As of today, all of the pages have been completed and the design submitted to an external printing firm. I am writing this reflection to properly detail the design process that went into the pages.
The first step was to each submit our own color schemes and we collectively voted on which one was to be picked
By reaching group consensus, we could select a color scheme which the entire team could collectively agree with and avoid any confrontation over design decisions. However, there may have been some people who did not voice their opinion and thus have been passed over. By considering the possible ramifications of collective voting, I achieved LO 5.
The next step was to divide up the team into individual teams which had a section of the yearbook (Mentor classes, superlatives & senior pages excluded) and design pages specific to that.
I was assigned to extracurricular activities such as Model United Nations or Initiative for Peace and drafted 8 pages in Adobe Indesign as it was compatible with the online platform we were using to prepare the yearbook. As I did not have a lot of experience with graphic design but had skill with digital art applications, I wanted to expand my horizons. By considering my prior experiences and considering where I could develop my skills further, I achieved LO 1.
After designing the 8 pages in Indesign (3 designs are pictured), I had asked to receive feedback from the rest of the team which I wanted to use to be able to better my design. As I often struggle with receiving feedback as I focus on the negatives rather than the positives, I wanted to be able to more effectively use feedback to better my pages. After receiving feedback for everyone’s submitted pages, we were asked to submit 2 final designs with as much effort as we could put into them.
Using the feedback, I refined my 2 pages to the point where I felt that I couldn’t . With further guidance, I chose the best of the two (the one above) and submitted it to my team leaders who accepted it without hesitation.
Once the page designs were all finalized across the yearbook we were split into multiple groups asked to log onto the online platform we were using to print the yearbook (PLog) and apply pictures on the pages we were assigned by dragging and dropping them into the frames (The boxes with ‘x’s inside of them pictured above). As I was assigned 4 class pages and 8 senior pages whereas other people got different class and senior pages, this allowed us to rapidly format the yearbook for printing at a speed which couldn’t be achieved by the 3 people assigned to work on the yearbook last year. As i forgot to document this process, I have no documentation regarding the insertion of pictures. This process started at March 1st and was ongoing until March 22nd.
I finished my assigned pages at Mar 15 and thus was assigned to backfill the pages that were not completed by my other team members due to varying commitments. Herein is the problem of the team as everyone had different paces and completion dates, forcing the team members who worked at faster rates to wait for everyone to be complete. By considering the benefits and consequences of teamwork, I achieved LO5.
Finally, as of the 28th, the yearbook is officially complete with orders opening.
Thus, the process of designing and developing the yearbook is why i consider this an art. In addition, through this documentation and continued attendance, I achieved LO4 and LO3.
(Update 22nd May)
As of 22nd May, the yearbooks are open for collection.
This is the final version of the page I designed. While I was not responsible for the images, the page was the culmination of my efforts from way back in November and I think the journey to this point made the work I put in worth it.