This yearbook cover design was for my school's 2020 - 2021 academic year.

The 2020-2021 Yearbook cover features a new color palette unlike any previous school year to represent the unique circumstances brought forth by the pandemic. The iconic Oakwood green and silver have been replaced with a series of oranges and blues. The warmer tones represent unity and comfort, whilst the colder tones symbolize isolation and fear— all of which are emotions experienced during the pandemic. To represent this year’s Yearbook theme of Adapt and Overcome, I’ve stacked a series of shapes on top of each other, which can be found on the right side of the front cover. These stacked objects represent rebuilding, strength, and overcoming.

The front cover is split into two regions which both feature classroom settings. The classroom on the left symbolizes indoor learning, and contains a disfigured whiteboard to symbolize the different learning tactics students/teachers have adopted during the school year. A poster within the classroom features a peace sign to symbolize unity in wake of the social justice issues that took place during the pandemic. The right side of the cover symbolizes an outdoor/online classroom setting to symbolize remote students. The whiteboard on the pink wall features a graph that depicts an upward trend of rising COVID cases. The scattered orange rings throughout the front cover symbolizes the imaginary bubbles that people maintain in order to practice social distancing, as well as represent emotional detachment and isolation.

The back cover features an assortment of Zoom panels. The top left panel represents students who are studying or looking elsewhere during classes or meetings. The reasons for glancing away could be due to Zoom fatigue or distractions. The top middle panel represents the humorous occasions when a pet or unsuspected individual steals the spotlight during Zoom class. You never know what could happen when you leave your Zoom unattended! The top right panel represents an instructor. The teachers are always focused and undistracted during class, hence the studious pose. The left panel in the middle row represents individuals who possess confidence and composure. Some people are very comfortable with their online presence and display a healthy sense of conviction. The middle panel illustrates the creative freedom that comes with online learning. Since everyone is at home, there are many more activities that people can do during class. The right panel in the middle row is dedicated to Oakwood’s international students who study abroad in various time zones. The panel depicts a night time setting in Asia, contrasting with the other panels in the West. The left panel on the bottom row represents diversity and inclusion within the Oakwood community. Especially during COVID-19, with the recent rise of hate crimes towards Asians, with the Black Lives Matter movement, and other social justice related issues, the Oakwood community remains united and very diverse. The middle panel on the bottom represents the array of creative and amusing Zoom backgrounds people display. The funky scenery also represents vacationing at home- since many people are restricted from traveling or from exploring the world because of COVID-19. The right panel in the last row represents imaginary worlds or utopias which distract people from the pandemic. Whether it be day dreaming or doodling a perfect paradise, all of us wish we were somewhere else during these harsh times.