Blog #27: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I kept the audience engaged and involved throughout the presentation, making it more of a conversation to keep them interested. My activities also seemed very effective and tied in with my answers, and also lead to a better understanding of my answers. My keynote was also very nice - it is one thing I can say with absolute certainty was good about my presentation.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)? Why?

AE. I explained the yearbook in terms that everyone could understand, and gave everyone a good idea of theme and consistency that engaged them and made them understand the concepts. The theme activity I used for my 2-hour is an activity that has been done in the past with new yearbook staffers, but never has it been so successful as when it was paired as an activity to my presentation.

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? Why?

AE in theory, because I have over 400 hours for my independent components and my interviews were very solid, as well as my research, but probably a P/P+ because I turned in a few things late.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

The independent component. I was the best way that I could have possibly learned about my topic.

(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project?

It was extremely difficult to focus on anything else but senior project, and due to scheduling it was also very difficult to get Editor-in-Chiefs from other schools for my interviews without being late. For my third interview, I had to scrap the people I wanted to interview twice before finally getting Cynthia Schroeder.

(5) Finding Value

I now know that I can do a solid keynote, and that my analogies generally get across to my audience (in the presentation.) I also know that I actually can present for an hour and a half, and that I can facilitate and execute (well) a 128 page publication, and also manage all of the ins and outs within it - staff management, organization, improving structure, brainstorming, and theme and visual execution.

Blog #26: 2-hour rough draft

Link.

Blog #25: Service Learning

Literal:

Log of hours

Blog #24: Independent Component 2

Log of hours

Pictures: 

The pictures above are pictures of what I had to do. The listography, which I had to keep up - this is the completed version, with everything checked off. Normally it says things like, "Headline too high, shift down 2 picas please?" "Proofread KiF copy, has mistakes" "Alignment on Roeder's senior ad" "and "1 blurb needed - waiting on Tyra Crump." The lists are, at the beginning of the deadline, about four times as long as the ones above, and things continually get added and subtracted from them over the course of the deadline. The next picture is a picture of the photo library - you can see how it is organized and just how many pictures we need to go through each time we do a spread. The third picture is how the design folder looks. Each deadline has 16 spreads, or 32 pages in it, which we arrange in the design folder. The last picture is a photo of the ladder. I decide what goes in the book. These are the spreads that made the final cut. (More to come)


Literal:
(a) I, Elissa Fultz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work."
(b) I have completed the yearbook, a 128 page volume (complete with cover and endsheets) that I oversaw.


Interpretive:
I ran an elective, and spent over 20 hours a week on the yearbook outside of elective. The pictures will show you how much I did exactly, but I: read over copy, proofread, sorted photos, checked over designs, discussed with photographers and junior designers, discussed with the yearbook adviser, met with kids outside of class, kept up the listography (basically the giant list of what needs to be done), and checked over everything before uploads.


Applied:
I learned a lot during the process - what makes good design, writing, and photos, shortcuts you can take, the most efficient way to do certain things like check alignment on spreads, import pictures, skim through copy, and suchlike. I learned how to deal with people. How to get respect from colleagues and people who work under you, how to give constructive criticism without making people hate you, how to teach. I learned that good design is in the details, that everything requires perfection in order to make the end product beautiful (which is not always healthy). And, in the end, I think we made the most beautiful book we ever had.

Blog #23: Helping 2013

Who did you interview: Jazmin Morales

What day and time: April 26 at 12:40 PM.

1)  What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

"Something medical related. I'm not exactly sure, maybe a specialty. I want to do something medical because that's what I want to do when I graduate. It’d be a good starting point."

Me: That sounds good, there's several people doing medical senior projects in my class (I gave her some names), but it can be really hard to find service learning.

She replied that she had already found her service learning, which lead into the next question.

2)  What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning?

"I asked my doctor, so I’m thinking of volunteering in their office. I volunteer at a hospital, so I can go in and see patients and stuff."

Me: It's good that you already found it, a lot of people have a hard time with it because you generally have to apply for volunteer work, like, a year in advance or something ridiculous.

3)  What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two-hour presentations?

"I hope to see the format they do, and how they divide their time. I want to know what to expect when I have to present. Thirty minutes of presenting, and then three activities. And activities that aren’t too boring, and won’t make the audience fall asleep."

Me: Definitely look for the structure. It's pretty straightforward (I explained the structure), but it's good to see how different people handle it. Some people use speaker notes, some people use notecards. It's also good to see how people decorate their rooms.

