Yearbook themes that are really terrific will thrill your peers when they receive their yearbooks, and will be remembered fondly for years to come. At the beginning of the school year, it is customary to choose a theme for the yearbook that will be used throughout the year.
A yearbook staff is traditionally composed of aspiring writers, journalists, photographers, and graphic artists, so these meetings can be a creative haven for the aspiring writers, journalists, photographers, and graphic artists.
Make sure you have an idea of what you would like the ideal yearbook to look like before you start.
20 Cool Ideas for Yearbook Themes
Here are some great ideas for yearbook themes that you can use to get creative. As you can see, the suggestions below are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you can accomplish when you want to create a truly original yearbook.
The best themes for yearbooks are always inclusive, and that is one of the most important things to keep in mind. There should never be a specific group in mind when creating it.
At the end of the day, you want to create a memory book that will be enjoyed by the entire class as a whole.
A Matter of Time
In a high school yearbook, the concept of time is always going to be relevant and versatile, making it a highly relevant theme. On the pages of your book, you may choose to place different images, photographs, and drawings showing how you keep time throughout the course of the book.
Each section can even be represented using a different method depending on the type of information you are presenting. An hourglass may depict the senior class, for example, whereas a wake-up alarm screen may be more appropriate for the first-year students, who may be represented by a clock.
Throughout the book, choose a pretty font to use when placing quotes about time, or lyrics from songs that refer to time throughout.
The best time-centered theme for a yearbook would not be complete without a reference to high school being the most wonderful time of one’s life (at least so far!).
Pop Culture Passion
I believe there is a reason why those birthday cards and videos that show the year you were born are so popular to play at birthday celebrations. There are a lot of people who enjoy exploring pop culture connected to a certain place and time in their lives that is significant to them, such as the year they graduated high school or when they lived in a certain city.
Teenagers will enjoy seeing references to things that were popular during their high school years in the articles that they are sure to enjoy. The pop culture references they are making now will be even more meaningful and nostalgic for them years from now when they look back on them.
There should be a list of movies, music, television, and current events throughout the yearbook that is similar to the layout of TikTok, Instagram, or any other popular social media websites and also reflect a similar layout to TikTok, Instagram, or any other popular social media website.
Make sure that you keep the focus of your article on aspects of pop culture that relate specifically to teens.
Superhero Celebration
As a pop culture reference, superheroes are a subject to which high school students can relate to a great deal. Think about adopting this theme and highlighting the fact that the students are the superheroes of the high school experience as part of the theme.
In order to showcase photos of students and their amazing accomplishments, you may wish to use a comic strip style layout.
From pictures that show the superheroes who bring school plays to life (whether on stage or behind the scenes), to those who serve as class officers, participate in service projects, tutor younger students, and more, there are plenty of ways to illustrate how students contribute to the betterment of the school and the world around them.
You can incorporate the pop culture element into your essay by quoting a few lines from comic books or superhero movies to give it a pop culture feel.
In order to find out which famous superheroes mean the most to the students, it would be a good idea to conduct a survey and publish the results.
Emoji Expressions
The emoji is a great way to have one of the hippest themes for your yearbook if you are looking for one of the hottest themes ever. It should be noted that high school students have used emojis as part of their communication their entire lives, so you and your classmates are uniquely qualified to use these expressive icons to tell the story of the school year.
As an alternative to asking each student to include their favorite quote or saying in their class photo, you could ask the students to choose (or create) an emoji that is the best representation of their feelings about the current academic year and place it beside their photo.
To make pages that feature photos of student life more appealing, you can add creative emoji backgrounds, frames, or watermarks to create a visually appealing design. It is even possible to have an emoji artwork contest in which students design emojis that sum up the overall school year using the emojis the class has chosen.
All students should be given the opportunity to vote for the photo that they feel most closely represents their experience that year, and then that photo will be used as part of the yearbook cover.
Resilience Rules
A school year can be filled with challenges and opportunities for teens, including situations that require them to demonstrate just how resilient they are individually and collectively, as a generation, as well as just how resilient they can be as a young adult.
Despite the individual differences and the unique identities that exist among the members of the student body, resilience is a trait that many members of the student body likely share regardless of their differences as individuals.
Throughout the school year, students demonstrated resilience in a variety of ways. In order to highlight examples of never-give-up behavior displayed by the students, recognize the various ways they persevered and rose above challenges.
