Speaking from experience,Year planner designs...

I started mocking up more detailed year calendar designs in illustrator, trying various layouts stemming from the few ideas I sketched out. I set out with the intention to try and provide each square with maximum space for planning each day....

As well as thinking about the spacial aspect, I wanted to incorporate visual variation between weekdays and weekends, bank holidays etc.. Here I simply added a diagonal line texture, however I'm not at all feeling the alignment of the weekend periods throughout this design.

Thinking broadly about overall shape and how I could manipulate such a shape with simple block colour, trying to keep defining elements minimal deterring form the usual white and black line calendar designs.

Still working with the same design, a simple colour change and removing the defining black lines dramatically changes the calendars visual dynamics. Here, the alignment of the weekend periods works quite well with a continuous texture running across, breaking the apparent surrounding grid.

Venturing into a new layout, trying to achieve the aforementioned 'maximum space' for each day. The previous design 'looked' quite appealing visually, although it had minimal space for putting the calendar to practice. Furthering this, I have chosen to dismiss July from this design. The sole reason for this is simply that when/if these desk planners get handed out to the new students in September, August becomes obsolete...















It was my main intention to make as much use of the canvas as possible, working to an A1 format, I mapped out a grid marking the start of each month. The coloured variant below is starting to achieve what I was envisaging this design to turn out like - simple block colour to define each day with a distinct lack of outline, letting the negative space fulfill this role.

Replacing the squares signifying the start of each month with the month abbreviations. Again maintaining the simplicity of the design, allowing the negative space to really work alongside the content.

Messing around with title fonts and positioning, trying to realise some form of outcome at an early stage... deciding whether to persue this design or further think about alternative desings.

Thinking about a little slogan to sit underneath the title. I want to encorporate some kind of content to not necessarily explain the use of the board but indicate the need for organisation on such a highly demanding course. especially in the first year when it can be hard to adapt to such a workrate.