ARTHUR J. SCHMITT SCHOLAR
SWEATSHIRT DESIGN FOR DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
THE BRIEF – I was largely provided creative freedom to create a promotional sweatshirt design that was to be used for Dominican University's Arthur J. Schmitt Scholar cohort. The design must be timeless, easy file hand off for printing, and align with Dominican University's professional branding standard.
STEP 1
MOODBOARD
In the initial meeting, inspiration images were presented and discussed. The concept was reminiscent of traditional vintage collegiate merchandise, with special focus on bold typography and clear visual hierarchy.
As for the back, the design would relate back to Arthur J. Schmitt's wiring invention history. Additional requests to incorporate one of the DU's stars into the design was made here.
STEP 2
CONCEPT EVOLUTION
Next meeting I provided top options that showcase various classic collegiate text hierarchy, which prioritized clear branding. One point of consistent discussion was the tense of "Scholar", and deciding whether it was to be plural or singular. The lightbulb idea evolved to encompass the Dominican star in different variants, along with slogans associated with the program's mission.
INITIAL SPARKS TO FINAL MARKS
Follow up discussions further solidified the decision of making the title phrase plural. After consulting my cohort and the current '25–'26 cohort, the two stylistic favorites for the front used Dominican's two stars. On the back the two designs utilizing the traditional lightbulb silhouettes were preferred. The finalized designs utilize Dominican's more angular star.
STEP 4
FINAL DESIGN
The sweatshirts were well-received both in the internal Schmitt Scholar community as well as the Dominican University community at large.