We encourage students to submit photos illustrating the ways they have helped with localized challenges, such as cleaning up after an extreme weather event or assisting with other community concerns, which show the various ways they have pitched in to help.
The yearbook should contain quotes about resilience and tips on how to build resilience throughout the year.
Make Your Mark
The theme of this yearbook illustrates the importance of making your mark on the world by encouraging students to keep doing great things. We would like to focus on some of the incredible things students are doing right now to leave a lasting legacy at their school and in their community.
In order to demonstrate the class legacy, highlight that year’s senior class project as a concrete example of a class legacy. Use a word cloud as an inspiration to highlight on the cover of the yearbook or on one of the first pages of the book what it means to students to be able to leave their mark on the world.
Have them brainstorm words that capture what it means to be able to leave their mark on the world. We would like to highlight a few notable alumni who made their mark when they were students and continue to do great things that reflect well on the institution when they are no longer students.
I would encourage students to come up with a quote that relates to making their mark that they would like to place under their individual class photo in the yearbook. In the future, students will be able to compare what they wanted to accomplish in high school with what they have accomplished.
True Colors
The following theme is one that you can really have fun with, due to the obvious symbolism that “true colors” are the essence of who your peers are, the very essence of what makes them who they are. Your school colors can be weaved throughout the yearbook using this theme, allowing them to stand out from the rest of the book.
Stage photographs and take natural photographs throughout the school year that depict students wearing school colors with pride at events that are organized by the school. If your yearbook provider allows you to alternate the background pages in the school colors, then you may be able to do so.
In order to make sure that the theme is really driven home. It would be a great idea to include a couple of quotes or sayings that illustrate how the true colors of the individual and the class as a whole can shine together when their true colors are brought out.
Choices and Crossroads
We are celebrating the endless possibilities of teenage life with a cool yearbook theme that accentuates the many crossroads teens face during their time in high school. The theme of the book should be brought to life in a creative way within the book.
For example, you could narrow in on “the road less traveled” in order to make a reference to the Robert Frost poem and tie in the symbolism of individuality to it.
Another option is to keep it as general as possible and choose art that depicts various types of crossroads coupled with visual representations of the types of choices teens face, or to choose a more general approach and choose art that depicts various types of crossroads as well.
You need to make sure that you emphasize the message that the future is wide open for you to take any path you choose.
We Go Together
There is no doubt that We Go Together is one of the most influential songs in the ultimate teen musical about high school, Grease. In addition, I think that it would be a great theme for a yearbook. Create a yearbook that dispels myths and teen stereotypes about what it means to be a teen by showing photos of friends who have vastly different interests from one another.
The purpose of this project is to interview students on the subject of togetherness and inclusion and publish snippets of what they have to say about it. The lyrics of songs that promote togetherness and acceptance should be highlighted.
It would be great if you re-created the final scene from Grease with a photo of the senior class walking together in arm-in-arm, and also published photos that show the band members, cheerleaders, academic champions, and athletes all hanging out together in the same environment.
Heroes Among Us
In an uplifting yearbook theme, Heroism is a fitting choice since it brings attention to those who are making the world a better place and those who have overcome incredible odds in order to achieve good things in their lives.
Students can participate in an interview with heroes such as those who volunteer in the community, those who have faced illness, and those who have overcome obstacles so that they are able to be on sports teams or achieve academic standings.
It is important to recognize teachers who are heroes to their students, and to include words of wisdom from heroes teens admire, as well as quotes from movies and songs about heroes.
In order to motivate teens to follow in the footsteps of local adults who are role models and heroes, think about highlighting them.
Keeping It Real
This theme satirizes the concept of competitive reality shows, which is ripe for spoofing, and it does exactly that in this episode. Consider making the yearbook seem like a reality show in which each student is the star of his or her own segment.
It is important to keep it classy, however, and do not pay homage to shows that could be interpreted as making fun of cliques or individuals with certain characteristics that are unique to them.
It can be very easy to incorporate references from shows like The Masked Singer, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and The Voice into the yearbook because these shows parallel events that teens experience throughout their high school years, such as the prom, prom dance, and graduation.
It is important to make sure that the yearbook emphasizes reality shows that are particularly popular at the moment during the current school year in order to keep the publication current.
In terms of choosing quotes to include in your yearbook, you may want to avoid those without a lot of substance, but you can include inspirational ones throughout the book.
