how do you pick an award winning theme?
Step 1: Have everyone bring theme ideas to class.
Have everyone bring around 10ish theme ideas to class for the following year. Make sure to teach the staff the difference between good and bad themes before this though. Make sure they know not to bring anything that could be seen as cliché, or can be misinterpreted, or may have copyright issues. Also ensure that they understand the idea of the 4 year cycle. No theme WHATSOEVER should ever be repeated in a 4 year cycle. It is important to make sure that even though a theme may have a different name, it does not resemble a past theme or idea.
Step 2: Go through the ideas.
Have everyone put the desks into a circle and have everyone compile their lists into a Google doc. Once everyone is looking at the doc, go through it as a group and talk about each one and if you like it or not. Also look at them from the lens of past themes and clichés. Make sure that people know that if their theme is not chosen, it is not the end of the world and certainty not a personal attack. Make people talk about why they thought that their theme would be a good idea for the next year. When you are going through the themes and want to delete one, make sure you cross through it and don't actually delete it in case you seem to come back to that idea.
Step 3: What will the school be like next year?
Have everyone attempt to write an opening copy for how they feel the school will be next year. Or they can write down noticeable changes or things that will make that school year distinct. Give everyone around 5 minutes to do this. Then go around the circle and share with everyone what people wrote down. After this, you can talk about what ideas repeated themselves and what seemed like it stood out to all of you. From this, look at the list of types of books and decide which one, or multiple, will fit your school the best for the next year.
Step 4: Go back through the ideas.
Pull up the list on Google docs that you had before and sort through the themes again with the lens that you talked about in the previous step. If something will not work cross it off, and if you like an idea but not the wording make a not of that as well.
Step 5: Mock it to Rock it.
This project is a way to have people try and come up with a design for a theme. Have them choose one of the themes that you guys narrowed it down to, probably around 10 or 15 in the end, and do the project. (it is under the documents tab).
Step 6: Present and discuss.
Set a deadline for the project and have them present the ideas and why they decided to use certain design elements and why they chose the theme that they did. If nothing comes of the presentations, at least you know which ones do not work or what design elements you do not like.
Step 7: Once you have a theme idea that you somewhat like (aka something that you could write an opening for but not something that you are married to), you can start working on the verbal element. Go through magazines or online and search for headlines or ad taglines that have the same feeling as your theme. Make note of what visuals and texts these are presented with. Come up with a verbal that you are happy with (does not have to be only a few words, it can be a longer statement with a few words as the main focus) and then try to find a visual. The verbal visual elements have to work together, if your verbal is bold, your visual cannot be bland or lacking. Make sure they work together and once you are happy with it you can further the design elements that you want to use.
Have everyone bring around 10ish theme ideas to class for the following year. Make sure to teach the staff the difference between good and bad themes before this though. Make sure they know not to bring anything that could be seen as cliché, or can be misinterpreted, or may have copyright issues. Also ensure that they understand the idea of the 4 year cycle. No theme WHATSOEVER should ever be repeated in a 4 year cycle. It is important to make sure that even though a theme may have a different name, it does not resemble a past theme or idea.
Step 2: Go through the ideas.
Have everyone put the desks into a circle and have everyone compile their lists into a Google doc. Once everyone is looking at the doc, go through it as a group and talk about each one and if you like it or not. Also look at them from the lens of past themes and clichés. Make sure that people know that if their theme is not chosen, it is not the end of the world and certainty not a personal attack. Make people talk about why they thought that their theme would be a good idea for the next year. When you are going through the themes and want to delete one, make sure you cross through it and don't actually delete it in case you seem to come back to that idea.
Step 3: What will the school be like next year?
Have everyone attempt to write an opening copy for how they feel the school will be next year. Or they can write down noticeable changes or things that will make that school year distinct. Give everyone around 5 minutes to do this. Then go around the circle and share with everyone what people wrote down. After this, you can talk about what ideas repeated themselves and what seemed like it stood out to all of you. From this, look at the list of types of books and decide which one, or multiple, will fit your school the best for the next year.
Step 4: Go back through the ideas.
Pull up the list on Google docs that you had before and sort through the themes again with the lens that you talked about in the previous step. If something will not work cross it off, and if you like an idea but not the wording make a not of that as well.
Step 5: Mock it to Rock it.
This project is a way to have people try and come up with a design for a theme. Have them choose one of the themes that you guys narrowed it down to, probably around 10 or 15 in the end, and do the project. (it is under the documents tab).
Step 6: Present and discuss.
Set a deadline for the project and have them present the ideas and why they decided to use certain design elements and why they chose the theme that they did. If nothing comes of the presentations, at least you know which ones do not work or what design elements you do not like.
Step 7: Once you have a theme idea that you somewhat like (aka something that you could write an opening for but not something that you are married to), you can start working on the verbal element. Go through magazines or online and search for headlines or ad taglines that have the same feeling as your theme. Make note of what visuals and texts these are presented with. Come up with a verbal that you are happy with (does not have to be only a few words, it can be a longer statement with a few words as the main focus) and then try to find a visual. The verbal visual elements have to work together, if your verbal is bold, your visual cannot be bland or lacking. Make sure they work together and once you are happy with it you can further the design elements that you want to use.