How to Design a Mascot Logo
First off… What is a Mascot Logo??
It’s what you get when a logo and a cartoon character fall madly in love 😛 , spend one unforgettable night together… And nine months later, boom: brand baby.
Just kidding, a mascot logo features a custom character as representative of a brand. It combines the fun and approachable feel of a mascot design and the simplicity of a logotype.
Let’s dive into this field that, as fun as it is, is challenging from a technical point of view.
When it’s good to use a mascot logo?
It works great for B2C businesses like sports teams, food brands, gaming, personal branding, and family businesses. Why? Because it’s a magnet for attention, builds connection, and makes people remember you.
… and when it is not good?
- You need to look institutional or risk-averse: If your brand relies heavily on authority or compliance. Like a bank, government agency, or insurance firm, using a mascot can feel off-brand (unless that contrast is intentional).
- You want a quick, low-effort solution: Good mascot branding requires multiple variations and layouts. If you’re still figuring out your brand voice, audience, or values, it may be better to hold off until those foundations are clear.
- You want a purely abstract identity: mascots are figurative by nature. If your brand is built around abstract ideas, a mascot might add too much narrative.
- Your brand needs to project neutrality or anonymity: Some companies want the focus on the product or service. If your goal is to keep things visually timeless and free of personality, that intentional ambiguity might not fit with the mascot’s expressiveness.
- Your communication is strictly formal B2B: industrial suppliers or consultancy firms, for example.
Mascot Logo vs Mascot Icon vs. Mascot Design: What is the Difference?
I won’t bore you with technical jargon—let’s keep it intuitive.
A mascot logo combines a simplified mascot illustration (the icon) with branding elements like typography (the lettermark), following all logo design principles: it must be simple, versatile, iconic, and memorable.
A mascot icon is a simplified version—usually just the head or a simplified full body pose—used in small formats like social media avatars, app icons, or favicons, where space is limited but visual identity must remain strong.
A mascot design, on the other hand, focuses solely on the character and is often used across marketing, packaging, and digital media as a brand element. It’s more of an illustration than a logo, so it’s best used in larger formats like packaging, ads, or marketing materials. Scaling it down often means losing important details.
The mascot logo as an individual design element is outdated. Nowadays in mascot branding we tend to think about a design system.
Common Mascot Logo Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
I’ll be honest; it took me a few years to understand why my initial approach to mascot logos used to fail. I still struggle to merge strong illustration with solid logo design principles.
There are usually two types of creators in this space:
- Graphic designers who understand how to build scalable, versatile logos but often lack visual impact resulting in very generic mascots.
- Illustrators who create stunning artwork but fail to simplify it enough to work in all possible scenarios.
Let’s break down the most common issues.
My Mascot Logo don’t scale well
Mascot characters often look great on big applications like billboards or van wraps, but they weren’t built to work at smaller sizes. When reduced to an app icon or social media avatar, details get lost and the character becomes unreadable. This is where the mascot icon gets into the scene.
Remember to use the right brand element for each format.
My Mascot Branding doesn’t work in 1 color
If your mascot logo falls apart when converted to 1 color or when used very small, that’s a problem. Logos should be adaptable and still recognizable with no gradients, textures, or color. A strong mascot logo must work across all formats: full color, flat, monochrome, embroidery, and print, without losing its identity.
Remember the mascot is just another asset. It is completely fine to use only the lettermark when the conditions are so restrictive that the mascot logo won’t look good. Nowadays the applications are so diversified that it is time to think about branding kits and not just about a single logo!
Notice how simpler the logo is; the bigger it looks within the same area of application, so it’s more readable.
My Mascot logo scale down well but look generic when used big
Some mascot logos are technically well designed: nice clean lines, good proportions, and simple shapes. They work great as an icon, but they don’t stand out or build any emotional connection, which makes them forgettable. For certain industries this is a no-go.
Steps in the Creation of a Mascot Icon
This section shows my full process for creating a mascot icon—from the initial brief and idea generation to sketching, structure, and final refinement using grids.
Briefing
Every mascot project starts with clarity. Before I draw anything, I need to understand the brand, the audience, and the message. If you’re not sure how to write a design brief, this article on how to brief a designer covers the essentials—even if you’re not a creative professional.
