Mascot Design

Professional Case Studies (PDF)

Illustration Case Studies – Behind the Scenes

PDF icon with illustrated case studies by Ian David Marsden, showcasing professional illustration and visual storytelling work

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with clients across France, Germany, Switzerland, and beyond on a wide range of illustration projects — from editorial and advertising illustration to logo and mascot design, UX interfaces, maps, product visuals, and comic-style storytelling. To make the process more transparent for potential clients, I’ve created a curated selection of downloadable PDF case studies — all accessible in one place.

Each case study walks you through the complete journey: from concept and early sketches, to final artwork prepared for specific use cases (RGB, CMYK, vector), all created by hand and delivered with transparent licensing and usage terms.

These projects show how I work closely with clients — remotely or in hybrid setups — across industry sectors. They reflect not only style, but structure, communication, and an efficient production pipeline grounded in decades of experience.

Selected Projects (with PDF Links):

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Designing the Official Mascot for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz

Designing “Smoony” — Official Mascot of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2003 in St. Moritz

Download Case Study (PDF)
http://marsdenillustration.com/PDF/casestudy-Smoony-marsden.pdf

In 2002, I was commissioned by the organizing committee of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz to create the official mascot for the 2003 event — one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of alpine skiing.

Blue-toned variation of the Smoony mascot illustration for branding materials.

This project marked a significant step forward in my career as an illustrator, introducing me to the field of mascot and character design at the highest level of international sports branding.

A Unique Creative Brief

Before I joined the project, the organizers had conducted a regional drawing competition among schoolchildren in the Engadin. The winning entry, created by a local student, was a charming and poetic character that combined the sun and moon — a symbol of energy, balance, and natural cycles.

My task was to translate this rough concept into a professional mascot suitable for wide-scale deployment across all visual and promotional materials. The resulting character, named Smoony (a portmanteau of “Sun” and “Moon”), was designed to express warmth, optimism, and high-altitude vitality. It also needed to remain instantly recognizable across a wide range of applications — from large-scale banners to miniature keychains.

Illustrated front view of Smoony, the official mascot for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2003, designed by Ian David Marsden.

From Sketch to Mascot

Working closely with the branding, event production, and licensing teams, I developed a complete character package that included:

  • Finalized full-color artwork and orthographic views (front, side, back)
  • Dynamic action poses for use on posters and signage
  • Artwork prepared for animation and broadcast
  • Licensing-ready files for merchandise: plush figures, pins, apparel, keychains
  • A simplified version for small-scale production and embroidery
Plastic keychain figure of Smoony mascot based on Ian David Marsden’s original design.

Smoony was widely used throughout the Championships: in television coverage, spectator areas, printed materials, and merchandising. A plastic keychain figure was produced using my drawings as the reference.

Smoony mascot illustration in dynamic ski pose, created for the St. Moritz FIS Championships by Ian David Marsden.

Radio Interview (in Swiss German)

Swiss Radio DRS3 (now SRF3) interviewed me about mascot design in general and my approach as a mascot designer

You can listen to the original interview here:

YouTube link:

Radio Interview with Swiss Mascot Designer Ian David Marsden - SRF3
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Marsden Illustration