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.