4) What questions do you have about senior project?

"Do we get the 10 hours approved before we go into summer? And how much time do you spend in the presentation on different things? What were the most challenging things for you?"

Me: I don't know about the ten hours, that's new this year. For the presentation, they break it down into different parts (explained the time requirements for answers and such, as well as activities). The hardest part for me was definitely finding interviews. Also, science faire can be kinda tough. For you, you can probably come up with a procedure fairly easily, but it'll be harder to actually carry out the experiment. So, watch out for that. Especially if you want to go for county faire, you should start during the summer. Some people at county have been doing their projects for like, two years, and in collaboration with universities and stuff.

Blog #22: Answer #3

My third answer for my essential question, what is the most important factor in creating an award-winning yearbook, is also, I believe, my best answer: a strong, defined, relevant theme. This has been stressed through multiple sources. For example, in the article Power by Design, the author, Rick Poynor, talks about how graphic designers overestimate their job. Designers think that they must make the design stand out, when in reality, you should let the theme or message speak, and everything else come afterwards. Better by Design, by Ann Akers and Paul Ender, talks mostly about the marriage of all of the elements in a yearbook through design - and the underlying factor is always the theme. The photography must go with the theme. The copy and the voice must whisper the theme throughout the book. The design of the book must illuminate the theme. The theme is what ties the entire book together. Both my second and third interviews also agree - Mimi Orth, my service learning, says that you must know your school, know your audience, and sell your yearbook to them through a relevant and theme. Cynthia Schroeder also stressed knowing your theme, and keeping it in sight throughout the book. In her words, "[Theme is] what determines what the design is gonna be, the voice, the copy, colors, the coverage. It really determines everything in the book and, you know, what separates the more amateur looking books from the professional, award winning books is the concept."

Blog #20: Room Creativity

1) How do you plan on addressing the room creativity expectation?

A few classmates and I are all investing in the black tarp/canvas thing that past presentations have used to cover up the current room decorations. In addition, I plan on hanging many of the spreads and copy drafts, simply to show the amount of drafts staffers and designers go through.

2) What activity ideas do you have for answers 1 and 2?

My first answer, consistency, will probably find its way in through a series of spreads, where an inconsistency in voice and design should be identified. For my second answer, staff management, I'm planning on making a little game based on a staff scenario, where a situation is given and each table is presented a set of options. Each table will pick their option and hold it up. Once everyone has chosen an answer, the reaction to each answer will be explained, and an additional scenario will be given. This is to show the unpredictability of working with such a large-scale staff on such a detail-oriented task.

Blog #19: Answer 2

My topic is Yearbook, and my essential question is: What is most important to producing a successful yearbook? My first answer was consistency, as in, making sure that everything stays solid throughout the book. My second answer is definitely a good staff and staff management. Each year, we get a wave of new kids, kids that we have to train in the ways of general yearbook, and in the ways of that years' specific book. Not only that, but you really have to figure out what makes them tick. On the way, there's a few challenges. We always have two kids, or three at the most, paired up with each other, usually a writer and a photographer. The first challenge, at the beginning of each semester, is figuring out who will work well together. After that, you have to use your people skills to the max: praise good work, give careful, constructed criticism where improvement is needed. Making your staff work means making your staff feel loved - which also means they'll feel more guilty if you're disappointed in them. It has to be a careful balance - "Kind, but firm," as said by Strand. The difference between books with good staff management and bad staff management is painfully clear; when (personalish story that I don't want floating around on the internet), "I feel kinda bad for them," said Will afterwards. "I mean, we don't really have that problem of us doing absolutely everything. Our staff works like clockwork." We had certainly gotten the better staff. But we also had better leaders.

Something like this.

Blog #18: The Product

Last year's Editor-in-Chief used to turn to me at random times and give me words of advice, something that happened more and more often as the year drew to a close.

"I want to pass on all of the knowledge I can to you before I leave," she would say. "I don't want this to be for nothing. We won't get an award this year, and we may not get an award next year, but the year that we do -- well, we can say that we were sort of the 'Founding Fathers' of that book. We contributed to it, too. We want to make sure that this book only gets better until we reach that point."

Now that this book is wrapping up, I'm realizing exactly how she felt. I have recently been doing the same exact thing, randomly spitting out words of wisdom to whichever Junior will listen. It has gotten to the point where I have actually started to write down my words of advice to next year's Editor-in-Chief.

