Multicultural First Year Retreat Designs
Designed a visual identity that brought 300+ students together around a shared sense of culture and community.
OVERVIEW
The celebration of culture, identity, and community are paramount throughout the Multicultural First-Year Student Retreats geared toward Asian, Latino, and Black Notre Dame Students. These retreats allow students to share their backgrounds and explore how they can bring their gifts to the broader Notre Dame community. As the sole designer, I led the creation of the visual identity from concept to execution.
ROLE
Lead Designer
TIMELINE
Mar 2025 - Aug 2025
TEAM
3 Faculty Advisors 6 Event Co-Chairs 4 Logistics Team Members
TOOLS/SKILLS
Adobe Creative Suite Social Media Marketing Figma
A Quick Glance at the Results
Designs helped establish a cohesive and memorable brand across all retreat materials. Positive feedback from co-chairs highlighted how the visual identity enhanced the sense of community and belonging.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How can we create a cohesive and expressive visual identity for culturally diverse retreats?
First-year students from diverse cultural backgrounds often feel disconnected in their transition to college. Co-chairs wanted designs that felt youthful amd meaningful.
Goal
Develop a visual identity that could be consistently applied across print, digital, and event materials. Design cost-effective t-shirts using a single-color print. Ensure all designs aligned with university branding guidelines. Clearly communicate design rationale and incorporate feedback.
Discovery Phase
At the request of the event co-chairs, I prioritized designing the retreat t-shirts. My initial concepts explored a range of brick-inspired visuals, from LEGO blocks to brick roads, but after early conversations, the co-chairs preferred a direction that focused on brick walls with overlapping lettering.
Refining the artistic direction
While continuing to develop the brick wall concept, I found that the initial designs felt too static. To bring more life and movement, I began incorporating graffiti-inspired elements. This approach aligned well with the theme and introduced expressive contrast to the structured brick layout. I also explored the creative use of negative space between the bricks and letterforms to work within the constraint of a single-color print. This graffiti direction resonated strongly with the co-chairs, who supported it as the final artistic direction for the retreats.
Custom Typography
Building on the approved graffiti direction, I illustrated custom typography. Early iterations lacked adequate spacing, which made the text difficult to read. While I wanted to preserve the expressive, messy aesthetic of graffiti, I also needed to ensure the design remained legible.
With the typography finalized, I moved on to completing the t-shirt designs. The co-chairs selected sage green, blue, and pink as the t-shirt colors for the different retreats. One key requirement was to include the Campus Ministry and MSPS logos, as both organizations sponsor the event. To meet the one-color printing constraint, I adapted these logos to match the selected ink color for each shirt, ensuring visual consistency while maintaining brand recognition.
Visual Identity
With the t-shirt designs complete, I shifted focus to building out the broader visual identity. Inspired by the established graffiti aesthetic, I began creating key elements such as grungy textures, sticker-like graphics, and hand-drawn illustrations that captured the raw, expressive spirit of street art.
Check Out the Designs on Instagram
These were shared on the Asian American Association (@aaaofnd) page to promote the retreats for incoming freshmen.
Final Designs
Since the retreat takes place on Aug. 29-30, 2025, the photography used is from last year's retreat. Once the retreat takes place, images will be updated.
TAKEAWAYS
Results
Designs helped establish a cohesive and memorable brand across all retreat materials. Positive feedback from co-chairs highlighted how the visual identity enhanced the sense of community and belonging.
REFLECTION
Clear communication is essential. Not everyone I worked with had a design background, so it was important to explain my choices clearly and intentionally. Balance is everything. Graffiti can easily become chaotic or hard to read. Since these designs were used in print/digital, I had to prioritize legibility. A full-circle moment. As someone who attended the Asian First Year Retreat as a freshman, designing the visual identity felt deeply personal and meaningful. It was fulfilling to contribute to a retreat that shaped my own college experience and to give back to a community I care about.
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