As lead designer for Avocado Fest 2026, I created the full identity for USD Dining's fall festival, from the mascot and T-shirt to the posters, screens, social posts and contest pieces that brought the day to life. I mentored two of our student designers through the project, who picked up details like printing the contest team cards, and I photographed the event too.
Creative Team
Design Lead: Claire Teters
Design Support: Frances Wuebben
Design Support: Natalie Rein
Creative Director: Loryn Johnson
The idea
The race car is a nod to this year's F1 races on Coronado, and the #49 on the car is for 1949, the year USD was founded. I put an avocado in sunglasses behind the wheel, crossing a University of San Diego finish line under the palms while a crowd of smaller avocados cheers it on. That scene became the T-shirt and the anchor for everything else.
Exploration
I tested the mascot in a range of colorways, from navy line art to an all green version on dark green, before landing on navy and bright blue over a soft avocado green that felt fresh and still read as USD.
Getting the word out
From there the system rolled out across campus: 24x36 posters and flyers, horizontal and vertical digital screens, an email header, three sets of Instagram posts and a short promo video. The checkered track became a graphic band that tied every piece together.
The contest
For Guac Around the Kroc, the student avocado toast contest, I gave each of the ten teams its own avocado character on a name card, and my student designers printed and prepped the cards for the day. Contestants, judges and staff all wore the event T-shirt.
The survey
I also designed the survey graphic that invited guests to rate the food samples for a chance at Campus Cash and a T-shirt for them and a friend.
The result
131 guests filled out the survey, about 58% students and 41% faculty and staff. 92% said the food brought them the most joy, followed by the outdoor atmosphere at 57%. I photographed the festival as well, and the full album lives on USD's Flickr.