It started out as a few tips, random solutions to problems as I stumbled upon them. But the list has been growing. And growing. Now it's three pages long, and has 36 (rather lengthy) bits of advice. How to work better with your editors, strategies for getting pages in on time, strategies for getting your staff to work with you. I have the full document on my computer, and if you would like I can send it to you, or show you tomorrow (Friday) during research check. It does, however, have some personal stuff on it. Here's some previews:

9) For every recommendation you give, give at least one commendation. The more, the better.

15) After every deadline, check in with the other editors. Ask, “What could go better? What can you/I do to make this run more smoothly/make you feel more comfortable?”

17) Keep up the listography, or something like it. If there is only one thing you are organized about, this is it. Embrace your inner obsessive-compulsive here.

32) Seek inspiration. Have an inspiration folder. Encourage junior designers to have inspiration folders as well.

The other product I will be contributing, besides this advice, is the yearbook itself. The book improves every year, and I can say with confidence that this year is no exception.

I feel fulfilled in the knowledge that in twenty years, my classmates will consult the book I facilitated to take a trip down memory lane.

Blog #17: Fourth Interview Questions

1) What characteristics in design make an award-winning yearbook?

2) What characteristics in copy make an award-winning yearbook?

3) What characteristics in yearbook editors make an award-winning yearbook?

4) What are the best ways to improve photography in yearbook?

5) What are some ways I can get my staff more involved or excited about yearbook?

6) What are leadership qualities that are required to run a yearbook staff?

7) What are good design staff training activities?

8) What are good photo staff training activities?

9) How can I get my staff more comfortable with each other? What are good bonding activities for a staff?

10) What are qualities that are absolutely necessary for a good theme?

11) What exactly is the job of an Editor-in-Chief? How can I tell when I am doing too much or too little?

12) What are the biggest "weak spots" in otherwise functional yearbook staffs? What should I do to improve or avoid these weak spots?

13) Have you ever seen a strong staff absolutely tank? Why did it happen?

14) What do you think are the biggest "no-nos" in the yearbook world?

15) How do you best train potential future editors?

16) If your potential future editors seem weak, what are the best ways to train them?

17) What is your opinion on the maestro method?

18) Where do you turn for inspiration?

19) What should I do if I am losing sight of the theme?

20) Describe your favorite yearbook ever. What made it so great?

Blog #15: Independent Component 1

Log of hours.

Photographs: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Courtesy of William Lam, used with permission)

LITERAL

(a) I, Elissa Fultz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) What I have completed is the past 55 spreads of the book, (plus the cover and endsheets, which are essentially another two spreads). While this is the most tangible representation of what I have accomplished, it is also misleading - I did not actually complete these past 55 spreads myself. My staffers all did their work, the editors refined what the staffers brought in (on top of completing their own projects), and I -- well, I did not necessarily do specifically any of this, but I oversaw it. I have a hand in editing copy, taking and critiquing photos, and reviewing and contributing to design. What I mostly do, though, is make sure that all of the content is there, that the staffers are learning and happy (and are getting their earned grades), and that the editors can do their jobs (which sometimes requires me doing parts of their job alongside them). In that respect, I think I have been mostly successful.

INTERPRETIVE

What I have displayed as my evidence is only a sample of the pages we have churned out, and the pages themselves do not even entirely reflect the work that goes behind it. They are too two-dimensional for the work that goes into them to shine through. Having a hand in everything takes a lot of time. Overseeing things take a lot of time. Making lists (and keeping them updated) of things missing, incorrect, or incomplete takes time (especially when these lists span over 32 pages at a time). Managing 24 staffers inside and outside of class takes time. Grading the staffers takes time. Going over every last detail before submitting takes a LOT of time. I can't give you specific evidence for a lot of it (I do have my notes from in class and out of it, which I can bring into class, but I do not a working scanner at the moment). While all of these things seem rather simple, making sure all of this runs smoothly and perfectly sucks up an astonishing amount of time.

APPLIED

The experience is certainly what is helping me answer my EQ. Going through all of these spreads, critiquing them, comparing them to other books, getting feedback on them, discussing them with the writers and designers - all of that has been an incredible learning experience. Every day in yearbook, I improve on how I can run things, or write things, or design things in a way that will fit this specific book. I often take time on weekends and do nothing but think about our theme and all of the specific possibilities and facets. In the imagination, a book is a three-dimensional object. If you'd like, you can think of it as a person. It has many sides, many characteristics and qualities, and the ways of exploring those sides are infinite. Every time I think about this book, and every time I work on this book, and every time I discuss the specific elements of the book with other editors, I learn how to make the book better.

