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I was founder and editor-in-chief of the 2023 Babsonian yearbook. I planned and executed the collection of media, designed all 200+ pages, and saw through the manufacturing process.
My role:
- Project Manager
- Editor in Chief
- Head Designer
Results:
- Revitalized Babson yearbook
- Secured over $21,000 in funding
- Distributed 1000+ copies to Babson community
August, 2022
The summer after my freshman year, I was rummaging through Babson's online media archives and stumbled upon the archives for the Babsonian Babson's annual yearbook, released every year back to the very origin of the institution in 1920.
Over the next few days, I found myself consumed in the exploration of the college's history, as chronicled in the pages of each year's yearbook. Immersed in the contents of each edition, I not only gained insights into the essence of Babson's life but also a vivid understanding of the broader cultural context of each passing year. The yearbooks became windows into both the unique spirit of Babson and the broader societal dynamics shaping life during those times.
I went through every single book out of curiosity, and after I finished flipping through the 2007 edition, they abruptly stopped - the Babsonian had been discontinued due to the financial crisis.
I was appalled - I remember my middle school and high school yearbooks being core pieces of memorabilia that served both as a physical reminder of the memories I'd made and also as a vessel to create new memories. Flipping through, signing, and laughing at yearbooks were all amazing memories I'd cherished as a younger student, and I was determined to bring this back to the Babson community. In the age of technology and digital media, I was not ready to let go of the original reminder of good school memories.
So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and bring back the Babsonian.
My first step in creating this product was finding the right people to help.
As learned from my previous venture, Bappo, no great thing can be accomplished on my own. And, as a person, I have flaws and blind spots that I cannot overcome by myself. So, I began reaching out to my network for people that I believed could provide great value, specifically my friends and peers on the Campus Activities Board. I believed in my design and development skills, but there was a lot more operational and organizational work that couldn't be accomplished by one person.
After weeks of pitching my idea to people, I managed to gather 11 fellow students who believed in the mission and were willing to dedicate their precious time towards our shared goal: revitalizing the Babson yearbook.
Without my hardworking and dedicated Babsonian Committee, nothing could have been possible - I appreciate their perseverance, hard work, and willingness to execute the vision we shared.
The 2022-2023 Babsonian Team
Market Research
Our yearbook creaition process began the same as any successful product - market analysis. We talked directly with over 20 departments at the school, including the Alumni Department, the Office of Student Engagement, the Campus Activities Board, the Student Government Association, as well as hundreds of students to understand whether or not this was a product that people wanted.
Some central questions we'd asked are:
1. How interested are you in having a yearbook for this academic year?
2. How important do you think a yearbook is in capturing memories and experiences from the school year?
3. What features or content would you consider valuable in a yearbook?
From our extensive communications with the different members of our community, we came to two central conclusions:
1. Everybody wanted a yearbook!
2. Given the digital nature of most of our media nowadays, the yearbook would need to have innovative features and sections in order for it to have great value.
Initial Design
Given our insights, I planned to create a yearbook that respected the Babsonian's long and rich history, while adding a modern twist. I began by creating the framework for the yearbook, strategically laying out and planning each section of the book, along with the media and collection methods required to populate each section. As I'd gone through each previous edition of the Babsonian, I found patterns and had a rough idea of the core components of every Babsonian. This included: a table of contents, class photos, campus spotlight, sports photos, club photos, an artistic collection, and some miscellaneous section. So, my first step was curating a general table of contents, giving each section a name and a page count.
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With the overall structure and format of the yearbook prepared, our team was ready to begin the next step: cultivating all the media necessary to populate our sections.
Media Collection and Organization
Class Photos
While creating the yearbook, I learned that being an editor-in-chief has very little to do with design, and a lot to do with logistics. It was very easy to find a Canva template and create a template that we were going to populate. However, getting the photos and organizing all of our media was far more challenging.
At the core of every yearbook is the class photos, so this was our first and number one priority. And, given that the Babsonian was now labeled an independent project and given no authorization to mandate a photoshoot, we had to get creative in our collection methods. After talking with the media team, along with other mentors, I came up with three strategies maximize the number of photos we got while making the process as efficient and equitable as possible:
1. In-person photoshoots
2. Online photo submissions
3. Varsity athlete media day photos
Our first method to collect headshots was in-person photoshoots. We set up a camera and a backdrop in the middle of the student campus center.
