On creating a mascot for an art & design school

Courtesy of Karl Fekete (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2014)

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We learned a lot today when releasing a design sample of our new mascot. We learned about unofficial past mascots (we're looking at you, Crabs, All-Knighters, and River Otters). We learned that we've taught our alumni well and they still eat, breathe, and sleep the critique process, and we've learned that people have super strong opinions about mascots.

To recap, students at CCAD wanted a mascot, and the Student Government Association stepped up to respond. Representatives from the Student Government Association talked to students, sent out an online survey, put out a call for designs from students, and worked with student groups and CCAD community members to select the winner from the talented Sam Pickett (Illustration, 2018), who is being paid for her work.

This task — especially at an art and design school — is no small feat, and may help explain why it has taken 138 years for CCAD to adopt a creature to represent our school.

Of course, as artists and designers, we’re always open to critique. Thanks to those who have chimed in to offer constructive criticism. As this student design is turned over to CCAD's Marketing & Communications team and we ready it for official use, we’ll take that feedback into account.

In the meantime, thanks again for caring so much about the CCAD community. And thanks to the CCAD family members who responded with their own interpretations of the mascot like this ode to former CCAD President Joseph V. Canzani from Nigel Ewan (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2014):