Dancing Through Life
Not everybody’s a dancer, but dancing through life is a metaphor all teens can relate to in some way. This yearbook theme allows you to bring a focus to the different dances your school has throughout the year, so you’ll want to include photos from those events.
Art and images of dance can be combined with messages of making the most out of life to create inspirational messages for teens. Consider placing snippets of song lyrics that deal with dance from widely recognized tunes like I Hope You Dance, Life’s a Dance, and Dance My Pain Away.
Through the Years
We would like to celebrate the beauty that has developed over time as well as the individual awesomeness of each of the years that comprise Through the Years. Include past pictures from elementary or middle school events like back-to-school parties alongside current photos to add a touch of nostalgia to this theme by including pictures from each year of the students’ lives.
In order to give your report a more comprehensive feel, you should include photographs that represent each decade your school has been in operation. In order to gain a better understanding of the present and the future, it is helpful to look back into the past.
Make sure to include important details about the past 18 years of the senior class’s lives throughout the yearbook as well, so the yearbook is a testament to their lives. You can play up nostalgia, too, if you wish, with cute art that evokes memories of the past and pays homage to decades gone by.
In terms of this theme, there are a lot of options that you can choose from. If you want to avoid going in too many directions at the same time, you need to keep your focus on the points you wish to make.
Life Happens In Moments
With this upbeat theme, you can wax poetic about the big and small moments that have made the past school year so very special for you, as well as the people around you. Not only will you be able to focus on the big events which happened throughout the school year, but you will also be able to dedicate a few pages to the memories you have of your high school years.
It is important to highlight the moments that might otherwise be overlooked. It is right to include the moment when the homecoming queen is crowned in all its anticipated glory, but you also want to give the underdogs the opportunity to shine in the school’s annual event.
As you ask teens what they think are the most exciting things that have happened in their lives, you will be able to capture exciting moments throughout their lives in all kinds of ways. It would be helpful if you could include photos from events within and outside the school if possible.
Include content that focuses on living in the moment as a focus for the text and weave the text around making every moment count.
Moments That Matter
Instead of focusing on moments from traditional school events or the joy of living in the moment, choose a theme that enables students to curate a collection of memorable moments from during the school year, instead of focusing on moments from traditional school events.
In order to choose this theme, you should encourage students to nominate key events that represent noteworthy moments that took place during the school year that they feel represent the essence of the theme.
Make a list of categories to help students brainstorm ideas for what to submit for awards, such as the most newsworthy event, the most unexpected moment, the most surprising announcement, etc. It is important to allow general nominations that do not belong to any specific category, in order to encourage the maximum amount of creativity.
Encourage the students to vote for their top choices to be featured in the yearbook after the nomination deadline has passed. It is possible to recreate some of the selected moments for photo opportunities by recreating some of them.
It would be a good idea to include a few blank text boxes with lines for students to write in so that they have some places to display things that are particularly meaningful to them in their copy.
Kidding Around
As high school can be a very serious time in a student’s life, having a yearbook that is humorous can really delight students. It should be kept in mind that a yearbook with this type of theme is specifically designed for students to have a good time in good taste and with good intentions.
Include cartoons or doodle images throughout the annual to keep the lighthearted feel of this theme apparent from the first glance at the cover of the book until the end. There are two ways to display comedy art in the book:
You can either focus on a single type of humor art throughout the book, or you can mix things up a bit with a variety of cartoons and line drawings drawn by creative students throughout the book.
Make sure that jokes are placed at specific places in the yearbook and that photographs are included that show students laughing and having a good time. There should be no mean-spirited humor or adult humor included in the submissions.
You should keep your focus on school-related humor that is appropriate for teens.
Express Yourself
In order to bring back the focus on the individuals who receive the yearbook, an emphasis should be put on self-expression throughout the entire thing. The purpose of this event is essentially to celebrate the individual student. This is a celebration of the ways in which students march to the beat of their own drum with drumming images and references.
Make sure that all students are equally represented in the school photographs throughout the book, and that everyone can find themselves among the pages, so that everyone can be able to recognize themselves.
It is advisable to include an index at the back of the yearbook to make it easier for the yearbook committee to keep track of the frequency with which each student appears in the yearbook, which is an important feature for the yearbook committee.
You might want to provide journaling prompts throughout the book so that students will be encouraged to personalize their own yearbook beyond just asking their friends to sign it.