My team arranged for three different photoshoots, each lasting for about 5-6 hours. Our goal for these photoshoots was to take advantage of both social media marketing and foot traffic to gather as many headshots as possible. My team and I set up shop in Reynolds Campus Center, which lies at the heart of Babson and receives the most foot traffic among all campus locations. Also, as the Head of Marketing for the Campus Activities Board, I had full control over the Instagram account, which reached over 75% of the student population. I created social media posts telling students about the opportunity to get their photo taken for the yearbook.
With this tactic, we were able to collect a large majority of the student population's headshot photos.
Next, we allowed students to submit their headshots using an online collection form.
This collection method helped us reach students who potentially missed the photoshoot events, lived off campus, or for any other reason.
We created a form, set up with name, photo, grade, and senior quote (if senior). I wanted to give every photo a nice, Babson-green background for each photo, so our team also mandated that the photo have good lighting and a solid colored backdrop.
Lastly, we collected student photos from the varsity sports teams.
After the first two headshot collections, we still didn't think that we'd collected enough headshots to populate our class photos section. However, our team came up with a brilliant idea. One of our members remembered that sports teams take individual photos for media day, which meant access to a fleet of headshots. Statistically, over 15% of students at Babson play at least one varsity sport, which equates to almost 450 students! Once we realized how big of a difference acquiring student-athlete photos could make, we sprung into action.
Along with my Head of Operations and Head of Communications, Cassidy, and Khushi, I communicated with the sports director at Babson, introducing our cause and why we needed access to all media day photos. Understandably, he was excited to provide us with any media we needed, including individual shots, team photos, and action shots.
Along with my Head of Operations and Head of Communications, Cassidy, and Khushi, I communicated with the sports director at Babson, introducing our cause and why we needed access to all media day photos. Understandably, he provided us access to any media we needed, including individual shots, team photos, and action shots. With his gracious help, we were able to finish the collection of all our stuent headshots, and we populated each grade's class photo section.
Club & Organizations
Leveraging the power of social media, our outreach strategy focused on Instagram, a platform integral to our student community. Through targeted efforts, we successfully connected with and obtained descriptions from over 95% of our active clubs. Utilizing the platform's interactive features, we fostered a seamless exchange of information, encouraging club presidents to share insights and highlights of their organizations.
Instagram's visual appeal provided a dynamic space for clubs to showcase their activities through multimedia content, further enriching the yearbook with a diverse array of images and videos. The overwhelming response underscored the effectiveness of this approach, as club leaders embraced the opportunity to contribute to the collective narrative of our school community. The inclusive and interactive nature of our Instagram-based outreach not only streamlined the data collection process but also strengthened the sense of collaboration and shared pride in our vibrant array of clubs and organizations.
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Student Businesses
Recognizing the entrepreneurial spirit that defines our institution, I sought to provide a dedicated platform within our yearbook for the student-entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of business. In alignment with Babson's ethos, I initiated a unique section spotlighting student-owned businesses, offering them an exclusive space to showcase their ventures and celebrate their hard work.
Through targeted outreach to these aspiring business leaders, we invited them to share their entrepreneurial journey, including vibrant visuals and compelling descriptions that capture the essence of their enterprises. This initiative not only serves as a testament to the entrepreneurial prowess within our student body but also transforms our yearbook into a dynamic showcase of innovation and determination.
By spotlighting these student-owned businesses, we aim to foster a supportive community that recognizes and celebrates the diverse talents of our entrepreneurial peers. This section stands as a testament to the collaborative and innovative spirit that defines the Babson College experience, showcasing the unique intersection of education and enterprise that sets our institution apart.
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Additional Media Collection
Our collection of student headshots was vast and nearly complete, but we were seriously lacking in other photos and data. For example, we needed at least 10 photos of each club, along with descriptions. We also needed photos of each school department, as well as photos of Babson's beautiful campus. Given our short timeline and such a large range of photos still to be collected, we were scrambling for options.
