Lesson 5 – Deadlines and Use of a Calendar
Plan Ahead & Schedule Meetings
As creating a yearbook is truly a team effort, it is important to meet regularly to ensure that deadlines are met, progress is made, and the overarching theme and vision for the yearbook are being achieved.
To do this, consider the following:
- Share a digital calendar (such as a Google Calendar) with everyone on the yearbook team. This calendar should show weekly (or more) meetings, deadlines, bookings for interviews, photography etc.
- At weekly meetings, the team should discuss what has been accomplished over the week and what needs to be done in the upcoming week.
- Meetings are also a great opportunity to provide and receive feedback and ensure that the work is cohesive.
Setting Micro-Deadlines
- Sometimes setting deadlines for large sections of a yearbook can be daunting and challenging to manage and coordinate.
- Instead, many yearbook teams find setting micro-deadlines extremely helpful.
- Micro-deadlines are deadlines for a series of smaller tasks that add up to the big picture.
For example:
Deadline – Coverage Sections to be complete by May 1st
Vs.
Micro deadlines
- Photos & Captions for Grade 1 to be completed by Jan 8th
- Photos & Captions for Grade 2 to be completed by Jan 15th
- And so on…
- All these micro-deadlines can be added to the shared calendar and marked off as each task is completed.
- Marking these deadlines and adding reminders on a shared calendar will keep everyone on task and serve as a gratifying checklist.
The Proofing Deadline
After weeks and months of micro-deadlines and deadlines for entire sections, the big day finally arrives – the proofing deadline. This incredibly important day is the team’s last opportunity to make changes to the yearbook.
Be sure to:
- Start early and give plenty of notice on the shared calendar
- Budget plenty of time between this date and the printing deadline in case major changes need to be made
