THE SCOPE
Conceptualize, design, and source merchandise to increase Rice University's presence at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) national conference.
THE SYSTEM
Focusing on balancing recruiting scalability and quality, I developed a three-tier collection with varying production costs: a premium tee, a functional tote, and a high-volume keychain. While leveraging hand-drawn illustrations, I used Adobe Illustrator to finalize elements and add customized typography with a retro aesthetic, prioritizing the audience of young prospective graduate students.
THE SOLUTION
The SallyPort Tee: A Comfort Colors t-shirt reimagines the traditional Rice crest into a minimalist badge for the front, which compliments an iconic architectural illustration and bold display of the department's web domain on the back. This piece turned each attendee into a walking billboard for Rice Chemical Engineering.
The Motel Keychain: This scalable freebie for the department highlights the department's 87th year and its roots in Houston, Texas. Maximizing the department's reach per dollar spent, this piece ensured students left the conference with a constant reminder of Rice in their pocket.
The O'Connor Tote: Celebrating the department's state-of-the-art facility with a Julia Gash inspired illustration, this tote was a branding win: Rice's "Culture of Care" became palpable as we provided attendees with a practical solution for carrying conference materials.