After scouring the internet and social media for photos, I stumbled upon an amazing resource - The Babson Marketing Media Archives. With a few emails with the Marketing team explaining our cause, we were able to secure login access and full consent to use any photos and images we found. This access gave us a near-unlimited amount of photos, given that Babson Marketing captured pictures of every event, building, and more, year-round.
Modernizing the Babsonian
Given the emergence of new forms of media, it is fair to say that my generation's attention span has decreased and our standard of quality of media has significantly gone up. To serve this need, our team embarked on a mission to infuse contemporary flair and capture the essence of modern student life.
Interactive Sections
Recognizing the evolving interests of our diverse student body, we introduced a captivating "Spotify Wrapped section" that resonates with the rhythm of our times. Just as tunes define moments, we curated a musical journey that encapsulates the heartbeat of our community. In a nod to the digital age, we crafted a dynamic crossword puzzle, challenging minds and fostering a sense of interactive camaraderie. Embracing the joy of discovery, our "Where's Spinelli" section invites readers to embark on a visual scavenger hunt to find our beloved Presidentent Spinelli, injecting an element of playfulness into the pages. We also put up polls on Instagram to collect memories from students and created our "Favorite Babson Memories" section that captures the wisdom and wit of our peers, creating a tapestry of voices that reflect the spirit of our institution.
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Using Artificial Intelligence
At the time when I decided to create the yearbook, an exciting new technology had just been released – DALL·E! DALL·E is an artificial intelligence tool that creates images based on prompted text. Throughout the summer, I had been experimenting with it and realized its myriad potential applications for the yearbook. Specifically, I decided to utilize this AI tool to craft the covers for each section. This decision would result in the creation of beautiful and unique images to preface each section, adding an innovative touch to our yearbook. Every single section page is created using DALL·E, even including the actual cover of the book!
Given that my favorite painter and artist is Edward Hopper, I incorporated his style and his artwork into the prompts that I fed the AI program - you may see some resemblance to his artwork. all of the following artworks were created using AI!
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Putting it all together
Manufacturing with BookBaby
Now that the Babsonian had been properly organized, designed, and constructed, we moved on to the actualization of the product. My Head of Outreach and Operations found an amazing company called BookBaby, which specializes in manufacturing high-quality, low-cost (relatively) yearbooks. After getting in contact with their manufacturing team, we were able to get a quote of roughly $21,000 to print 1000 copies. However, to be able to print the yearbooks well, we were going to have to change some things. First and foremost, BookBaby had issues with margins for each page - if we didn't change the design, then pictures and text had the chance of getting cropped out. This was a huge inconvenience, as we'd already finished designing and editing the book - re-cropping each page meant tens of hours of more work needed to be done to ensure the standard of quality we wanted to deliver.
So, my team and I did what we needed to do. For a week straight leading up to the deadline, we locked ourselves in and pounded out the editing that needed to be done. After grueling and meticulous work to ensure each page met the margin and padding requirement requested by BookBaby, we'd done it. We had a ready-to-print edition of the Babsonian.
Funding
Given that the Babsonian was practically a passion project that a couple of friends and I decided to pursue, we needed to pitch for funding in order to purchase and distribute copies of the yearbook out to the student body. Thankfully, my Head of Communications, Khushi, was part of the Student Government Association and was a huge help in securing over $21,000 to print out 1000 copies of the yearbook. Thanks to the Student Government Association's belief in my vision and the help of everyone who participated in the project, the Babsonian came back to life and over 1000 students have a physical copy of their memories from the 2022-2023 school year and all students have digital access to it forever!
The final product
After hundreds of hours of hard work, ideating, editing, pitching, and distributing, the Babsonian Yearbook has become much more than a collection of pages; it's a treasure trove of memories and a significant milestone in the lives of our students. This project encapsulates the spirit of our school year, reflecting the vibrant life, diverse experiences, and personal growth of each student. It serves as a conduit for nostalgia, allowing students to relive their cherished moments and celebrate their achievements for years to come.
Pages 1-77
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Pages 78-200
Additional photos
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