BHG’s Tony Valdez and Brittany Laughlin with SAS students
Shown left to right: Melanie Ourhaan, Andrés Williams, and Brighton Sandt
BHG began Tuesday by welcoming the yearbook class from Saint Andrew’s School. Led by their professor and the chair of St. Andrew’s Fine Arts Department, Richie Cook, the students participated in some fun and creative exercises to help expand their knowledge on graphic design and page layout prior to laying out their school’s annual, The Claymore.
We started the afternoon by giving the students a tour of our workspace and the field of graphic design. We presented the fundamental principles of design, and focused the discussion on how they can effectively use these tools in the yearbook. We looked at the importance of the grid and learned how to build strong color palettes and spatial relationships. We also considered how contrast and balance create interesting and harmonious page layouts. The students then got to test their eye with a fun, interactive quiz that helped them to identify the good solutions from the not-so-good ones.
Left: Mr. Cook and Andrés working on their grids
The goal was not to decide these elements for the students, but to demonstrate how these initial decisions make the process more efficient and the book more uniform. We passed out the guides and preached on the importance of developing styles. With all of their new design expertise, we then cut them loose to create sample page layouts based on the sections that Mr. Cook had assigned to them.
As suspected, they totally rocked it—using shape, alignment, and color they created some pretty cool concepts and had plenty of info to share with their volunteers. We really enjoyed their visit and sent them off with custom sketchpads in which to design The Claymore. We’re really excited we got the opportunity to hang out with such a great group and we can’t wait to see their finished book!
Left: Tony and Melanie flexing a little creative muscle / Right: Brighton, using Josten’s layout software like a boss
Left: A customized SAS sketchpad and stylesheet, courtesy of BHG / Right: Andrés and Brittany, designing their socks off
St. Andrew’s, an independent college preparatory school dedicated to personalized student development, strives to develop engaged, well-rounded individuals by inspiring a passion for knowledge, a commitment to personal integrity and a deepened social consciousness within a supportive educational community.
For more information on St. Andrew’s School, please click here.