What does failure feel like at Princeton?

There is so much s*** to get done at Princeton…everyone seems to have it together and there is
no room to fail.

In an entrepreneurship course on creativity and design, we were challenged to address a real student need. At Princeton, that need was clear.


Students face constant pressure across academics, social life, and career paths, yet rejection is rarely talked about openly. Instead, it is internalized, making failure feel isolating rather than shared.

— A distressed Princeton student

Princeton Resilience

Network

Reframing rejection through humor, design, and shared experience.

Initial Concept : Discussion Forum

Why it didnt' work:

  • Concept felt too similar to platforms students already used


  • Lcked emotional resonance and did not feel engaging


  • Was unlikely to create the kind of participation needed to build real community

We realized the solution needed to feel lighter, more visible, and more human

The Sticker Campaign

Turning rejection into something shareable

Instead of asking students to open up online, we brought the conversation into everyday spaces. We designed a series of stickers inspired by common rejection experiences at Princeton, using humor and cultural references to make failure feel relatable and even worth sharing.

The stickers were a small but meaningful reminder that failure is part of the process and not the end of the story.


It’s refreshing to see rejection reframed in such a positive, creative way. These stickers are amazing!


I put one on my water bottle and people keep asking where I got it - who knew rejection could be this entertaining?


Student Reactions