EARTH ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Merchandise Overview

  • Merchandise typically includes items for academic advertising and outreach activities, such as swag, stickers, flyers, and educational items.

Process of Creating Merchandise

  • Request Initiation: Request for new merchandise, such as a bandana for an event, received two weeks prior.

  • Graphic Creation: Graphics created quickly (1-2 hours).

  • Production Timeline: Bandana delivered the day before the event, indicating a production time of less than two weeks.

Types of Merchandise Items

  • Common Items:

    • Bandanas (used for identifying groups at events)

    • Water bottles

    • T-shirts

    • Hand lenses (specific to geological uses)

    • Pens (including laser pointers and hand sanitizers)

    • Stress balls

  • Special Projects: Occasionally funded through grants, like the NSF REU program, which includes backpacks with promotional items.

Design and Development

  • Sources of Designs: Created from scratch, except for branded word marks which are from Rice's branding guidelines.

Challenges in Merchandise Production

  • Design Constraints: Collaboration between graphic visibility and merchandise size.

  • Quality Control: Variation in merchandise quality; some items may not meet expectations (e.g., stickers on items are prone to peeling).

Successful Merchandise Items

  • Hand Lenses: Notable success due to their uniqueness and practical use in geological investigations compared to typical promotional items, ensuring they stand out.