From the Nominator

On “College Decision Day” or “Deposit Day,” high school students make their college choice and pay a deposit. In return, USF gives them a set of five enamel pins that are specially designed for their incoming class. This year, the Class of 2023 received pins that evoke the spirit of our campus, our city, and our students. They include: a cheeky bow to the San Francisco fog with local legend Karl the Fog lurking around Sutro Tower, a VW hippy bus decorated with California poppies and the USF symbol, a howling wolf (a nod to the Jesuit wolves and kettle story), a mountainscape encouraging all to “embark!” in the great California outdoors, and, finally, the mask and hat of our mascot, the Don. “It’s like a badge of honor,” says Cat Bagg, design manager. Her personal collection of 100 enamel pins inspired her to propose the idea of pins for incoming students. “It’s a way to represent who you are without saying,” she says. “I thought we could give students a badge for their own class year. And, if we make them unique for every incoming class, they could recognize others in their class.”

From the Judges

The pins are so well-designed and so in tune with your audience that we couldn't stop gushing over this entry. Each of the five pins relates to the University of San Francisco or to the state of California, which is brilliant. We loved that each set of pins is designed especially for the year's incoming class, which makes them as special as they are desirable. We celebrate the goal of making the wearers of these pins instantly identifiable as member of their class. You're creating an immediate sense of belonging. We also like the social media tie-in: students are invited to post photos of the pins on their backpacks, hats, or jackets and tag the school. Finally, the pins are designed in-house, which makes them stand out in a sea of less-creatively branded pieces that are merely ordered out of a catalog.