STUDENT UNION PRESENTS…

WashU Through the Seasons

Design a tee that captures WashU’s campus through the seasons — fall color on the quad, the first snow on Mudd Field, spring in bloom, summer light on the East End — through your eyes. Take it wherever your own view of WashU’s seasons leads.

Deadline to enter is September 30, 2026 by 11:59 p.m.

Awards

1st place

Winning design screen printed on t-shirts and sold at Bear Necessities.

$100 Store Gift Card

Free t-shirt with your winning design.

2nd place

$50 Store Gift Card

3rd place

$25 Store Gift Card

Contest Rules & Specifications

Thank you for your interest in WashU’s Student T-Shirt Design Contest. The following specifications will need to be followed as closely as possible to decrease the chance that your design will be disqualified, or that you’ll need to make any edits.

All submissions must:

Artwork requirements
  • Artwork must be original and created by the submitting student.
  • No copyrighted, trademarked, AI-generated, or licensed artwork of any kind.
Design guidelines
  • Design for the intended shirt color(s).
  • Avoid fine lines, gradients, transparencies, and photographic images; these don’t reproduce well in screen printing.
Production specifications
  • Maximum print area: 12″ × 12″.
  • Up to five spot colors. Use WashU brand colors whenever possible.
  • Colors may shift slightly in production; final artwork may be adjusted as needed to ensure printability.
Available shirt colors
Logo usage
  • The official WashU logo is applied separately on the sleeve. DO NOT build it into your design.
  • DO NOT recreate or modify the WashU logo or shield.
  • “WashU” may appear as decorative text, but shouldn’t imitate or replace the official logo.
File specifications
  • Submit artwork as an Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or EPS (.eps) vector file.
  • Outline all fonts / convert text to paths.
  • Include a PDF preview alongside the vector file.
Rights & ownership

By submitting a design, the student grants WashU ownership of the image and the right to alter it in any way necessary for use and production.

View the WashU Brand Palette

Contest Timeline

August 14Contest opens for submissions
September 30Deadline to submit designs by 11:59 p.m.
October 7 (updated 10/6/2026)Student voting begins below.
October 13Student voting closes at 11:59 p.m.
October 14Contest winner announced via Social

Voting

Check back on October 7, 2026, starting at 12:00 p.m., to submit your vote for the finalist! (Updated 10/6/2026)

FAQ

Does the artwork need to be centered on the shirt?

No, the artwork doesn’t need to be centered. 

Will designers have the opportunity to have their artwork featured on either the front or back of the shirt? If so, would it be possible to submit different designs for the front and back?

Yes, the artwork can be featured on the front or back.  It must be one or the other.  If you prefer your design on the back, the WashU logo will go on the front of the upper left chest.

Are we allowed to submit more than one design

You can submit more than one design.