Linnzi Rich, a senior majoring in interior and graphic design, now has an impressive line on her resume: designing the official tartan of The University of Alabama.

In October 2010, the College of Human Environmental Sciences held a contest for its students to design a tartan to best represent The University of Alabama. Rich won, and her design debuted this year as a scarf. It is sold at the University Supply Store, The Locker Room and The Shirt Shop.

Rich began her college career majoring in engineering. Always in tune to the technicalities of how things work, she thrived at the Capstone. After an internship at Shaw Industries, a textile producer in Georgia, Rich discovered her aptitude for creativity and design. She then decided to change her major to better fit her knack for both the technical and creative.

“I struggled with the ‘what ifs’ if I dropped out of engineering,” Rich said. “What would people think of me? Would I disappoint my parents?”

Rich encourages students to follow their interests regarding their majors.

“I would say jump into something if you’re the least bit interested,” Rich said. “If you find out you don’t like your major, change it. Do whatever sparks your imagination. Don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

After her warm welcome into the College of Human Environmental Sciences, Rich began to thrive. She entered into the UA Tartan Project, a contest held by HES to vote on and produce a new fabric to best represent The University of Alabama. Rich’s “We Are UA” design was chosen and is now printed on a scarf that can be purchased at multiple stores around Tuscaloosa. Bow ties and ties will be available for purchase in December.

“I was inspired to find a design that could relate to the University as a whole,” Rich said. “I used one line for each college within The University of Alabama. I focused on Denny Chimes and the four corners of the buildings that survived the Civil War using predominately crimson and white with accents of black and grey.”

Rich’s tartan design is registered with The Scottish Register of Tartans and was featured on the website computescotland.com.

“It’s really awesome,” Rich said. “Not a lot of people get a chance to do something like this. It’s really great for me to get my foot in the door and be established. It will be great to put in my portfolio.”

After winning the UA Tartan Project, Rich decided to continue to intern with Shaw, but this time, she chose to work as a designer in research and development. There, she was able to design her own line of carpet, inspired by what she calls “street geometry.” She likes to tailor each of her projects to the city in which it resides.

“I research the town and get inspiration from some aspect of the city,” Rich said. “I use lots of geometric patterns from road designs and manhole covers.”

Now, Rich works as a graphic designer at TuscaBlue, a local blueprinting service company. After graduation in May, Rich hopes to work designing textiles in a fabric house or design firm.

“Nothing is more important than making yourself happy,” Rich said. “That’s just what I’ve learned, bottom line.”