Yale University

Project: Yale University Undergraduate Admission Publications and Website

Publications Partner: Michael Bierut, Pentagram Design

Website Design: Pamela Hovland

Goals and Approach: From the start we wanted to create a piece that conveyed the stature of Yale but the down-to-earth nature of Yalies. As one student said, “It’s about the people, not the prestige.” We wanted the viewbook to feel like an insider’s guide and a keepsake. Andrea Jarrell developed a four-section structure for the 120-page book (Lives. Studies. Pursuits. Places.) An historic quote from Yale historian George Pierson became the essence of the story the piece tells: “Yale is at once a tradition, a company of scholars, a society of friends.” Each section includes multiple chapters of varying lengths and content type from photo essays to infographics, layers of voices on which readers “eavesdrop” and intriguing “insider” details. The following year, Jarrell wrote a companion piece showcasing Yale as a premier institution of science and engineering. She was also hired to develop the voice and messaging for primary pages of the new undergraduate website and the admit packet messaging.