Logo, Mascot & Character Design
I design logos, brand mascots, characters and character-based visual identities for companies, organisations, institutions, events and campaigns. Projects range from a focused logo or standalone mascot to a complete visual system designed for print, digital media, signage, merchandise and animation.
My background combines illustration, character design, graphic design and creative direction. That is particularly useful when a project has to work beyond a single image: a mascot may need expressions, poses and applications; a logo may need to function across very different formats; and sometimes the strongest identity combines both.
Every project is developed specifically for the brief, from initial concepts and sketches through refinement and final production artwork. No stock mascots, template characters or AI-generated imagery.
Three Related but Different Design Problems
Logos, mascots and brand characters can belong to the same identity, but they do different jobs. The design process starts by understanding what the organisation actually needs rather than deciding in advance that every project requires the same solution.
Logo design
A logo has to identify quickly and remain recognisable at very different scales. I develop original marks, wordmarks and graphic identities with practical applications in mind from the start.
Mascot & character design
A mascot has to do more than look appealing. It needs a clear personality, recognisable silhouette and enough flexibility to work in different poses, expressions, situations and media.
Character-based identity systems
Some projects need both identity and storytelling: a logo, mascot, typography, colour system and supporting assets designed to work together across campaigns, events, education or public communication.
Selected Logo, Mascot & Character Projects
The projects below show very different uses of identity and character design: global digital branding, international sporting events, public exhibitions, workplace safety and organisational identity.
CHARACTER-LED GLOBAL BRANDING
Google Doodles & Kangaroodle
In 2000, I became the first official Google Doodle artist. My work included the Sydney 2000 Olympic Google Doodles and the Kangaroodle character.
The challenge was unusual: transform one of the world’s most recognisable logos without losing its identity. Illustration, character and event storytelling had to coexist with the underlying Google wordmark, creating something playful and temporary while remaining unmistakably Google.
This early work is an example of character design functioning directly inside a major brand system rather than simply being placed beside it.
INTERNATIONAL EVENT MASCOT
Smoony — FIS Alpine World Ski Championships St. Moritz 2003
Smoony was the official mascot for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz in 2003.
The character was developed for real event use across signage, staff clothing, merchandise, promotional material and licensed products. That meant the mascot had to remain distinctive whether reproduced as a large-format event graphic or as a small object in a retail environment.
This is where mascot design becomes a system rather than a single drawing: proportions, silhouette, expressions and applications all have to remain consistent across many different uses.
PUBLIC EVENT CHARACTER SYSTEM
Expo.02 — Swiss National Exposition
As lead mascot designer for Switzerland’s national exhibition Expo.02, I created the main mascot and supporting characters for the four themed exhibition sites, or “arteplages”.
The characters formed part of a wider public-facing identity and needed to work collectively rather than as isolated illustrations. Each had its own personality while still belonging to the same overall event world.
The project demonstrates one of the more demanding sides of mascot development: building not just one recognisable character, but a coherent family capable of supporting a large national event.
CORPORATE SAFETY CHARACTER
Oskar — seele GmbH
Oskar was created for seele GmbH, a specialist façade engineering company, to make workplace safety communication clearer, more memorable and more human.
The character was developed for training material, presentations, signage and animated communication. Instead of relying only on rules and warnings, Oskar provides a recurring visual voice that can demonstrate behaviour across different situations.
This is a good example of mascot design being used as a practical communication tool rather than purely as promotional branding.
LOGO & ORGANISATIONAL IDENTITY
AN2V — France
For AN2V, France’s national association for video protection and smart-city security, I developed a strategic rebrand and 3D logo system.
The work included animated logo versions and an editorial identity framework for the organisation’s publication PIXEL. Unlike a mascot-led project, the emphasis here was on institutional recognition, consistency and a visual identity capable of working across digital, editorial and presentation contexts.
It demonstrates the other side of this page: identity design does not need a character. Sometimes the right solution is a strong graphic system with enough flexibility to support the organisation over time.
