| Modern cartoon mascot's which are classified as corporate mascot, product mascot and social event mascot, has something in common with while different from traditional ones. Cartoon mascot has gradually formed a unique design methodology and form and played a great effect.Due to obvious difference among different industries and fields, the design of cartoon mascot has gradually been more closely related to the overall VI image and the publicizing method of the related brand or social event, as is reflected by following phenomenon. Firstly, the purpose of a branding or social event is the base of design of cartoon mascot. We can not just talk about its external image. Secondly, the vivid external image and a proper name is the root of design. The successful external images always can not be easily replaced and they have great impact on the communication of the names. Thirdly, the publicizing of mascot requires right way. Fourthly, the commercialization of mascot not only improves its commercial value but also increases the influence of the design itself. There are two ways for mascot's commercialization. One is to make the mascot as representative. For example, the professional cartoon production company or design house usually transfer their mascot into products by lending the image rights and or copyrights to those companies who need it. The other way is to transfer mascot into appendix products, so as to increase the influence of mascot and its commercial income.As the theory developing, the mascot designed locally has been booming ,How to find a meeting point with world trend has been a key issue for modern Chinese visual designers. First reason goes to the identification. For one thing, mascot is usually of the same name and similar images so it will be the easily the same as other mascot, which will not be distinguish and be doubted as faked ones. For the other thing, the wrong identification of mascot trigger people to doubt for the brand itself. So is the form. Firstly, the form is quite lack of imagination, ie, always tend to use educational image or animal of education meaning, which usually results in too simple and similar dullimage. The image is too specific and deprives audience of imagination, which is limited to the indication of the image itself. Secondly, the design and lines of mascot is not technically good enough but too good on technical drawing. Complex mascot s seem everywhere. Sometimes, simple image has more impression visually. Thirdly, the image can not be flexibly used. Too specific images are not easy to communicate while too abstract images easily cause confusion. Too complex meaning has been planted when design initially, which cause difficulty for communicating. Fourthly, the design lacks of culture meaning. Which better represent spirits, design language or design factors? Traditional design langue is not simply made up of design factors. Besides, the related products of mascot and no consideration of the commercialized mascot s' image also effect the efficiency of commercial operating.What new ideas does international advanced experience bring us? Identification: Virtual images and mascot design without specific culture will be the first priorities for mascot design. Form: Various ways of naming and designing. Capturing mascot's detail characteristics, the mascot is named and expressed. The outlines of the mascot has been verified and also get rid of the content's limitation and means more. Process of communicating and commercialization: The marketing strategy is more important than the product itself. Star mascot: Making mascot star is a special way of commercializing mascot, which is still at its very beginning in China while many foreign cartoon companies have provided us models to learn from. The success requires the operators of rich managing management experiences additionally. We can see from the successful cases the added-value to mascot, which can further push mascot design to a newly height.
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