Behind every great design is a story—and the creation of the newly unveiled Oakland University Athletics 'LET'S EAT' t-shirt is no exception.
 
The shirt's creation dates back to April, when Oakland professor Meaghan Barry, also a chair of the Department of Art, Art History and Design, gave a presentation to the OU Board of Trustees detailing how graphic design students have participated in hands-on learning.
 
Following the presentation, Oakland University Athletic Director Steve Waterfield reached out to Barry with an idea to get graphic design students involved with Oakland University Athletics.
 
"Steve and I brainstormed the idea of getting students involved with athletics, and that's how this project came about," Meaghan said.
 
The project invited graphic design students from Barry's Graphic Design II class to create a t-shirt design representing Oakland Athletics while also connecting with those students on campus who wear college gear unrelated to the Golden Grizzlies.
 
"We were really hopeful that this kind of merchandise could get other students on campus involved in athletics and grow that pride on campus so people are equally as proud of our OU staff and cheer on our teams," Barry said.
 
After completing designs in groups, the students gave presentations of their designs to Waterfield and Coordinator of Athletics Special Projects and Initiatives John "Giz" Ciszewski.
 
As the students nervously prepared to present their work, Barry recognized the familiar anxiety of facing a big challenge. However, as the students spoke about their designs, their confidence grew.
 
"In some ways, I feel like my students had that hero's journey that a lot of athletes get. When they presented their work and survived to tell the tale, it was their form of game day," Barry said.
 
Following the presentation, the 'LET'S EAT' design, created by Kaylee Lathrop, Destiny Rushing and Malay Walker, was selected as the winner.
 
"I appreciate Professor Barry and her willingness to collaborate with athletics on this unique project," Waterfield said. "I was impressed with each group's final project and the creative ideas the students developed. In fact, there were parts of each group's final project that resonated with me and other athletics staff and could have been used. However, after reviewing the final deliverable that Professor Barry asked each group to create and reviewing each group's final project, we decided Malay, Destiny and Kaylee's creative proposal was the best."
 
Lathrop recalls the early stages of collaborating with her group to create the design, emphasizing the brainstorming and teamwork that went into making the shirt.
 
"We worked in groups, and each of us came up with our own design at first. Then we chose the one we liked the most and ended up going with mine," Lathrop said.
 
The final design was then paired with Rushing's catchy slogan, "Let's Eat." Together, the design and slogan work to connect the spirit of the student-athletes on the court to the students of Oakland.
 
"It's something people say all the time, like 'Let's go eat' or 'Let's cook.' But it also ties into the idea of being hungry for success—like a grizzly bear," Lathrop said.
 
Creating the design wasn't without challenges, however. The students had to work within the confines of Oakland University athletics' brand guidelines, which include specific rules on which colors and typefaces can be used.
 
"The students did a great job at fitting within the brand guidelines, which can be quite limiting," Barry said. "But they were innovative and creative within those constraints."
 
The careful balance of creativity and adherence to the guidelines was crucial to the design's success. For Lathrop, the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to Oakland University was rewarding.
 
"It makes me proud to go here, especially since we are not a huge Division I school," Lathrop said. "It's just really important that they want to have their students help contribute to their athletics and the bigger part of the university."
 
Reflecting on the process, Barry hopes this is just the beginning for student-designed shirts becoming a part of the Golden Grizzlies catalog.
 
"I think that it would be so cool to have a little collection of these things," Barry said. "I know this time we focused on the men's and women's basketball season, but there's so many other sports and so many other opportunities."
 
The Golden Grizzlies Pantry provides food assistance to students through the Student Emergency Relief Fund. Please apply for the Student Emergency Relief Fund if you need assistance.