Updated: CCAD Responds to CCAD Alumni & Students Responding to New Mascot

CCAD unveiled a new mascot which has been met with disdain and criticism from students and alumni.

Introducing CCAD’s first mascot! https://t.co/JfAATYx0mB pic.twitter.com/VDzT8nVsqA

— CCAD (@CCADedu) February 21, 2017

The design was created by a student designer during a winter break project and was voted on by a panel of non-artists. Joe Blundo of The Dispatch even weighed in as part of a panel to review five owl designs.

“My vote and the bulk of the others went to CCAD junior Sam Pickett for her Colby character, a male snowy owl. Her entry described Colby as a “studious avian” (one of the deans clapped in approval) who dresses in a red CCAD hoodie (even Ohio’s mascots have to dress in layers).” Blundo wrote on The Dispatch article.

The problem according to many alumni and students, is not that a student designed a logo, it is that it didn’t undergo any criticism or revisions and is a poor representation on CCAD. An enterprising student even went so far to critique it himself:

@CCADedu 5-minute breakdown. good idea for a mascot, poor execution. how does this rank u among other elite design schools? #aprilfoolsornah pic.twitter.com/NgOoZzoIrQ

— Jukebox Knucklehead (@JukeboxColumbus) February 21, 2017

@CCADedu I would add that the student bears no fault. Official mascot should be done by pros &highly scrutinized. This represents all of us!

— Jukebox Knucklehead (@JukeboxColumbus) February 21, 2017

Another alumni wanted to reiterate that the student is not at blame, but the art school.

“I mean it’s not her fault, if I was a junior or whatever I would have made something equally as bad — but damn the school shouldn’t have let that gone through, or if they were going to go with that concept, critique that shit some more.” A CCAD Alumni & Design Major said. They asked to be anonymous. “I want my name attached to nothing on this Earth.”

Some alumni felt excluded from the process so we contacted them to see if they would be willing to interpret CCAD’s call for a new mascot/logo — check out the results below and vote for your favorite in the comments.

“Pullin All Nighters Since 1879”

By Patrick Kain – CCAD Alumni / Animation

“Depressing little owl”

By Kaylee Davis — CCAD Alumni / Illustration 

“I don’t want to hurt the student’s feelings. Just CCAD’s”

By Jenny Hinkle — CCAD Alumni / Animation

“Graphic D esign is my passion!” – CCAD 2017 pic.twitter.com/xtYEWHUQua

— Jenny Wales (@DuchessOWhales) February 21, 2017

CCAD has responded to the criticism on their website — see below for full statements.

“We learned a lot today when releasing a design sample of our new mascot. We learned about unofficial past mascots (we’re looking at you, Crabs, All-Knighters, and River Otters). We learned that we’ve taught our alumni well and they still eat, breathe, and sleep the critique process, and we’ve learned that people have super strong opinions about mascots.

To recap, students at CCAD wanted a mascot, and the Student Government Association stepped up to respond. Representatives from the Student Government Association talked to students, sent out an online survey, put out a call for designs from students, and worked with student groups and CCAD community members to select the winner from the talented Sam Pickett (Illustration, 2018), who is being paid for her work.

This task — especially at an art and design school — is no small feat, and may help explain why it has taken 138 years for CCAD to adopt a creature to represent our school.

Of course, as artists and designers, we’re always open to critique. Thanks to those who have chimed in to offer constructive criticism. As this student design is turned over to CCAD’s Marketing & Communications team and we ready it for official use, we’ll take that feedback into account.

In the meantime, thanks again for caring so much about the CCAD community. And thanks to the CCAD family members who responded with their own interpretations of the mascot like this ode to former CCAD President Joseph V. Canzani from Nigel Ewan (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2014): ”

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