Whether you are planning to design a school mascot or one for your sports team, picking out a great design is of paramount importance. Not only will this represent your organization or institution at every appearance that it makes, but it will also be responsible for encouraging fans, employees or members of a social group to rally round at various events.
Designing the ideal sports or school mascot can be very difficult, however, and there are now many professional mascot designers the world over creating unique and exciting costumes for their clients. There are, however, some important errors to avoid in order to walk away with the best and most memorable mascot costume possible.
The first common error is choosing to work with a company that does not specialize in producing mascot costumes for your particular sector, whether it is in sports, education or business. Each one of these has unique needs and attributes, and therefore an expert or a group of experts with knowledge and experience in the relevant domain is very important.
This does not mean that you cannot find a mascot designer that does not cover all of these areas, but they should have proven experience in your particular sector in order to be able to deliver you the best results for your field. To verify this, companies will often provide you with a portfolio of completed projects as well as case studies.
A second area where people tend to make mistakes in choosing their mascot design is deciding on a character before consulting with an expert in the subject. This is because designing a school mascot or a mascot for team sports is actually a complex endeavor which will require carefully analyzing the image you want to project and the design elements you want to incorporate.
It is a very wise idea to look into hiring a design expert to help you with the process of developing your mascot. Often, the suppliers and manufacturers of these costumes will do this as part of their services, but if not it is worth hiring some outside help if at all possible to add some professional perspective and help you come up with the ideal creation.
The third common error is to not check the quality of the costume before you order. This includes finding out who manufactures your costume and where it is made. Often, these kinds of costumes are complex and need to be made of very sturdy yet comfortable material. You will need to ensure that this is the case too for your particular costume.
In many cases, the designers and manufacturers of mascot suits will provide free samples of materials or will allow you to visit and experience the quality of their creations yourself. They may also guarantee that their costumes are handmade by specialists in the field, and you can feel free to ask for proof of this is you feel it is necessary.
The final common error that is made by those looking to purchase a mascot costume is sticking with the first design presented to you by a design company, regardless of its attractiveness, its practicality, or whether or not you think it has the 'wow' factor for your group or team.
As mascot is a real commitment- often they stay in place for decades at a time without modifying their design – you should therefore make sure that it is the right choice for you and your organization. If possible, ask the design company to provide a shortlist of potential designs so that you can choose the best one.
It is definite worth while consulting your team or a group of decision maker sat your organization or company before you decide on the final design. Not only will this get everyone involved in choosing a mascot, but it will also ensure that the most important people are having the final say on what is best for your team, business or institution.
