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.