Date
April 2026
Client
Guidance and Counseling class of 2025/2026 (University of Lagos)
Role Played
Lead Layout Editor
Project Type
Volunteer
Timeline
November 2025
-
April 2026
Project Category
Educational Design
Print Design
Publication Design
Intro
In November 2025, my class decided to create a yearbook – something no previous cohort had done. As the lead designer, I took full responsibility: cover design, layout, image collection, upscaling, and print preparation. Over five months, I faced ongoing production and technical limitations, low‑resolution photos from WhatsApp, and the challenge of coordinating editorial information for over 70 graduating students. Using Affinity Publisher for layout, Photoshop for cover design, and AI image upscaling for 40+ low-resolution images, I delivered a print‑ready PDF. The yearbook includes: front/back cover, school and national anthems, history of the department, school leadership, class cards (with quotes and social details), memory collages from Year 1–4 (field work, teaching practice, practicum), "Most likely to" awards, and acknowledgments. The final publication became a professionally structured archival keepsake for the graduating class.
Project Overview
The Legacy Yearbook is a 70+ page publication for the Guidance and Counseling graduating class of 2025/2026 at the University of Lagos. It captures the academic journey from Year 1 to Year 4, including field work, teaching practice, and the practicum. I led the full editorial and layout design process for the publication – cover, interior layout, class cards, memory collages, and award pages. The color palette is black, white, and light blue/cyan – clean, timeless, and modern.
Design and Execution – Key Insight
The key insight was that a yearbook must balance nostalgia (emotional connection) with professionalism (readability and durability). I chose a black‑and‑white base (timeless) with cyan accents (energy, youth) to unify the diverse content. For class cards, I created a consistent grid: photo on the left, details (name, social handles, quote) on the right. For memory pages, I used a dynamic collage layout – overlapping photos with white borders to evoke a scrapbook feel while keeping it clean. The typography is simple: a bold sans‑serif for headings (readable) and a classic serif for class quotes (warmth). My understanding of how people process emotionally significant memories directly shaped the layout decisions for the memory collage pages, balancing warmth and legibility.
Production Reality – Five Months Under Constraint
The project presented four primary production challenges: First, no prior template – I had to create the layout system from scratch. Second, scattered, low‑quality images – over 70 classmates sent photos from WhatsApp, many compressed and pixelated. I had to upscale over 40 images using AI. Third, inconsistent power supply – unreliable electricity supply over 5 months. I worked in bursts, saving constantly. Fourth, data collection – I used Google Forms for most classmates, then followed up via Whatsapp (quotes, social handles, often pixelated photos).
I upscaled over 40 images using AI tools and handled all copy – writing captions, editing quotes, formatting school anthems. Beyond layout design, the project required editorial coordination, asset restoration, production management, and print preparation at a scale I had not worked at before.
Page Breakdown – What the Yearbook Contains
The yearbook opens with institutional history — the university, the Guidance and Counseling department, and the leadership who shaped the graduating class. The central section is the class cards: 70+ individual profiles, each with a portrait, social handles, and a personal parting quote — the most data-intensive section to produce and the one students will return to most. Memory collages across all four years of study anchor the emotional weight of the publication, followed by superlative awards and a closing acknowledgments spread.
Every section required a different layout logic: the class cards demanded strict grid consistency, the memory pages needed compositional variety, and the institutional pages required a formal hierarchy that matched the university's own visual standards.
Outcome
The yearbook was delivered as a print‑ready PDF to the class. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive: students appreciated the professional look, the clear structure, and the nostalgic memory pages. The class now has a physical (and digital) keepsake that no previous graduating class had. More importantly, the layout system I built can be reused for future years.
