Developed by Quinnipiac’s Integrated Marketing & Communications Creative Services team, the new design was created with the assistance of graphic design major Cynthia Pan, ’26. Pan is now in her second year as a design student worker with the creative team, which is led by Christine Smith, senior director of Creative Services and Project Management.

Under the guidance of Associate Creative Director Laura Ziegler, Pan was given the opportunity to shape the new Bobcat paw mark design.

“The primary creative direction for the new paw was to make it look more like an actual bobcat paw, while also exploring a fresh, dynamic approach,” said Ziegler. “Rather than creating something static, we wanted to infuse it with movement, energy, and a bit of attitude—and that’s exactly what we set out to do.”

As part of the university’s mission to prepare students for their future careers, Ziegler invited Pan to take on the project design.

“I saw this initiative as a great opportunity to bring Cynthia into a high-visibility project. I invited her to take a pass at the design to give her space to stretch creatively, and she came back with the foundation of a design I immediately loved.”

“It was great to be working in this collaborative environment, creating something together,” said Pan.

Pan said the Creative Services team has been tremendously supportive of her career aspirations.

“I’m so grateful to them for helping expand my skill set to not only just graphic design, but also UX [User Experience] design, which is the industry that I’ve expressed wanting to enter,” said Pan.

When it came to the task at hand -- blending the natural look of a bobcat paw with the inspirational spirit of Quinnipiac -- Pan did her research, including looking at current trends and graphics. She worked in Adobe Illustrator to develop three initial designs which she brought to the creative team for feedback.

“They liked the first design I made, and they gave edits and suggestions which were really useful. One of the first pieces of feedback was to make the claws sharper and longer to contribute to that fierceness we were trying to convey,” said Pan. “From a branding and marketing standpoint, exploring different options is always important. It’s a cycle of review and feedback, of making edits and showing it again until you feel confident enough to put it in front of the client.”

Ziegler said Pan brings her talent, energy and tremendous work ethic to every assignment.

“Cynthia is truly wonderful. She’s not only a pleasure to work with but also an absolute workhorse—she handles a large volume of work with incredible speed and skill. She’s a talented designer, someone I rely on heavily, and I deeply value what she brings to the team,” said Ziegler.

Pan said working with the professional team has given her a competitive edge.

“I’ve learned so much, everything from technical skills through pitching ideas, which is a really important skill to have in this kind of creative industry; because half of the work is the actual creating and the other half is being able to present your idea and to really articulate it,” said Pan.

The work experience also transfers to Pan’s role as Creative Director at The Agency, Quinnipiac School of Communication’s full-service student-run interdisciplinary firm.

“I see how Christine, our creative director, handles offering feedback, making sure all of the deliverables are aligned with the brand, and also making sure that the team is organized and on task; so I’m able to think about the way I navigate my creative director role through her perspective,” said Pan.

For Pan, the highlight of her Bobcat paw mark graphic design experience was the day she learned her work had the university’s approval as a new design to be included on university products and merchandise.

“It was super surreal when they told me the paw had been selected. Our original intent was to just say we had explored it; so it was really surprising! There were no words to explain my emotions. Leaving that kind of impact on the school is really exciting,” said Pan.