1st Place, Academics Spread
2021-22, Division 2, Yearbook Visual
By Elke Schrenk, Somer Sodeman & Jenna Benbraham
Ceniad
East Lansing HS
Y-10. Academics Spread
One spread predominantly featuring coverage of academics. Academics coverage commonly depicts students in a learning situation either in or out of class.
Judging Criteria
- Designed as two-page visual unit, arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto spread and show careful planning
- Dominance is established and other elements are arranged in such a way as to lead reader’s eye around spread
- Adequate external margins provide frame for spread contents and are defined by at least one element on each side
- Photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape and content
- Content concentrates on a variety of action photos of students engaged in learning, not on teachers. Posed photos and photos of students seated at desks are avoided
- Center of interest in photo(s) is not trapped in gutter; action and faces in photos do not face off spread
- Non-rectangular photos, tilted photos and other special treatments are used sparingly and effectively to enhance overall design
- Graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design
- Primary/secondary headline combinations have contemporary design and establishes a visual/verbal connection between photos and copy
- Type sizes for primary/secondary headline combinations are appropriate for the design; the primary headline should appear in the largest type size on the spread
- Copy and captions are readable size and use readable font
- Captions should touch photos to which they refer. Group or clustered captions are permitted, but attention has been paid to making them easily accessible to reader
- While designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines
- On spreads that include multiple sidebars/mods, a clear hierarchy has been established
- A horizontal eyeline has been established