The Beating of the Drum, the Launching of the Ducks, Purple Pancakes and the L.V. Risinger Bonfire are just a few of the Tarleton Homecoming traditions that students and alumni look forward to each year. Once COVID-19 struck the nation, the fate of Tarleton’s Homecoming was at a stand still.
However, that did not stop Tarleton from holding one of the most memorable homecoming celebrations in a long time. For those that believed this homecoming was the pot of gold at the end of the COVID-19 rainbow, 239 designs has a treat for you.
This small sticker business has been working non-stop to recapture some of Tarleton’s favorite homecoming traditions. Kendall Johnson, Jordan Duzich and Cassidy Allen are the brains behind the operation and they are making their mark on Tarleton State University one sticker at a time.
Cassidy Allen is the two in 239 designs. She is a junior accounting major who is in charge of marketing and communications for 239 Designs. Her favorite tradition is the Purple Poo because she feels their presence makes being a Texan so much more fun. Her contribution to the business stems from her experience in accounting and marketing.
“I am in charge of marketing and communications, which means I manage the social media account, go through all the purchase forms and reach out to the customer when the order has been confirmed, packaged and is ready to be picked up,” Allen said.
Jordan Duzich is the three of 239 Designs. Duzich is an accounting major whose role in the small business is inventory and research analysis. Her favorite tradition is the L.V. Risinger Bonfire that caps off all of the Tarleton Homecoming shenanigans.
“My main focus is business management and market research. I’ve created all the spreadsheets that record order processing, inventory and financial records. To me, that is the backbone and what allows us to run as efficiently and effectively as we do. Also, I will ask people what something that you would like to see on a sticker and keep a recollection of different collection ideas and inspiration,” Duzich said.
Kendall Johnson is the nine in 239 Designs. Johnson is currently a sophomore medical laboratory science major whose favorite Tarleton tradition is the Yell Contest. Johnson is in charge of designing all of the stickers which consists of drafting sketches, figuring out color schemes, and making sure the quality of the stickers is good.
“I’ve always loved making art but never found a platform to share with people. But not too long ago, Cassidy, Jordan and I were casually talking about how we wished there were more Tarleton stickers and we realized I could design some. Our seemingly nonchalant conversation grew more serious, and we began drafting ideas. With homecoming just around the corner, I began creating homecoming-inspired stickers with every spare minute of my day. After designing, printing and even running into a few complications with the Cricut cutter, we finally had our first collection,” Johnson said.
239 Designs is currently the only non-Tarleton affiliated sticker business that creates custom designs for staff, students and alumni. There are currently nine custom designs available on their Instagram that are all a part of the Homecoming collection.
“When we were brainstorming our name, I’m not that creative of a person, so I figured Kendall or Cassidy would figure it out. To help get the juices rolling, I was just throwing out awful names like Art by Kendawg or Kenssdan [a combo of all of our names]. Then, I remembered how much we all resonate with our enneagram numbers and Cassidy is a two, I’m a three, and Kendall is a nine; so combining them together I was like how about 239 designs as a total geek joke. But then Cassidy was like, “Wait that rhymes…” and then we knew that was it,” Jordan Duzich said.
Ordering online is as simple as unlocking your phone and visiting Instagram. 239 Designs is now taking orders for their new Duck Camp collection.
“Online sales have been phenomenal ever since we opened. I was in complete shock while watching order forms just keep piling up. It was exciting, overwhelming, and terrifying all at the same time. Being in charge of communications, I was texting over 30 people at the same time just our first day of launch, and it was insane. Communicating with everyone was honestly so much fun, I definitely wouldn’t want it any other way,” Allen said.
“Students and supporters will be able to place new orders very soon! We are currently revising the form to prepare for a little something new. If anybody missed the homecoming collection this year, don’t worry we’re bringing them back for fall 2021,” Johnson said.
For more information about 239 designs, visit @239.designs on Instagram. For students, staff and alumni that wish to order online, go to: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYDmMyle4m-i4ejkmdafptiRFLijbwsbOIIMrb6dBUVirngQ/viewform.
Remember Texans that you can support small businesses by shopping at local and family owned stores!