Designed by You, Worn by Us

How 129 submissions, one big night, and three winning students shaped the 3 new UNSW Founders tees.

*The three winning designers and their designs for the very first UNSW Founders Design Competition.*

What was the competition about?

Every community needs a uniform. Ours just had to be student-designed (duh.)

Earlier this year, we opened a challenge to our community: design the next official UNSW Founders t-shirt. No brief, no restrictions, just a blank canvas and a chance to put your creativity on something people would wear.

Three winning designs would be picked and turned into real, official merch. The rest? Bragging rights forever!

129 submissions!

We put out the call. Our students answered with 129 submissions. From first-years to postgrads across UNSW ADA. Every single one of them brought something different to the table, and honestly going through them all was such a vibe.

How did we pick the winners?

We kept it democratic; the UNSW Founders team voted on their favourite designs for two categories being the universal and the industry design. For the On-Campus design we took it to Instagram to have YOUR opinion.

It was a tough call. Three designs rose to the top – we finally got to show everyone why.

The showcase and the afterparty

Every submission deserved a wall. And so, we hosted the T-Shirt Design Showcase at MCIC, and the energy in the room was something else. Students, team members, and friends of the community gathered to celebrate the designers and their creativity!

The three winning designs were revealed on the night. And all three designers were in the room. The afterparty that followed had the vibes to match. Great people, great conversations, and a room full of people enjoying the exhibition.

“Organising a mini exhibition is something I truly value. As a designer, being able to see our work displayed, even without winning the competition, feels meaningful and motivating. It gives us recognition and a sense that our work is being seen and appreciated, which matters a lot for our growth” – Competition participant

And the winners are...

Nabila Vista – Universal

Vista is a creative designer and professional photographer from Indonesia, currently based in Sydney pursuing a Master of Design at UNSW. With a background in psychology and nearly three years of professional graphic design experience, she combines practical industry work with design theory and psychological knowledge to create compelling visual narratives. Alongside her design practice, she works as a festival, music, event, and graduation photographer for UNSW graduates, focusing on storytelling through captured moments. If you need someone who can design, think creatively, and capture meaningful visuals, she might be the right person to say hi to!

Celine Hu - Industry

Celine is a Marketing and UI/UX Design student at UNSW in her penultimate year. She designs with empathy at the core - understanding people's needs is what drives her, and visual storytelling is how she brings that to life. Her work sits at the intersection of design, technology, and business, and she actively engages with the startup and tech scene to make sure she's designing for the world as it's evolving.

Chloe Sulaturio - On Campus

Chloe Sulaturio is a student studying design and commerce at UNSW who actively seeks opportunities to expand her creative practice beyond coursework. She’s also been a practicing painter since high school, where her major work was pre-selected for the ARTEXPRESS 2024. Through this experience, she developed a love for vibrant, lively, and playful styles, which she strives to incorporate into functional designs such as the UNSW Founders T-shirt.

A massive thanks to everyone who submitted 🥹

All of these talented students put a piece of themselves into this community.

Whether your design made the final three or not, thank you. Genuinely

This community is better with you in it. Let's keep building.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Written by Manoa Primaux

21 April 2026