LOMA AI rouses Rizzly the Grizzly

When LOMA designed and executed a new mascot for Mt. San Antonio College, he came complete with a full slate of supporting brand assets.

Extending the foundational 2-dimensional artwork, we’ve elevated the vision into a dynamic 3D extension that combines good ol’ fashioned in-house imagination with state-of-the-art AI-driven visual effects.

AI has quickly moved from novelty to necessity, but the real shift is not about speed or volume. It is about focus. When used with a clear creative point of view, AI becomes less of a shortcut and more of a design partner to help refine ideas before they reach production.

For this project, LOMA’s philosophy was “Direction first, tools second.” Employing a combo of selected platforms and proprietary tools, we built storyboards that focused on mood, pacing, and visual hierarchy (rather than polished end frames). ‘Prompt refining’ played a critical role in this phase, starting with creative exploration and progressively tightening direction around camera movement, lighting and emotional tone. Each pass refined raw outputs into intentional visuals that aligned with the larger story.

Modern design is still about traditional fundamentals—contrast, rhythm, restraint and narrative matter. But an AI workflow helps teams iterate on those fundamentals faster, especially in motion and cinematic framing. Per Bryant Mayberry, LOMA’s Art Director, “We approached AI more like directing than prompting, using Veo 3.1 to shape atmosphere and pacing through refined inputs.  Higgsfield really helped us curate consistent visual assets that stayed true to the brand’s creative intent.”

According to Project Lead Brian Gurriell, “The biggest takeaway is this: AI rewards strong creative direction. The clearer the intent, the stronger the result.” When designers lead with vision and refine prompts with purpose, AI becomes an extension of the creative process, not a replacement for it. The future of modern design is not human versus machine. It’s a new level of teamwork, elevating both creativity and efficiency.

Thus, here’s Rizzly, in all his Grizzly Glory. He’s a fun guy—but what a game face!