Designed to Work Beyond the First Image
A good logo or mascot has to survive real use. It may appear on a website one day and a building, uniform, package, presentation, publication or animated sequence the next. That practical requirement should influence the design from the beginning rather than being solved after approval.
For character projects, I consider silhouette, recognisability, expressions, poses, scale, reproducibility and future applications. For logos, the emphasis includes clarity, proportion, typography, colour, reduction and consistency across different media.
I work directly with clients from briefing and first sketches through refinement and final delivery. Depending on the project, final artwork can include vector logo files, mascot master artwork, character poses, expression sheets, colour specifications and production-ready assets for print, signage, digital communication, merchandise or motion.
[PLACE IMAGE HERE: development sequence showing sketches → refined character/logo → finished application]
More Logos, Mascots & Character Design
A broader selection of logo designs, mascots, brand characters and visual identity work for companies, public organisations, events and campaigns.
Click any image in the gallery to enlarge
Logo Design and Mascots, Character Designs
Studio-style bottle mockup for Domaine Les Tuileries Cabernet Sauvignon. The image shows the red varietal accent, custom hand-drawn winery logo and illustrated rooftop scene as a finished packaging concept. This is a presentation mockup, distinct from the photographs of the produced wine bottles.
Bottle presentation mockup for Domaine Les Tuileries Chardonnay. The image highlights the label’s green accent system, custom winery logo and pen-and-ink illustration in a polished conceptual view. It is a designed mockup used to present the label, not a photograph of the bottle at the domaine.
Final Chardonnay label artwork for Domaine Les Tuileries. The black-and-white pen-and-ink illustration is accented with green in the varietal name, character details, wine glasses and selected elements of the hand-drawn logo. The image combines packaging illustration, character drawing and custom lettering in a deliberately light, humorous style.
Composite presentation visual for the Domaine Les Tuileries wine label project. The image combines the custom logo, the central rooster-and-bird illustration and a photograph of produced bottles, summarizing the project’s three main aspects: lettering, illustration and printed packaging.
Logo and visual identity design for Écurie Adelphie, a high-end luxury automotive business. The identity combines a shield emblem with a stylized EA monogram, automotive key and black, white and blue color palette. Logo design and graphic development by Ian David Marsden.
For Expo.02 in Switzerland. I was hired to design the official mascot and all characters for all arteplages of Expo.02, so back in 2001 I was flying back and forth from my studio in Santa Monica to the various towns where the expo arteplages were being built, working on dozens or hundreds of designs. In the end it was all pretty much ready to go - and then in the last minute the event management was completely changed and they threw all the existing material overboard and started from scratch. They turned the mascot and character design into a contest, where I then once again ended up in the final 2 chosen designers - but finally only made second place.
Detail of the original Domaine Les Tuileries winery logo created by Ian David Marsden. The logotype was drawn in ink as a piece of lettering-illustration, with irregular forms, small flourishes and a lively line that connects directly to the character artwork used across the labels.
Déclinaison du logo Pic Saint-Loup – mon païs sur hoodie bleu marine. Le grand marquage dorsal montre comment l’identité graphique s’adapte du petit logo textile à une composition beaucoup plus visible, tout en conservant la silhouette caractéristique du Pic Saint-Loup.
Portfolio slide showing character design and mascot illustration by Ian David Marsden. The image includes Smoony, the official mascot for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz 2003, alongside character-led illustration and logo work for Dingase Delights, Jelly Bop and neo4j. This image supports the homepage category for character design, mascot illustration, cartoon characters, brand mascots and expressive visual identity.
Illustration vectorielle réalisée pour Chanzy Automobiles à Sauteyrargues, dans l’Hérault. Ce visuel regroupe des illustrations stylisées de la façade du garage, de deux véhicules vintage emblématiques (Renault Estafette et Renault 4CV), ainsi que du logo principal et d’un pack complet d’icônes vectorielles personnalisées. Projet de branding graphique conçu pour mettre en valeur un artisan local à proximité de Claret et Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers, au cœur de la région de Montpellier.
