True Bruin Welcome is UCLA’s annual fall tradition bringing together thousands of new and returning students across hundreds of campus-wide events. When tasked with the 2023 rebrand, I led with one central question: how do we make True Bruin Welcome feel more authentic to students?
The answer was illustration. I collaborated with Gracy Watts, a student designer, to develop a suite of hand-drawn illustrations rooted in the actual events of True Bruin Welcome — Block Party, Rec Fest, Transfer Palooza, Bruin Bash, and more. By layering Gracy’s illustrative style with my knowledge of UCLA brand guidelines and typography, the resulting identity felt genuinely student-centered rather than institutional.
Working within UCLA’s brand guidelines, I collaborated with Gracy Watts, a student designer, to develop a suite of hand-drawn illustrations rooted in the actual events of True Bruin Welcome. By layering Gracy’s illustrative style with my command of UCLA typography and brand standards, the resulting identity felt genuinely student-centered rather than institutional.
The brand system extended across every touchpoint of the week — from arena display graphics on the Pauley Pavilion jumbotron seen by thousands of incoming students at the Chancellor’s New Student Welcome, to True Bruin Ambassador door hangers placed in residence hall rooms, to social media templates distributed across 25+ Student Affairs departments. Each piece adapted the same illustration-driven identity to a different format and audience.
The signature activation of the season was the Chancellor Gene Block fan. With Chancellor Block announcing his retirement at the end of the 2023–24 school year, I collaborated with the Chancellor’s office to design and produce 10,000 face fans distributed at the New Student Welcome — immediately one of the most photographed moments of orientation.
The 2023 brand kit was adopted by stakeholders for the 2024 season as well.
Thousands of incoming students attended the Chancellor's New Student Welcome, where the TBW brand was visible throughout the event.
Arena display graphic on the Pauley Pavilion jumbotron during the Chancellor's New Student Welcome.
10,000 Chancellor Gene Block fans designed and distributed at the New Student Welcome.
7,000 branded t-shirts distributed to staff and volunteers across orientation week.
Door hangers placed in residence hall rooms for student ambassadors leading incoming students through orientation.
True Bruin Welcome Digital Graphics Caption: Digital graphics distributed across 25+ UCLA Student Affairs departments for use throughout orientation week.
Social Media Event Templates Caption: Social media event templates from the True Bruin Welcome brand guide, distributed to 25+ Student Affairs departments.
A-frame signage directing students to BruinBus pickup locations during the Block Party
The TBW brand identity carried through every touchpoint of orientation week.