A- The difference between Logo and Mascot

The fundamental difference between the University’s logo and mascot is that the logo is the official symbol of the institution that defines its identity. Whereas, the mascot is the casual representation of the culture, the vision, and the spirit of the people who belong to that institution.

A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol of the University itself. Whereas, the Mascot could be an illustrated character or a thing that best represents the University’s students and their vision. The university mascot is more a symbolic representation of how the students see themselves belong particularly to the university.

The difference between the logo and the mascot could be understood as similar to the difference between an official name and the casual nickname of a person. The mascot is more about concept or quality. The logo is more an official symbol that defines and refers to a specific institution.

The mascot should be based on a backstory.

B- What makes a good mascot backstory?

- The proposed design must consider the history and culture of the community, city, and organization.

- The mascot design should belong to its context and reflects its identity.

- The mascot should relate to the members of the institution and reflect their common ground identity.

- Incorporate your organization's values and visions into your mascot's backstory.

- Carefully choose the elements of the mascot to create the best mascot backstory.

- The proposed design to be flexible in use in all what can be included in the University’s bookstore. (please see examples in section d)

- Have fun with it!

c- Understand the competition.

Before you get started, look at what the competition organizers are up to. If you need to design a mascot for a university, look at to their requirements, vision, history, field of education, and what the institution is up to. Look at the context where the university is placed, see the history of the city and examine the culture, identity, and the history of its nation.

And, please check the logo and mascot of other universities, for example:

1- Harvard University

2- University of Cincinnati

3- Columbia University

4- The University of Illinois at Urbana

D- When and why to use a mascot