RA360: Door Dec Design and Ideas
TL;DR
Door decs are one of your first opportunities to begin building community. Good door decs help make the residence hall environment more personal and less sterile. They help residents learn names, start developing relationships, and can act as conversation starters.
This resource page curates ideas and tips for door dec and door tag design. It also includes examples of door decs created by resident assistants and other student staff members at colleges and universities.
Why Door Decs?
Door Decs are a great way to start building community. Although they are pretty decorations, which in itself is an important goal, they also serve other purposes:
- Learning Names – Door decs help residents learn the names of their neighbors.
- Building Relationships – Knowing a neighbor’s name can help facility conversations and connections.
- Celebration – Door decs are an opportunity to celebrate and highlight members of your community.
- Learn About You – The design and effort you put into your Door Decs can help residents learn more about you as their RA or student staff member.
Depending on their design and intention, door decs can also facilitate resident sharing of passions, interests, and different aspects of their lives. Think about how you can make your door decs interactive.
What’s In A Name?
Door decs are likely the first introduction your residents will have to you and your community. Making sure you’re using the correct name on their door decs is essential. When you receive your community roster at the beginning of the year, make sure it includes the preferred or chosen names instead of their legal names. This is also a great opportunity to begin learning about how to pronounce names (an equally important task).
Roompact Door Dec Contest Submissions and Winners
Roompact runs a Door Dec contest every year which gives student staff at schools that use our software the opportunity to win prizes for their efforts. Below, check out the past winners (and all of the entrants) to get ideas for your own door decs.
Getting Started With Ideas
So you’ve got to make door decs… where do you even begin?! This post will give you some ideas to help get your tarted, including:
- Choosing a theme.
- Deciding on materials. (It doesn’t have to just be paper.)
- Allow your residents to personalize them.
- Include interactive elements.
Plus, it share some ideas to help you be more efficient, especially if you have A LOT to do.
Random Door Dec Idea Generator
Tap the door to reveal an idea for your next name tag set.
Check out this categorized, filter-able, searchable database of all sorts of ideas to get you started!
Pinterest Door Dec Examples
Pinterest can be an excellent source for ideas related to door decs. Many more than we could possibly include here. The following are just a few of many curated example boards you’ll find on the topic. Search for things like “RA Door Dec” and “RA Door Tag”.
Greening Your Door Decs
Finding Zero-Cost Door Dec Materials
From Around Campus
- Print shop scraps – Ask for leftover cardstock or offcuts.
- Old event flyers & posters – Colorful, eye-catching backgrounds.
- Outdated maps & brochures – Great for themed designs.
- Last year’s student newspaper – Headlines, photos, or typography elements.
- Bulletin board borders – Trimmed into frames or shapes.
From Departments & Offices
- Theater/costume shops – Fabric remnants and textured scraps.
- Art department – Canvas offcuts, paper samples, paint swatches.
- Library – Damaged books or magazines for patterned pages.
- Admissions – Outdated promotional materials with high-quality printing.
From Daily Life
- Cereal boxes & food packaging – Sturdy cardboard or pop-art prints.
- Old calendars – Themed photos, seasonal art, or scenic images.
- Gift wrap scraps – Festive patterns for birthdays or holidays.
- Envelopes with patterned linings – Subtle backgrounds for names.
Door Decs Throughout The Year
Want your door decs to stay noticed long after move-in? Small updates throughout the year show that the community is active and that someone is paying attention, which can make a big difference in how residents feel about where they live. The following are some low-effort strategies to keep your door decorations fresh, interactive, and community-building all year long. Tips that will make your hallway feel alive without adding to your workload.
- Seasonal Refreshes
- Community-Driven “Re-Dec” Events
- Interactive Features
- “Living” QR Codes
- Celebrate Your Residents Year-Round
“One thing you must balance as a student staff member is the amount of time and effort you put into these. Is a door dec that took 5 hours to make going to have a bigger impact than one that took 1 hour? Probably not. Remember to balance and pace yourself with your time management. Think through the goals of your bulletin boards and door decs, and craft ones that fit that purpose. If you’re not a particularly “crafty” person. That’s okay! A clean presentation done with intentionality is what matters.“
Other Sources for Door Dec Ideas
Questions To Ponder:
- What goals do you have for your door decs?
- How can you create a design that encourages those goals?
- What are some of the qualities of “good” door decs that you like?
RA360 Outcomes:
RAs and student staff members will be able to:
- Explain the purpose of door decs.
- Develop creative and purposeful door decs.
More To Explore
RA360 is a set of resources organized around skills, topics and competencies relevant to Resident Advisors and similar related student staff positions in college and university residence halls.
