Unity in
Diversity
Transforming a high school yearbook into an award-winning, student-centered visual narrative
Timeline
Sep 2022 - Jun 2023
Role
Editor-In-Chief
Tools & Services
Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, ProCreate
Notable achievement:
British Columbia Regional Yearbook Cover Design Award
Project Background
When I first moved to Canada, an unexpected opportunity emerged: becoming Editor-in-Chief of my high school’s yearbook committee. With a team of 20, I led the creation of a 160-page yearbook that told the authentic story of our student body.
My goal was to shift the focus from a teacher-driven layout to one that truly reflected the vibrancy and diversity of our school.
Phase 1: Research & Ideation
I began by analyzing past yearbooks and quickly noticed a gap — they lacked student voices. To address this, I led user interviews and surveys with students and faculty to uncover the perspectives that mattered most. I synthesized these insights into an accessible, cohesive design guideline, ensuring the yearbook spoke for the entire student body.
The Chosen Concept
Bullet journal as a metaphor
To represent a school year marked by post-pandemic renewal, I adopted a bullet journal/scrapbook aesthetic — a visual style that symbolizes individuality and unity.
Why a bullet journal?
1.
Bullet journals are modular by nature — each page can feel different while still belonging to a larger system.
2.
They metaphorically represent students’ evolving experiences: layers of tape, ripped paper, sketches, notes, and photos mirror the growth, mistakes, and triumphs that make up a school year. It’s a format that embraces imperfection, iteration, and a hand-crafted personality.
3.
The style is highly personal, making it ideal for celebrating the diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives that define the school’s focus on an outstanding global education.
Visual systems
To emulate a scrapbook’s feel, I leaned into analog-inspired textures and shapes:
Polaroid-style frames for student/teacher portraits
Hexagon photo crops for Clubs and Councils – adding movement and pattern
Ripped paper edges, tape elements, and Post-it notes for a hand-touched look
Line drawings custom-matched to each section (e.g., sports doodles for Athletics
Stickers & Washi tape motifs as recurring decorative flourishes
Each section was assigned a distinct monochrome palette—built from one main color, along with lighter and darker shades for contrast and visual depth. When the yearbook is viewed from the side, these color-coded sections create a subtle rainbow effect, acting like a built-in set of bookmarks that guide the reader through the chapters.
Cover design experimentations
How a reset can be a breakthrough
I started with a simple image in my head: flat streaks of color slipping into our old brick schoolhouse, then blooming into wild gradients—an image of how students funnel through one doorway and explode into a cosmos of talents under one roof. My first draft looked neat on screen, but after a critique session with my advisor and art teacher, I tossed the whole thing and rebuilt from a blank canvas.
Starting over let the colours breathe, the brick texture shine, and the “Unity in Diversity” theme resonate with genuine heart. That reset paid off: the finished cover captured a provincial yearbook design award, rising above entries from more than 500 high schools across the region.
The Yearbook
From colorful stickers and washi tapes, the look can be as simple or as complex as one desires. With our backgrounds, our strengths, and our passion, we make up the different elements of the bullet journal of our own, achieving unity in diversity. We harmonize to help each other maximize our potential and to build the most precious experiences and memories
A Living Design System
The bullet-journal framework I built was far more than an aesthetic choice—it was a strategic system that used color, layout, and iconography to guide readers through 160 pages without ever feeling lost. In tying each visual rule to a student-driven story, the yearbook became a platform for expression and collective memory, not just a polished artifact. That experience reframed design for me: success isn’t only how something looks, but how it feels, flows, and ultimately empowers the voices it’s meant to serve—a lesson I carry into every product I create today.
Leading Through Ambiguity
As Editor-in-Chief, I led a 20-person team across writing, design, and production, often without precedent or structure. I learned to define problems, delegate creatively, and build trust within a team of mixed experience levels. Turning vague ideas into concrete visual systems taught me how to lead with clarity, empathy, and adaptability.
Human-Centered Design - Before I Knew It
Though I hadn’t yet formally studied UX principles at this point in time, I unknowingly applied design thinking: conducting user research, iterating on feedback, and balancing aesthetics with usability. By designing for an audience I deeply understood — students navigating identity, growth, and community - I created a visual experience that resonated with our audience profoundly.
