Beautifully designed and expertly crafted, Entourage’s retro-themed templates are sure to be something that ’80s and ’90s kids can “like, totally, relate to.” Our team of expert designers have worked all summer to perfect these one-of-a-kind templates just for Entourage customers. Template design is no simple task, and in this article we will give you the scoop on how our team came up with these beautiful templates, as well as some best-practice tips for you and your class on how to go about choosing themes and designing templates. To view our retro themed templates, go to the template button in the designer and search the keyword: Retro

Straight From the Expert’s Mouth

To start learning more about template creation and design, we sat down with the Head of Design here at Entourage, Anthony Hunter. Anthony graduated from Rutgers University in 2012 with a BA in Graphic Design. Since joining Entourage in 2014, he’s become the go-to guy for all things template- and design-related.

The process of adding new templates begins each summer, when Anthony and his team choose a theme to cultivate their designs. For 2019, the chosen theme was “retro.”

To make this choice, Anthony’s team reviewed template requests from Entourage customers, including students, teachers, advisors, and administrators. In addition to reviewing customer requests, the team explored trending themes in the design world and beyond. In 2019, ’80s and ’90s themes trended on all the social media platforms, so it only made sense to translate this retro aesthetic into EDOnline templates. In past years, the template team have focused on themes such as Storybook, Space Adventure, and Arcade.

Picking a Theme

Step one in making a great template is picking a good theme. According to Anthony, the best way to begin brainstorming your theme is to gather your team and “just start bouncing ideas off each other.” This casual exercise can be an invaluable tool when getting started with your yearbook project.

If you’re unsure where to begin your brainstorm session, try thinking about what themes your community would be excited about—ultimately, they’re the ones who will be buying and treasuring the yearbook, after all. Next, focus on what’s trending in the design word. A simple Google search or casual stroll through Pinterest will help you narrow your focus onto what’s most popular in design right now.

Another tool Anthony’s team uses to pick a theme is the incredible array of yearbook designs created by Entourage customers each year. When cultivating a theme for your yearbook or template, try using the Collaborate tab at entourageyearbooks.com to explore yearbook content and see what Entourage’s top schools are designing.

Once your team has agreed on a great theme, the next step will be to design your templates. Here at Entourage, we pick only the best-designed templates for our customers. Every week, Anthony’s team has an open critique session to review new designs and choose the most promising layouts for EDOnline.

Best Practice for Making a Template

When laying out a template, it’s usually best to start with adding your Drop Photo Boxes. You can find these boxes in EDO by selecting the Photo icon in the designer and clicking the “Blank Photo” button in the upper-right corner. Using Drop Photo Boxes will allow you to imagine where your photos will eventually be placed, and they are easy to replace with pictures whenever you’re ready.

As you are laying out your new template, keep in mind the type of content you’ll be displaying on the page. Senior portraits? Maybe a collage of candids or a review of the basketball team’s winter season? Each type of content will necessitate a different look and feel to your design. Thinking about the final content you’ll be adding will give you a better idea of where you want your text and photos to appear. Once you have a rough layout created, applying your theme should be easy!

Anthony had one final tip to share with me on creating new templates. “Always keep scale in the back of your mind,” he suggested. “Be aware of your scale. If you have a huge photo on your page, think about the size of your other photos, as well as the text on your page in relationship to that photo. You don’t want something that will distract readers of your yearbook from your body copy or other photos.”

If you need a refresher on how to create and save your own templates in EDO, click here

We Love Your Feedback!

Here are Entourage, there’s nothing more important than keeping our schools happy and our creative, hard-working advisors well-stocked with exciting resources they can utilize to perfect their yearbook vision. What templates and themes would you like to see in EDOnline? Comment below with all your best ideas!