PLACE
Will Diamond
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, TX
Ray Westbrook, adviser
This sophisticated modular design is packed with content without looking crowded. A visual centerpiece is established on the left by making the dominant module significantly larger than the other content modules. For further impact, the centerpiece also contains the spread’s largest photograph and its main headline. The horizontal orientation of the dominant module clashes with the three extreme vertical modules on the right, creating visual energy. The modules are aligned on the bottom, but staggered across the top, creating an open look. An align-left margin for the stories also reduces the blocky look while the tan accent color provides subtle unity.
H | M HONORABLE MENTION
James Bowie High School
Austin, TX
Deanna Dellana, adviser
This modular design marries verbal and visual elements to profile a senior player. The centerpiece module features a strong image, accented with a subtle cut-out background, paired with skillful, stylish and trendy typographic touches to present the story in a fun and visual way. The dominant module is effectively framed by vertical and horizontal rails of expanded spacing. The smaller modules are designed with tight spacing and easy-to-read caption blocks with distinctive lead-ins emphasized by the use of all-caps, bold and color.
Kaylen Combs
H | M HONORABLE MENTION
Dillon Hodges
Kirkwood High School
Kirkwood, MO
Mitch Eden, adviser
A full-spread, full-bleed photograph gives this closing spread the impact it deserves. Image selection is critical when using a full-spread background photo. First, the image needs to tell a story that is worthy of such a large space. Also, the image needs areas where text can be printed without compromising readability. In this case, the sky provides a clean area for the closing copy. The align-left caption is placed on a transparent box that extends onto the photo from the left page edge, creating subtle movement toward the center. A skinny horizontal module along the bottom adds five additional student voices.
H | M HONORABLE MENTION
Sarah Hussain
Glenbrook South High School
Glenview, IL
Brenda Field, adviser
A “layout within a layout” approach creates a powerful dominant module running along the top two-thirds of the spread. This dominant module houses the spread’s main headline presentation and is defined by a subtle color pattern that doesn’t distract the reader. The echoing of mint green across the design links the dominant module to the smaller content modules. In a risky move, the dominant photo is placed to the outside left corner with the smaller images and extra space clustered near the gutter. The risk paid off with an unconventional and contemporary look.
HONORABLE MENTION
Harlingen High School
Harlingen, TX
adviser
Effective visual and verbal storytelling, and ultimately a dynamic design, are the result of careful planning. A magazine-style photo illustration is used to tell the story of school pressure and stress. Call-out text blocks offer interesting stories that relate to items in the photo and are highlighted by subtle color blocks. Storytelling student quotes are incorporated to cover more than the single student in the photo. A carefully designed headline unifies the spread.
Elizabeth Oxford
Lynda Gonzalez,
H | M HONORABLE MENTION
H | M HONORABLE MENTION
Stony Point High School
Round Rock, TX
Rebecca Plumley, adviser
Inspired by online design, interactivity is becoming increasingly important in print design, and this yearbook spread on artists and creativity delivers. The circular graphic on the left features the portraits of eight artists. The graphic on the right connects the featured artwork with the artist. Storytelling quotes from the eight artists appear at the top, adding a verbal component to supplement the visuals. The portraits, quotes and featured artwork are numbered to direct the reader. The circular graphics were not unique to this spread — they coordinate with the yearbook’s overall concept and design.
Christiana Peek
H | M HONORABLE MENTION
Idaho Falls High School
Idaho Falls, ID
Ryan Hansen, adviser
Planning is the key to a storytelling design and a smart decision was made to tell the story of creative Halloween costumes using posed photos, eliminating visual distractions. Dominance is achieved by making one of the photos larger than the others. The storytelling direct quotes provide insights about the costumes and the students wearing them. The quotes are connected to the images with subtle “call out” graphics. Effective typographic and color techniques visually accent a compelling verbal headline.
Stephanie Tangan
H | M HONORABLE MENTION
Bridget Wray
Shawnee Mission North High School
Overland Park, KS
Becky Tate, adviser
An effective spread allows the story to become the focal point. The design should deliver the content without calling attention to itself. This design does just that by building the story around a powerful dominant visual that teams with a clever verbal headline to capture the excitement of Muckfest. The power of the fullpage image on the left guides the eye to the powerful headline, supporting images and the feature story on the right.
MEET THE JUDGES
Collectively, our three contest judges have 105 years of experience teaching and advising award-winning yearbooks.
MARTHA AKERS, 2005 JEA H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year, has advised the Saga yearbook at Loudoun Valley High School [VA] for 35 years. The Saga is a consistent CSPA Crown, NSPA Pacemaker and VHSL Trophy winner. Akers has received the CSPA Gold Key, NSPA Pacemaker, VHSL Lifetime Achievement Award and VHSL Hall of Fame.
PAM BUNKA, has advised the award-winning Fentonian yearbook and InPrint newspaper at Fenton High School [MI] for 38 years. Both publications are consistent CSPA Crown, NSPA Pacemaker and MIPA Spartan winners. Bunka was named a 2014 Special Recognition Yearbook Adviser by JEA and she has received the MIPA Golden Pen in 1990.
CASEY NICHOLS, an educator for 32 years, currently advises student media at Rocklin High School [CA] where the Tonitrus yearbook consistently earns CSPA Crown and NSPA Pacemaker honors. The 2004 JEA H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year has also received the NSPA Pioneer and JEA Medal of Merit. He is currently serving JEA as chair of its Awards Committee.