Project Mess Hall

Two Photoshop-designed patches created using core design principles for potential use at Mess Hall Truck Shop in Athens, GA.

Project Date: Spring 2026

Project Overview: This project involved designing two original patches in Adobe Photoshop for Mess Hall, a local Athens hat bar. One patch was required to celebrate Athens, while the other allowed me to express my own personal creative style. Both patches were built around core design principles with the goal of creating designs that could realistically be worn and sold in the Athens community.

The Problem: Mess Hall Truck Shop is a growing hat bar with a location in Athens, additional storefronts, and an online shop, all centered around helping customers express their identity and interests through embroidered patches. As a student, this project brings a fresh perspective to their patch lineup with a new original design. The ultimate goal is to create patches that Mess Hall can offer so customers feel a genuine sense of connection and personal expression.

The Solution: Before starting the design process in Photoshop, I first explored the Mess Hall website to analyze what types of patches they offer and what was missing, as I did not want to create a design that already existed or did not align with their brand. I then began sketching on my iPad using basic shapes, keeping the design as simple as possible to allow for the best detail and contrast in the final embroidered patch.

For the first patch celebrating Athens, I originally planned to focus on the Herty Field Fountain. However, after sketching on my iPad and attempting to build the design in Photoshop, I realized the fountain contained too much detail to translate well into a patch. Because of this, I shifted my focus to something simpler, the Arch. The Arch is an Athens and University of Georgia staple made up of basic shapes that work well within the constraints of a patch and core design principles. I also incorporated the phrase “Go Dawgs,” commonly used by UGA fans, above the Arch to bring in the UGA culture.

Initial iPad sketches exploring layout, shape, and detail options for the Athens inspired patch.

For the second patch, which allowed for full creative freedom, I wanted to focus on a concept that had not yet been done before. Because of this, I decided to create a religiously themed patch design. Although this patch may not be for everyone, it provides an opportunity for customers to express their beliefs in a creative way. The patch features the text “WWJD,” meaning “What Would Jesus Do,” set in a bold sans-serif font. The design itself was created to resemble a stamp, which proved to be a new challenge as I had never created a stamp design in Photoshop before and required some additional research. The color palette consists of two shades of pink, my personal favorite. Because this patch allowed for more creative freedom, I built the design directly in Photoshop without any initial sketches.

Results: Ultimately, I am very happy with the outcome of both patches. These are designs I could actually see myself wearing on a hat, and the feedback I received in class was thoughtful and affirming. The biggest lesson I took away from this project was that simplicity is sometimes harder than it looks. Although both designs are minimal, keeping a patch visually interesting while learning a new platform like Adobe Photoshop proved to be a real challenge. If given the opportunity to revisit these designs in the future, I would experiment with different patch shapes beyond traditional formats to add even more personality to both the patches and the hats themselves.

The image above is my final Athens inspired patch representing the Arch.

The image above is my final creative freedom patch, featuring a stamp inspired design with the text “WWJD.”