Project Brief
The goal for the 2025–2026 Valley Christian High School yearbook cover was to express a clear sense of belonging and to remind students and faculty that they have a place at Valley. I chose a postcard concept, framing the entire book as a mailed message from the school to everyone on campus that says, “You belong here.”
As a “more is more” designer, I focused on detailed, layered elements that highlight the character and identity of the school. The cover features the front of campus and the Cross to ground the design in our shared faith and community.
The word “Here” is filled with photos representing different parts of student life, such as athletics, music, arts, and academics. This visually communicates that every area of campus is important and that each student contributes to the Valley story.
Overall, the cover combines symbolism, school identity, and personal design style to create a welcoming message sent directly to the VCHS community.
Print Design • Visual Identity • Editorial Design
Cover Mockup 1 - Front & Back
Page Layout Mockup 1 - Student Life
Cover Mockup 2 - Front & Back
Page Layout Mockup 2 - JV Sports
The 2025–2026 yearbook was built around the theme “You Belong Here,” designed to remind students and faculty that they each have a place at Valley. I used a postcard concept for the overall direction, treating the book as a mailed message from the school that reinforces this sense of belonging.
The cover features the front of campus, the Cross, and the word “Here” filled with student life photos to represent the many communities within Valley. This approach combined symbolic imagery with detailed, layered design elements to reflect the school’s identity.
For the page layouts, the concept centered on making each spread feel like a message sent to the reader. I continued the postcard theme by framing interview photos with postage stamp borders and using modular layouts that organized content clearly while guiding the viewer’s eye. These modules helped visually separate interviews, captions, and photography, creating structure while supporting the mailed-message idea.
Final Digital Exports
Cover Final Digital Export
Student Life Page Layout - Final Digital Export
Academics Page Layout - Final Digital Export
Varsity Sports Page Layout - Final Digital Export
JV Sports Page Layout - Final Digital Export
Cover Process Work
Throughout the design process for the yearbook cover, I experimented with different placements of the main “Here” text. I ultimately positioned it lower on the cover to highlight the Cross on the front of the school, which reflects the Christian foundation of Valley Christian. I also tried a version that used the school colors, maroon and gold, but the colors felt forced and did not flow well with the postcard concept or the tones within the photos inside the “Here” text.
On the back of the book, I continued to refine the placement of the postcard element that includes the school address and the secondary school logo, making sure it supported the overall mailed-from-Valley direction of the yearbook.
Cover Draft 1
Cover Draft 3
Cover Draft 4
Cover Draft 8 - Placement Test
Page Layout Process Work
I began the layout process with sketches on grid paper to plan spacing, modules, and page structure before moving into digital design. These early drafts helped visualize how interviews, captions, and photos would be arranged.
Once the pages were assembled digitally, the layouts continued to change based on the content and what each spread needed. Certain sections, such as the “History Rewritten” module that highlighted a new school record, were redesigned to better support the story being featured.
During the theme development meeting, I contributed to the theme board and took notes on how the “You Belong Here” concept could be communicated visually. These early decisions shaped the postcard elements, stamp details, and modular structure used throughout the final layouts.
This process allowed each page to be intentional, flexible, and aligned with the overall theme.
Academic Page Layout Sketch
Varsity Sports Page Layout Sketch
Coach Note Page Module Sketch & Brainstorm
Book Theme Board