SteerCo members sport the hooded sweatshirt, standard T-shirt and gold crewneck sweatshirt.
Oct. 19, 2022
Contact: Deidra Ashley, ashleyde@missouri.edu
Photos by Hanna Caldwell
Homecoming at the University of Missouri is more than just historic — it’s iconic. For 111 years, Homecoming has been a time for all Tigers to come together, rekindle old friendships, serve our communities and renew our spirit.
For years, T-shirts featuring the Homecoming logo have been available for purchase at The Mizzou Store. This year, the offerings have expanded to include sweatshirts, quarter zips, cups, koozies and more.
Behind this year’s logo design is MU Advancement’s Jon Mueller. For 10 years, Mueller has contributed his talents to Mizzou’s biggest annual events including Mizzou Hall of Fame, Donor Recognition Weekend, Mizzou Giving Day and more. Read on to learn more about his process and inspiration for this year’s Homecoming logo, and be sure to visit the Mizzou Store this week to get your HoCo merch.
Jon Mueller
When do you start working on each year’s logo design?
I have designed the Homecoming logo for the past four years. My work with SteerCo begins after the theme is selected and approved. In late March, I sit down with the SteerCo public relations committee and have a brainstorming meeting to discuss the theme they have chosen. Following the meeting I’ll dig deeper for inspiration, then once I have a few solid ideas in place I’ll begin developing the concepts.
What’s your design process?
I work in Adobe Illustrator, and I usually come up with two or three logo concepts that I present to SteerCo. Because the logo will be featured on apparel, social media and in ads, etc., it must maintain a certain level of simplicity and balance. No matter the use, my goal is to make the Homecoming logo design unique and memorable each year.
How did you incorporate the theme into this year’s logo?
As I worked through the design process, I considered the possibility of focusing on the town angle using various illustrated campus buildings. I quickly discovered that direction was too complicated and complex for our needs.
In the end, I decided it worked best to focus on using paint as a graphic driver along with the iconic Mizzou Columns as the primary graphic element to represent the university.
I also put a focus on making the graphic circular in shape so that it would work well on social media as well as T-shirts and buttons. When I was considering font choices, I found inspiration from vintage signs and graphics. I wanted the word “Gold” to stand out a bit more than the other text, so I gave that word emphasis by making it bigger and by using a different font than the rest of the wording. To give the impression of paint I also added some texture to the logo.
What is it like seeing your designs on merchandise people wear?
Being a part of this tradition has been a dream come true. Seeing the artwork on display around campus and in The Mizzou Store never gets old.
What Homecoming tradition are you most looking forward to this year?
For the past few years, I have volunteered to work the Homecoming parade. My wife, Michelle, and our two girls, Vera and Macy, usually find a spot near me on the parade route so we can experience the event together — Michelle and I love to see our girls building Mizzou memories. Following the parade, I'm looking forward to tailgating with friends and watching the football game.
Story written by Akira Potts