Brainstorming
This used to be the messy, creative part: gathering references, sketching out loose ideas, and exploring different directions. Now, with the help of AI tools, I can spark quick visual concepts early in the process. It’s not about finding the final look but about opening up possibilities before narrowing things down.
Sketching (theory)
In this video, I walk you through the step-by-step creation of a mascot icon—focusing on structure, balance, and proportions. I use the classic method of overlapping circles and basic shapes to build a strong foundation before adding any detail.
Sketching (practice)
This is the same process shown in the previous video, but applied to a real project. Instead of explaining each step, I focus on drawing—so you can see how those principles work in practice when the flow is more natural and intuitive.
Using Grids for refinement
In this video, I take a loose sketch and translate it into a clean, precise structure. Using grids, circles, and proportion rules, I show how to refine each line until the mascot icon feels balanced, consistent, and ready for vector work.
If you want to dive deeper into this method, here’s a detailed post on how I use grids in mascot logos.
If you want to dive even dipper, this book about Grid Systems in Graphic Design is a good start.
Here are a few mascot icons created by following the steps above. For more examples, feel free to browse the full mascot logo gallery.
How to Integrate a Mascot into a Logo
Throwing a cartoon character next to some text doesn’t make it a logo.
If you want it to work, the character needs to feel part of the logo, not just stuck on. That means thinking about format, size, and how it’ll be used. Sometimes it’s just the head. Sometimes it lives inside a badge. Sometimes the mascot sits out completely—and that’s okay too.
Below, I’ll walk you through different ways to integrate a mascot into a logo—starting from the most compact and versatile to the more complex setups used in larger formats.
Head icon separated from lettermark
A super simple and versatile setup. The mascot head stands alone as an icon, while the text handles readability. It works great in small formats and keeps the branding clean.
Full-body mascot separated from lettermark
A slightly more complex setup. Using the full-body mascot adds expression and movement, but it needs to be simplified to stay readable at smaller sizes.
Mascot head integrated with the lettermark
The mascot head is integrated into the logo, making it visually strong but slightly less flexible. It’s a more complex setup, though elements can be separated when needed.
Mascot icon inside the lettermark
The mascot icon replaces part of the text. It’s a riskier setup, as legibility can suffer if not done right. It’s always a good idea to have a simplified version without the mascot for smaller applications.
Half-body mascot next to the lettermark
Detailed half-body pose, placed beside the wordmark. It’s bold and expressive, ideal for high-impact visuals, but the complexity means you’ll need simplified versions for smaller applications.
Half-body mascot in a badge layout
The mascot and logo are combined as a complex badge. It’s great for packaging, signage, and branding kits, but it’s not scalable. Always pair it with simplified alternatives for flexibility.
Examples of Real Mascot Branding
You’ve heard the theory—now let’s look at some real-world applications. Below are a few mascot logos I’ve created for clients across different industries. Each one balances personality with usability and was crafted to work both as a character and as a brand asset.
Mascot logo for plumbing company
The Water Heater Guy is a trusted plumbing company in Southwest Florida that offers superior and reliable repair service.
Fast food restaurant mascot Logos
Shawarmaize sells premium shawarma in its street restaurant. Discover an eye-catching cartoon logo and a team of mascot logos.
Mascot logo for soccer club
Al-Wehda Club is a multi-sports club team from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, founded in 1945 and recently promoted to first division in KSA.
If you’re curious about how this style fits your business, take a look at my custom cartoon logos—a more playful and flexible approach to branding.
What Makes a Great Mascot Logo?
In order to create a good mascot logo, you need to be extremely good at logo design and at illustration, which is not very common, as the skills are even antagonistic.
The best solution I found so far is providing a brand identity kit with different brand elements for all possible scenarios. This way you get the best of both approaches.
Kevin. Smith
Posted at 11:16h, 04 AprilGreat content Sergio. How can I learn how to draw like this?
sergio ordonez
Posted at 12:20h, 04 AprilYou are welcome, Kevin. It is all about practice!
Keep in mind I have been drawing since I was a child and I have drawn professionally for 20 years, so there are no shortcuts.
This said, those short exercises can speed up your learning process: https://www.sosfactory.com/drawing-lessons-cartoon-characters/
At the end of the post you will find some extra educational resources.
Cheers.
Sergio