Blog #14: Presentation 2 Rough Draft

My essential question is: What is most important to producing a successful yearbook?

For my 20 Minute presentation, I am basically going to be teaching the class the basics of yearbook, and going a little into how all of the rules in yearbook are meant to be broken - but you have to know the rules, first.

The filled out template can be found here.

Blog #13: Answer 1

1.) What is answer 1 to your EQ? Be specific in your answer and write it like a thesis statement.

Consistency makes a successful yearbook - consistency in design, in copy, and even in photo.

2.) What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?

I think one of the biggest pieces of evidence I have is my current experience in yearbook. Last year, as design editor, I noticed that one of the most challenging things in making a yearbook is making sure everything looks the same. The captions all have to have the same format, bylines need to have the exact same tint, font size, and weight, and the spacing between pictures needs to be perfect. Things like that. Messing up any of the little things will be a glaring sign of unprofessionalism to other designers. As Editor-in-Chief this year, I've realized that consistency goes much farther than design. As the theme executor, I must make sure that the theme shows throughout the book.

This is harder than it sounds - a theme is conceptual, and certainly left to interpretation. There is no way that you can sit down and write a list of theme-related material and say, "These things make up our theme. We will stick within these boundaries, and so our theme will be perfect." Since the theme is an idea, and a broad idea at that, it is impossible to assign a list of characteristics to it. You really have to know your theme inside and out, and have an artistic vision for it.

That's where the consistency comes in. The voice must be consistent in every single aspect of the book. The tone of the writing, if it is short, snappy, and playful, must stay that way, but must also be varied to show all sides of the theme. The design must be solidified so that the book fits together visually, but also malleable enough that you aren't looking at the same thing over and over again. Even the photos must be consistent - every single year, you basically have to re-train the photographers to get full-body photos, or lots of peoples' profiles, or pictures with exactly two people in them, or especially long pictures, or no, wait, this year it's long-shots. All of these things contribute to the voice of a book, and that voice cannot waver. It must stay strong and steady. That is definitely the most challenging part of the yearbook so far, and certainly one of the most important aspects of a successful yearbook.

3.) What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?

Kazmierski, Crystal. "What makes theme copy work." School Yearbook Publisher - Walsworth Yearbooks. 1999. Walsworth Yearbooks. 09 Sept. 2011 . Personal experience

Blog #12: Service Learning

1.) Where are you working for your service learning?

I am currently working on the iPoly Globe yearbook for 2011-2012.

2.) Who is your service learning contact?

My service learning contact is Mimi Orth, who is our Herff Jones yearbook representative. I can provide contact information if it has not been received. She has worked with us for many years - certainly as long as I have been on staff - and has helped us grow to become the book we are today.

3.) Summarize the services you have performed to complete the 10 hour requirement

Whenever we get a visit from Mimi, all of the editors come together to look over all of our current spreads and critique them. We ask her whatever questions we need answered and generally improve on any content that we have. Afterwards, there is usually a time where Mimi and I, or Mimi, Strand, and I, can talk together to go over any extra questions we might have. I have also stopped by her house on a few occasions to check colors or clear up minor (but still worrying) issues.

4.) How many hours have you worked?

Mimi Orth has visited for approximately two hours on these days: 9/20, 10/14, 10/28, 11/10, 11/29, 12/9. For the less math-inclined, this comes out to ten hours.

Blog #11: Third Interview Questions

1.) What is the most important component in an award-winning yearbook?

2.) What is the most difficult thing to accomplish in a yearbook?

3.) What sets apart award-winning staffs from regular staffs?

4.) What qualities do you think make a good editor?

5.) What is the best way to strengthen a yearbook's theme?

6.) What are the most common problems yearbook staffs face? How can staffs overcome these problems?

7.) What makes a good designer/photographer/writer?

8.) How can we improve yearbook design/photography/copy (depending on the interviewee's specialty)?

9.) How can I, as an EiC, get the staff more involved?

10.) What are the most striking books/themes you have come across in your yearbook career? What made them stand out?

11.) What role should the EiC play, exactly?

12.) What are common EiC mistakes?

13.) It has been mentioned to me by several people that the most difficult part of becoming an EiC is learning to leave your old editorship behind. Can you verify this? How do you suggest that EiCs get past this?

14.) What are group bonding activities that you suggest staffs do together?

15.) Is there anything you would like to add? (Standard interview ending question).