How We Work
The Mascot Design Process
Five stages, eight to twelve weeks, and four points where the work stops until you approve it. Here is exactly what happens between your first message and a mascot in your hands.
Before you start
Total time
8 to 12 weeks
From confirmed brief to delivery. Overseas orders add one to eight weeks of freight depending on destination and method - air freight is available when a date is fixed.
What you provide
Artwork, or nothing
Adobe Illustrator format is preferred if you already have artwork. If you do not, our design team creates the character from scratch - no existing artwork is needed to begin.
On a deadline
Rush available
We can compress the schedule where a date is fixed. Express fees apply and we tell you what they are before you commit, not after.
The five stages
Week numbers are typical. Your quote carries a dated schedule, not this range.
Weeks 0-1 - Consultation and brief
We listen to your objectives, your audience and where the mascot will actually appear. If you have artwork, send it. If you do not, this is where the character starts from a conversation instead.
Weeks 2-3 - Character and technical design
Our digital artists produce professional design options for you and your team to review and comment on. Once the design is settled we translate it into precise technical drawings of the character in the round, and discuss mobility and function before anything is built.
Week 3 - Material proposal and quote
We recommend fabrics and materials against how the mascot will be used, and quote to that specification. Size, complexity, materials and quantity all move the figure, and larger runs lower the per-unit price.
Weeks 3-6 - Production
The build runs in our own workshop. Photos and video come to you mid-production for inspection, and fabric is verified against Pantone charts and your brand guidelines while there is still time to correct it.
Weeks 7-12 - Fitting and handover
Fitting tests vision threshold, mobility, comfort and design accuracy. Our mascot consultant attends the first delivery locally; overseas clients receive a video guide. If something fails, we agree a fixing period with you rather than shipping it anyway.
Four points where you decide
The work stops at each of these until you are happy. They are the cheapest moments to change your mind.
The brief
What the mascot is for, before any design work begins
Design options
Concepts to comment on and revise before they are finalised
Technical drawings
Signed off by you before anything is cut
Materials and colour
Fabric and Pantone verified against your brand guidelines
What you get at the end
A mascot built to your technical drawings
Not an interpretation of a flat logo. The drawings you approved describe the character in the round, and the build follows them - which is why the mascot matches the character your audience already knows.
A performance bodysuit and internal fans
Both included in the standard package rather than sold as extras. In a tropical climate they are the difference between a performer who lasts an event and one who does not.
A one-year warranty
On most standard mascots, with a working life of three to five years depending on how often it is worn. Replaceable parts and washable linings are built in so a worn suit is a repair rather than a replacement.
Someone who answers afterwards
Refurbishment, cleaning, storage and repair are all things we do. A mascot that gets used needs looking after, and we would rather maintain ours than watch it retire early.
Common Questions
How long does the whole mascot design process take?
Eight to twelve weeks from confirmed brief to delivery, covering consultation, design, technical drawings, material selection, production and fitting. Overseas orders add one to eight weeks of freight depending on destination and method. Your quote includes a dated schedule rather than this range.
What do I need to provide to get started?
Ideally artwork in Adobe Illustrator format, plus a sense of what the mascot is for and where it will appear. If you have no artwork at all, that is fine - our design team creates original characters from a brief, and no existing artwork is required to begin.
Can you design the character from scratch?
Yes. We offer full character design and development, so the process can start from nothing more than your brand guidelines and a conversation about what the character needs to do.
Can you work faster if we have a fixed date?
Usually. We can compress the schedule where a date is fixed, and express fees apply - we tell you what they are before you commit rather than after. Air freight is also available for overseas orders on a deadline.
What do I approve along the way?
Four things: the brief, the design options, the technical drawings before anything is cut, and the materials and colour against your brand guidelines. Production does not move past any of them until you are happy.
What happens if the mascot does not fit properly?
Fitting exists to find that out. We examine what failed and agree an additional fixing period with you before the mascot goes into service. It is not signed off simply because it has been delivered.