Vector art presentation showing decal placement on all sides of the vélo-taxi for Les Héritières de Bacchus. Includes visual planning, sponsor logos, and official salon typography. Created by Ian David Marsden for professional print wrapping.
Illustration originale en noir et blanc créée pour le logo tee-shirt de la fête votive de Quissac VIELE, à l’occasion de son 90e anniversaire, 1936–2026. Le dessin intègre l’église de VIELE, des scènes taurines, des personnages de fête, le comité des fêtes et une composition circulaire adaptée à l’impression textile. Projet réalisé par Ian David Marsden, graphiste, illustrateur et directeur artistique basé à Claret, près de Montpellier et du Pic Saint-Loup.
Commissioned by the town of Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers in Hérault (Occitanie, France), this original bee character was developed as a full-color mascot to represent local community values and youth engagement. Designed by Ian David Marsden, the vector artwork was translated into 3D for use in public signage, official communications, and municipal campaigns promoting biodiversity and civic pride.
Official logo and mascot design selected for the 2017 International Board of Directors (IBD) meeting of Mensa International, hosted in Nice, France. The concept features a witty, character-based logo with a brainy Frenchman and iconic symbols of intellect and creativity.
Alternate version of the Munchkins logo featuring the same bowler-hatted mascot holding a martini glass. Developed for the bar and cocktail menu of the Culver Hotel’s in-house restaurant, referencing Hollywood legacy and quirky charm.
Final logo design for Munchkins, a themed restaurant inside the historic Culver Hotel in Culver City, Los Angeles. Features a whimsical character mascot inspired by the Wizard of Oz, holding a red fork and knife to represent dining. Designed by Ian Marsden for hospitality and entertainment branding.
Branded sushi variant of the Munchkins logo used at the Culver Hotel, showing the playful character with red chopsticks. Part of a unified restaurant identity system with themed logos for different menus. Designed to appeal to film lovers and foodies alike.
Stylized branding concept for the OMT nightlife division of O Mas Troquet, featuring the logo digitally branded onto a photo of the actual bar counter wood. Flames and texture effects evoke warmth and intensity, merging real materials with graphic illustration in Photoshop.
Application du logo Pic Saint-Loup – mon païs sur T-shirt blanc. Identité visuelle conçue par Ian David Marsden, graphiste et illustrateur près de Montpellier, pour cette nouvelle marque de vêtements inspirée du territoire du Pic Saint-Loup dans l’Hérault.
Full visual identity and graphic design for the board game PILLAGE, including logo, game box, character cards, and in-game assets. Created for a fantasy adventure game with strong French cultural roots, targeting board game enthusiasts in France and Germany.
Studio-style bottle visualization for Domaine Les Tuileries Pinot Noir. The mockup presents the label design in a controlled view, with the hand-drawn logo, violet varietal accent and illustrated rooftop scene clearly visible. This is a presentation image rather than a documentary photograph of the produced bottle.
A vibrant, digitally illustrated hand lettering composition created for a music-themed t-shirt and album cover. Inspired by Americana road signs and 1970s typography, this custom type artwork features stylized characters, color gradients, and flourishes designed for screen print and digital merchandise use.
Cartoon Birthday Friar pushing a carved wooden cake trolley with birthday cake, gifts and balloon. Created by Ian David Marsden for the New York Friars Club website, the artwork combines mascot design, hand-drawn cartoon illustration and animation-ready vector artwork, with the trolley based on reference from the club interior.
Humorous cartoon Friar character wearing a chef’s hat and walking two lobsters on leads. Created by Ian David Marsden as part of a New York Friars Club website illustration and animation project, the image shows the playful mascot-style approach used across the club’s custom Friar character system.
The Art & Strategy of Professional Mascot Design
I was interviewed by Swiss national broadcaster SRF3 about professional mascot design: briefing, character development, practical applications and what makes a mascot work across different contexts.
Language: Swiss German.