Volume 3–5: Building CityEvoke (City Evoke) — From First Logo to First Sample

Volume 3–5: Building CityEvoke (City Evoke) — From First Logo to First Sample

Over the past few weeks, I’ve taken you behind the scenes of my creative journey — and in this blog post, I’m diving deeper into Volumes 3 to 5: how I developed the CityEvoke (City Evoke) logo, searched for the perfect blank shirt, and started preparing my first real sample.

Volume 3: Designing the Logo That Defines the Brand

My very first logo idea about a year ago for CityEvoke (City Evoke) was made on my phone using Picsart. It had purple on top and hot pink on the bottom and mixed it to make a gradient, italicized with a slice through the letters, and a lens flare in the middle. The capital “C” and “E” stood out to reflect the brand initials. I was trying to give it that neon, city-pop, cyberpunk vibe, inspired by anime aesthetics and the worlds I loved growing up.

The “slice” idea came from Zoro’s Three-Sword Style from One Piece and Kirito’s blitz attacks in Sword Art Online. The dramatic moment right after they cut through something. That’s what I pictured: them slicing through my logo like it was part of their world.

But when I tried putting it on my website, it didn’t feel right. It looked blurry, complicated, and the drop shadow looked bad. It made no sense to add a drop shadow, so I had to remake it on Illustrator. For a while, the logo looked good, but the more I look at it, I felt like changing it. It only grew more when I tried to put it on a shirt, it didn’t fit. Didn't feel trendy, cool or versatile.

That’s when I started looking for inspiration from Pinterest, TikTok, and actual y2k-style brand logos. I came up with something fresh: a bubble-style full logo and a clean CE crop logo. It was versatile, timeless, and something I could see on real designer clothing. I could even create a hand gesture with “C” over “E” to represent the brand, almost like a symbol people could use to represent CityEvoke (City Evoke).

Volume 4: Finding the Right Shirt

Once the logo was locked in, the next challenge began: finding the perfect blank shirt.

I started last year by ordering a sample from a print-on-demand site. The result? Cheap material, poor cutting, and a dark, dull print that ruined the vibe. The lines around the hair and handwriting were off, and it just wasn’t wearable. It was also one of the main reasons I had to change my logo completely.

Next, I bought blanks from eBay. But they literally came with an Anko tag inside, even though the listing claimed it was tagless. The quality was alright, but that logo couldn’t be removed.

Eventually, I tried using one of my own 300 GSM shirts, something heavyweight with a designer feel. But due to equipment delays and last-minute rush for SMASHCon, I had to print it overnight with no experience using a heat press, sublimation and Cricut. The result was bad. Shiny, dull, blurry… and the design didn’t match the vision in my head. I wasted a great shirt, but it helped me understand exactly what I wanted.

We then bought a 230 GSM oversized tee as a sample. It looked nice, but it was too thin and too long. That’s when I knew: 300 GSM, boxy fit, black color. That’s the blank that fits CityEvoke (City Evoke). It needs to feel heavy, premium, and hold the meaning behind my art.

Volume 5: My First Real Sample

For Volume 5, I wanted to take a step forward, not just talk about CityEvoke (City Evoke), but show it taking shape.

I narrated the video myself, guiding people through what I was doing as I worked on a sample shirt. The goal was to give a raw, behind-the-scenes feel. No big production. Just me, sketching and planning out my first real design.

The shirt I used was a 200 GSM oversized blank. It’s not the final one I’ll sell, but more of a trial to wear around and promote the brand. I started by laying it flat, pinning it in place, and mapping out exactly where I wanted the CityEvoke (City Evoke) logo to go on the front. Then I visualised the back, placing paper mockups and walking viewers through my thinking.

One important detail: I marked where I’d crop the hem to create a boxier fit. Closer to the 300 GSM shirts I eventually want to use. It’s all about getting the look and feel right, even at this early stage.

The design itself was simple and intentional, just the logo and a phrase that captures what CityEvoke (City Evoke) stands for. This wasn’t the time for complex art or heavy graphics. It was about planting the brand’s identity clearly and confidently.

Even though I haven’t printed anything yet, the process felt real. I could picture how it’ll look once it’s finished. I could imagine people noticing it, and asking about it. That’s the energy I want CityEvoke (City Evoke) to carry.

This sample shirt will be something I wear everywhere, to training, to events, even in everyday life. Hopefully get my friends and family to wear a sample as well to promote as well. It’s my walking billboard. And it’s only the beginning.

CityEvoke (City Evoke) is my way of bringing art to the streets. Not just to be worn, but to be felt—by people who connect with anime, creativity, and bold self-expression.

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Want to see a glimpse of my early art journey in action?
🎬 Watch the Instagram Reel here.
It captures some of the moments that inspired me to launch CityEvoke.

👉 Follow the journey and upcoming launch at cityevoke.com
📺 Watch how it all started on YouTube: DrawIsMyMiddlename
🎨 And if you’re holding a pencil or stylus right now, chasing a wild idea—keep going. That’s exactly how this all started.

 

Thanks for reading my story.

— Jordan Miles Roman

Founder of CityEvoke