Marching Charlie Logo System—A logo system created for my high school based on an illustration I created while I was still a student.
In 2026 I approached my former high school, Saint James School, to give a refresh to the "Marching Charlie" illustration that I had created for them during my senior year.
The mascot, named after the school headmaster's pet cairn terrier, Charlie, has recently become an unofficial mascot for the school. Thanks in part to my original drawing and a series of children's books about Charlie that I illustrated alongside the headmaster's writing, Charlie has come to represent the school through its merchandise, fan signs, and even an appearance in a school play as a cardboard puppet costume.
Having just graduated from RISD, I felt that I had learned much about design in general and wanted to see how I could improve upon my design from 2022.
The new vector illustration is not only higher quality but also far more legible at a smaller size, has sharper edges and a more energetic look that makes it feel like a true school mascot.
In the end I designed not only a full body logo, but a version with just the head and another from the waist up, allowing SJS to use the logo however they want and whatever variation suits them best.
Single color versions in black, white, and maroon were also created for special use, allowing even more flexibility.
The original illustration seen here was created in early 2022 when I approached the head of Saint James School's school store and asked if I could create a design to be printed on future merchandise.
After some sketching and back and forth communication, I came up with the "Marching Charlie" icon, inspired by classic, sailor-hat-wearing college mascots.
Shortly after, the head of the school store got me in contact with the manufacturer who produces most of the school's clothing. We then met with the manufacturer in person and discussed possible color ways, designs, and fabrics. Eventually we settled on the mockups for a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and production began.
Both items were very popular among the students in early 2022 and were featured on both the school store's page (@sjsschoolstore on Instagram) and the high school's main page (@onlyatsjs on Instagram).
After some sketching and back and forth communication, I came up with the "Marching Charlie" icon, inspired by classic, sailor-hat-wearing college mascots.
Shortly after, the head of the school store got me in contact with the manufacturer who produces most of the school's clothing. We then met with the manufacturer in person and discussed possible color ways, designs, and fabrics. Eventually we settled on the mockups for a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and production began.
Both items were very popular among the students in early 2022 and were featured on both the school store's page (@sjsschoolstore on Instagram) and the high school's main page (@onlyatsjs on Instagram).
A custom mug featuring the original design was later gifted to the headmaster, who now displays the mug in his office. To this day the mug is sold and the design has expanded to baby onesies too.
These mockups were created by me to give the school an idea of where and how this new system could find itself on merchandise in the school store. My hope is that these new designs offer a lot more flexibility and options for creating unique clothing items that will be cherished by many past, current, and future students.
The original Charlie passed away in late 2025, so in addition to his status as the school's unofficial mascot, hopefully I have done him justice in preserving his memory and one-of-a-kind attitude.