Playing to Win
Playing video games is one of the things that many teenagers can’t get enough of when it comes to their hobbies. It would be a great idea to use this theme for a playful yearbook that pays homage to the video games that are popular this year. Taking this metaphor further, you can also take it in the direction of playing to win in life in a metaphorical sense.
What makes striking out in a video game so different from missing a question on a test and missing a point in a video game? I mean, aside from the fact that one can have an impact on your grade as well as have an impact on other aspects of your life.
By taking inspiration from the images and screens of popular video games, the layout can be made to reflect these images and screens. The class may even want to vote on which video games should be included in the yearbook by having members of the class vote on them.
Use video game terminology throughout the text when drawing on the metaphor of playing a game and battling your way through the teen years, in order to give the reader a sense of what is going on.
Seasons of Change
In the same way, the changing seasons are a great metaphor for the many changes that teenagers go through, from the freshmen year to the senior year when they are in charge of the school. In order to separate the seasons, you can use gorgeous colors that contrast greatly with one another.
There are sections for summer, autumn, winter, and spring, as well as photographs that coincide with each season that chronicle the actual journey through each season at school. As teens go through the various stages of high school, it is also possible to metaphorically capture the many changes they go through.
A poem or a quote about change may be included for each season, or you may choose to include one for each season. Encouragement should be conveyed in the tone of the message. In spite of the fact that change can be scary, it can also be very exciting at the same time.
Ready for Your Big Screen Close-Up
Make sure you choose a yearbook that is themed around a movie to really make students smile. Since a majority of teenagers enjoy watching movies, it makes sense that they would want to have a theme for their yearbook related to movies.
It is possible to capture individual portraits on the red carpet or take a class photograph in a movie theater to capture the picture throughout the book to fit with a movie theme. There are a lot of ways to incorporate a movie theme into your pictures.
You may choose to break up sections in your yearbook to pay homage to iconic teen movies and/or select a cover design that resembles the look and feel of famous movie posters in order to make the yearbook stand out.
During the interview process, ask the students what their favorite movies are, and include inspirational, humorous, and age-appropriate movie quotes. Create scrapbook-like sections in the yearbook where teens can place movie memorabilia or write a list of favorite flicks that they watched during the school year.
This will allow them to keep track of their favorite movies.
Tips for Developing Your High School Yearbook Theme Ideas
You should explore a variety of high school yearbook themes and ideas before making your final decision about which one to choose. Creating unique yearbook themes and selecting one is just the beginning of this fun, ambitious project that begins with brainstorming for ideas.
There will be a staff of students and it will take a year for this important keepsake book to be crafted and perfected. Consider the following tips as you develop your ideas and keep them in mind as you do so.
- It is important to always give proper credit for the ideas that are ultimately chosen to the person (or people) who suggested them. This means openly thanking them in meetings and making a point to place a note of appreciation next to their name in the yearbook.
- Don’t be afraid to ask non-yearbook staff members for their input on the yearbook. It is possible to come up with excellent yearbook theme ideas from anywhere and from anyone, even from your class motto. It can be that a simple theme can be turned into a complex and enjoyable masterpiece with the help of creative feedback from students who have fresh eyes.
- In choosing a theme, it is important to keep in mind that it should remain timeless over time. It is common for people to keep their yearbooks for the rest of their lives. In addition, while it is true that pop culture ideas can work wonders, you should also select a theme that won’t make you cringe at your ten-year reunion if it happens.
- Consider classic styles that are reflective of your school’s unique personality, instead of relying too heavily on trends that may not last as long as you would like. I think it is important for your yearbook to be a scrapbook of memories instead of a moment frozen in time in an awkward manner.
- Once you have chosen a fantastic theme for your event, then the real fun is about to begin. If you take into consideration all of the opinions and suggestions of those who have contributed to its creation, then you will ensure that the year will be filled with creativity, fun, and unforgettable memories.
Have Fun With Your Yearbook Theme
While it is true that when you are crafting the right sort of yearbook, you do have a great deal of responsibility to your entire student body, it is also important to remember that the reason you are part of the yearbook staff cannot be solely attributed to your stress over deadlines.
Having fun brainstorming creative yearbook themes to consider is a great way to start, and once the theme has been chosen, you need to find ways to make the theme come to life once you have decided upon it. Throughout the entire process, keep a sense of fun in your heart and remember to enjoy the journey as much as possible.
The next step is to find some inspiring journal prompts for high school students.