One step you don't want to skip when planning the yearbook

When it comes to planning a yearbook, our favorite piece of advice is this: Begin at the end.

It might sound counterintuitive, but knowing where you want to go before you start will help you get to that end goal a little faster—and a little happier. You can achieve most of that by picking your deadline, theme, and coverage goals, but there is one step that will get you the rest of the way.

It’s completing a yearbook ladder.

A yearbook ladder is a nice—and concise—chart that represents the pages in a yearbook. Use it at the beginning of the year, and you’ll be able to better plan your book length, prioritize all the ideas you have for sections and stories, and determine what you have room to cover. Best yet, it doubles as a visual reminder of what your book is supposed to look like when it’s done. It’s basically one huge, visual post-it-note.

You can get a free one right here. To use it, adjust the number of pages to match your book length, fill in the content you’re planning to run, and use it as a guide for the rest of your year.

Helpful Links

• 2021-2022 Yearbook Theme Trends. Pick a theme for your yearbook. TreeRing has 30 new on-trend yearbook themes for 2021-2022. Backgrounds, fonts, layouts, and artwork are included in each theme to help you find some inspiration for your yearbook.