NYU Blanket
An iconic design that embodies everyday college life at NYU Shanghai.
Year
2023
Scope
Merch / Print Design
Client
New York University (NYU) Shanghai
Designed in 2023 as the university's welcome gift to incoming freshmen, the blanket proved so popular among students that it has become a recurring annual gift, given to every incoming class since.
The design features 540 icons printed across the blanket, more than 350 of them custom-made. Since digital life is central to the student experience in Shanghai, the icon set includes the full range of apps students would encounter day-to-day — both Chinese and international — from Alipay and WeChat to the everyday tools of studying and living in the city.
Woven into the icon field are the university's Magnolia emblem and the four Chinese characters representing the classical "Four Arts" — Qin (zither), Chess (strategy), Calligraphy, and Painting — recurring themes throughout Orientation.
