Entourage Yearbooks

As autumn comes back around, it is one again time to get back into the classrooms. You’ve already gotten some great photos of your first day back after a crazy year. You’ve even already started collecting surveys of what your students did last summer. With all this content, its time to create a new yearbook! When it comes to designing a yearbook, the first task on your long list is also the hardest: picking a theme. You want it to be creative, inspiring, and of course, memorable.

After years and years of different books, you’re looking for something fresh and new, but where to start? The internet is always a good place to start. Searching for examples on Pinterest can help you learn what you love and incorporate that into your next book. It’s also best to work together and include your students or staff in the vote for this year’s theme.If all else fails, advisors, we’ve got you covered with some great tips to get you started on your goal to create an awesome yearbook!

Brainstorming

The best ideas are made reality in the classroom! Take some time out of your club meeting or class time to discuss a yearbook theme with your students and staff. No idea is a bad idea when it comes to brainstorming. You may even get something completely unique that you never would have thought of! Your students are your best asset. In the age of social media, students are usually up to date on the hottest topics and most recent memes which can help spark a good idea to fit the atmosphere of your school.

Start by having everyone write one or two ideas down on a piece of paper, or just go around and have them yell out ideas. Everything gets written down on the whiteboard or a piece of paper. Once you have a good list going for you, take a vote! There may be an overwhelming winner. If you are still stuck, try being bold and letting fate decide. You can have all the students place the theme ideas into a hat, and pull out the first one you feel. It could be a winner!

Remembering Your Content

Already have a few photos floating around? Was welcome back week themed for the perfect photo opportunity? Take a second to remember the content you already have, or plan on getting. It could be easier to match the theme to the information you already have rather than trying to fit the content to your theme.

Maybe your school has a huge writing event for the student; try doing a handwritten notebook theme! Was your spirit week theme different decades; try a retro or 70s theme! It is important to consider your school itself when thinking about a design, especially if it is something you know the students already love.

School Spirit!

Speaking of school spirit, why not make your theme your own! With its own unique color scheme and mascot, your school is a great way to incorporate the spirit of your students and staff with the memories captured in the yearbook. Not only does it make for a super simple and striking cover, but it can also be incorporated into the rest of the book. Is your mascot a lion? Try placing paw prints throughout the pages.

You can even look back at some older yearbooks as well. Traditions can evolve as time goes. If you really loved that yearbook from 1974, try making it again with a modern twist! If it worked well before, it could work well again.

Get Online

If you don’t know the answer: Google it! Sometimes the internet is the best place to find easy inspiration and ideas that never would have crossed your mind. Get on Pinterest and try searching for some awesome pins to spark some “aha” moments. To find some inspiration quickly, try searching for specific categories such as: book design, quotes, movies and film, music, and graphic illustration.

When it comes to design, the first thing I think about is colors. Every color has a different meaning, and some even point towards a specific topic. Faded colors give an older, more traditional feel while pastel colors bring out a happy, feathery book. If you’re like me and think of your colors first, try using Coolors. This website is the perfect way to get a great scheme of up to six different colors. You can randomize everything and even save the color you like as they come up. Hate how it turns out? Randomize again! It is completely free and can be a great help when trying to find the right color for every design aspect.

Our Premiere Themes

At Entourage, we have several premade themes available for you. By going into your designer and selecting Settings > Book Builder, you can see the 8 different full theme options we offer including Storybook, Retro, Out of This World, Technology, Comic Book, Game Zone, and Unbound!

We also have hundreds of customizable templates for you to choose from to mix and match for specific events, people pages, and even autograph pages.

There is no rule that says that every page has to match your desired theme. There is no force that will punish you if you really love a specific background, or maybe red works better with certain photos even though your theme uses blue. Themes are used to unify your yearbook, not define them. Sometimes a theme is something as simple as a shape.Whatever you decide, make sure you love it.

Still Struggling?

Don’t worry! If you still have no idea what you want to do, take a look at our list of themes below that would make an awesome book! Remember to use your imagination.

Popular Phrases

  • A Year Like No Other
  • As Good As Gold
  • Been There, Done That
  • Best Then, Better Now
  • Between The Lines
  • Breaking The Mold
  • Closer To The Edge
  • Count On It
  • Deja Vu
  • Fast Forward
  • Go With The Flow
  • Going Places
  • In A Glance
  • In Our Element
  • Leading The Way
  • Light The Way
  • Long Story Short
  • Made You Look
  • No Limits
  • On The Flip Side
  • Out of the (School Color)
  • Out of the Ordinary
  • Strength in Numbers
  • Take Note
  • The Big Picture
  • The Inside Story
  • Under The Sun
  • We Got This
  • What's Next?

One Word

  • Contrast
  • Embark
  • Focus
  • Illustrated
  • Impact
  • Innovation
  • Moments
  • Pause
  • Revolution
  • Rewind
  • Unexpected
  • Vibrant
  • Visions
  • YourBook

Art Inspired

  • Behind the Scenes
  • Beyond Words
  • Different Angles
  • Fairy Tales & Legends
  • Fasten Your Seatbelts
  • For The Record
  • Good Vibrations
  • Mission Impossible
  • Mondrian
  • My Generation
  • Our Adventure Book
  • Over The Rainbow
  • Perspective
  • Rosebud
  • Stay Gold
  • Thank you, Next.
  • The Final Frontier
  • There's No Place Like Home
  • Yesterday

Mascot/School

  • 9 Lives
  • A Horse of a Different Color
  • Building the Beast
  • Causing an Uproar
  • Earning Our Stripes
  • Fly Like An Eagle
  • Hear Us Roar
  • Knightwatch
  • Outta the Dog House
  • Pack Pride
  • Spreading Our Wings
  • The Dragon’s Lair
  • We Bleed (School Colors)