Over the summer, we had in-depth conversations with our new head coach, who wanted his team’s culture to be at the heart of everything—from fan experience and signage to graphics and community engagement. His mantra, Shredville, was inspired by his Southern California surfing roots. (For the full origin story, check out the incredible three-part series by our talented videographers, Dan Ennis and Maxwell Thompson, on the UC Davis Athletics YouTube channel.)

When brainstorming design elements to bring Shredville to life, I explored several directions. Claw marks and scratches? Not quite—our mascot is a horse, not a predator. Waves and surfing? A bit of a stretch, considering Davis is landlocked, with the Pacific Ocean two hours away. Then, I landed on the idea of shredded paper—a fitting visual for the Shredville mentality. The challenge? Shredded paper is a staple in sports graphics, and I wanted something fresh.

That’s when I stumbled upon newspaper—though I can’t quite pinpoint how I got there. The texture, the rawness, and the storytelling aspect felt like the perfect fit. I loved crafting newspaper-style graphics using a random generator I found online, and I’m really excited about how the season’s visuals have come together so far.