For their 2022 Yearbook, Monarch Park Collegiate ran with a late 90’s/early 2000’s theme. They were inspired heavily by magazines of the era – particularly designs which used collage effects and layers of texture. Some 90’s typographic trends were incorporated as well. The design highlights the school colors through its textured layers and the sheet of torn notebook paper adds a classroom element. Those torn edges contrasting with the asymmetrical shapes give us the “collage” look and the student requested word bubble highlights the requisite logo prominently on the back cover.

We played around with a variety of shapes and textures during our cover session. As the pieces came together, the photo of the school building became the last piece of the puzzle. Our access to photography was limited, so we set about finding a creative way to include it. The taping of the the old photographic print was a good start – but it still missed that little extra something.

After a few drafts, the “just right” version of a dual-exposure effect did the trick. This helps balance out the contrast between the symmetrical and non-symmetrical elements. And adds to that 90’s vibe without straying too far into a full on grunge aesthetic. Success!