4 Storytelling yearbook themes

A yearbook theme isn’t just layout, graphics, fonts, and a color palette. It’s about storytelling. A developed theme goes beyond the visual, guides your coverage decisions, and sets the tone for the book. 

Treering’s design team listened to many schools’ stories during their spring focus groups. The first wave of themes reflected the visual package most schools wanted. This second one expands to add the verbal.

‍For the Record

Exploring decades from the 1950s to the 1990s, “For the Record” taps into nostalgia. With a two-page style guide of decade-specific graphics, colors, and fonts, yearbook teams can create their own “greatest hits” of the school year. 

Adding storytelling elements such as student-created playlists or superlatives presented as album covers will make your memories feel like an anthology.

Additionally, the focus groups of middle and high school advisers asked for less busy backgrounds and more texture. Usually, people would balk at "just" two backgrounds. However, having these consistent threads is why each section works as part of the whole.

Focus group participants also wanted layouts that emphasized hierarchy and had room for captions and copy. The design team gave yearbook teams this plus flexible options within this theme. They can

• Differentiate sections of the book by decades
• Use one decade to create their own throwback look

Top Secret

The declassified look at the school year is one of the most powerful storytelling mechanisms: 

• Showcase hidden gems on campus
• Use photographic clues on divider pages to make small things part of something bigger
• Deconstruct campus happenings with “mission report” sidebars

This theme builds on collage-style design elements—stamps, photo frames, textured backgrounds—but updates the look with a contemporary aesthetic. It draws from the mission vibe while keeping the layouts approachable and fun. And it works for any level of school:

• Elementary school: use playful stamps, oversized labels, and bright textures to highlight classroom memories and fun facts
• Middle school: lean into detective-style layouts such as “case file” spreads on clubs and activities
• High school: take a sleeker approach with dark backgrounds, sharp typography, and subtle textures that nod to spy dossiers without feeling gimmicky

Students will feel like they are all in on the secret together.

(Yes, this theme inspired our team: we applied some of the elements to National School Yearbook Week 2025’s programming.)

Dream Bigger and Leaving an Impression

Another focus group finding is the appeal of art styles as visual themes. The design team introduced “Gallery” in the first wave, followed by two artistic takes, “Dream Bigger” and “Leaving an Impression.”

The powers that be at Pantone called out neutrals and soft naturals for the Color of the Year 2025. The “Dream Bigger” theme leans into this popularity, offering soft washes of color and flowing shapes that stand in contrast to the textured, thicker brushstrokes of Impressionist paint used in “Leaving an Impression.” 

Whereas “Dream Bigger” is ethereal and reflective, “Leaving an Impression” is bold and dynamic. It’s a theme designed with flexibility in mind, especially for K-12 schools. 

For younger grades, it offers high-collage layouts that make it easy to include as many students as possible while keeping the design polished. For upper grades, it supports modular design, which means layouts can be broken into smaller, contained units of coverage. With modular design, every spread can tell multiple stories at once, building a richer picture of school life.

Both of these artistic themes make the perfect canvas for seeing how this year is part of a larger journey.

Student stories and voices matter. Your yearbook theme should provide a lens through which your readers can examine them. Treering can help with a collection of over 200 pre-designed themes.

‍