Welcome Week is a recurring university event ran by Rutgers Office of the Dean of Students that marks the beginning of each semester with activities, orientation events, and promotions aimed at welcoming new and returning students. For four consecutive semesters—Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025—I was tasked with producing updated branding and promotional materials.

Fall Welcome Week 2023
Along with updating the existing Welcome Week logo to align with the current branding while refreshing it to reflect the energy of the new academic year, the client requested for designs that would resonate especially with first-year students for the promotional flyers. The direction leaned toward something “fun” and visually engaging, and I proposed a bulletin board or vision board aesthetic. Inspired by college acceptance culture and decorated dorm walls, the final design featured layered square photos and sticky note graphics, evoking the feeling of stepping into campus life. 
Additional assets included sticker gifs created for the Instagram story 
Spring Welcome Week 2024
I was tasked to create a distinct yet cohesive design for the Spring semesters. I analyzed existing assets and previous semester materials to understand the evolution of the Welcome Week brand. The Fall identity traditionally used a red background with bold white sans serif type so I maintained the typeface for continuity and added the word “Spring” in an elegant script font to visually differentiate. After showing early concepts, the client requested a black background with a hint of Rutgers red for contrast and elegance. Similarly, the promotional assets were requested to be designed in a "scrapbook" style.
Fall Welcome Week 2024
I once again updated the existing Welcome Week logo to reflect the new year while maintaining continuity with previous designs. For a flexible promotional strategy, I created a general events poster layout that could showcase the full week's schedule while also serving as a template for individual event spotlights. To achieve this, I designed a circular patterned background for a dynamic and non-distracting base, ensuring the color palette was easily switchable, making it simple to adapt for different events while keeping the overall branding consistent. This modular approach helped streamline the design process for the Welcome Week team and ensured visual unity across all collateral.
Spring Welcome Week 2025
For Spring 2025, the client wanted new graphics that maintained an inviting and energetic feel, while upholding Rutgers tradition and pride. The team had really appreciated the bullet journal-inspired design from the previous spring. However, they also expressed interest in seeing something new. To meet both goals, I created two design directions: one that built on the bullet journal theme, updated fresh photos, and a second concept without photos and leaning more towards small graphics and type to mimic a notebook. This dual-presentation allowed the client to choose between familiarity and innovation while maintaining flexibility across various digital and print formats. 
Back to Top