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Brand Identity · Logo Design, Typography, Illustration

MilDot Apparel

A hand-lettered logotype for a military-inspired apparel concept, drawn from veteran culture and optical design.

Angular black MIL DOT wordmark with mirrored letterforms divided by a horizontal line and accented by two bright pink dots.
Pencil sketches on lined paper: a list of possible brand names (The Outfit, Team One, Post Exchange, TA-50, Squadron, Brigade, Supply Room) and two lettering sketches of MilDot, one with a star and one with a reticle line and dots.
Six digital variations of the MilDot wordmark in heavy black angular letters crossed by a reticle line with red or gray dots; the last is white lettering on a black panel.
Refined MilDot wordmark in heavy black angular letters with a vertical reticle line through the I and a horizontal line carrying three red squares beneath the word.
Gray snapback cap seen from behind and the side, with the black MilDot wordmark and red dots embroidered on the side panel.

Project Details

Logotype Design

I designed a hand-lettered logotype for a military-inspired apparel concept. The mark uses type as its primary visual element: legible at a distance, readable at small scale, and grounded in a military aesthetic.

Research

The concept drew from military-inspired clothing lines such as Article 15, Grunt Style, and Nine Line. I explored a range of potential names rooted in military terminology: The Outfit, Team One, Post Exchange, TA-50, Squadron, Brigade, The Supply Room, and MilDot.

Ideation and Sketches

I settled on MilDot: a unit of measure used in weapon system optics. As part of the naming process, I researched whether MilDot was already being used by an apparel brand. My research at the time did not identify an existing brand using the name.

A mood board collected brands whose visual language aligned with the direction I wanted to explore. I produced two preliminary sketches. The first closely resembled the "GI Joe" brand; not necessarily a problem, given the military audience. The second sketch replaced the lines and star with a reticle cross and mil-dot marks, the way they would appear through a scope.

Digital Concepts

I traced the preferred sketch and refined it digitally, paying close attention to legibility, proportion, and the balance between the letterforms and the reticle elements.

The color palette is minimal: black and white as the primary colors, with a single red accent for the mil-dot marks. The red references the reticle and adds a bold, functional detail without competing with the logotype.

Revisions

I reviewed the type design and adjusted the letterforms for consistency: equalizing stem widths, tightening spacing, and ensuring the reticle cross did not overpower the wordmark. These refinements made the logo feel more polished and intentional.

Final Design

The final mark was produced as an embroidered logo on a baseball cap, the way it would appear on actual apparel. The project deepened my understanding of how lettering and illustration work together as a unified visual identity; and how much a careful reduction can communicate.

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