"The 'GO"

Custom illustration & design for limited-edition gallery prints and apparel

To commemorate the involvement in—and trip to—the annual HOW Design Conference, RDQLUS has produced custom artwork to be featured on t-shirts the last several years. The artwork is always geared toward paying homage to the host-city and celebrating some of the obvious (and not so obvious) points of interest. This edition is squarely aimed at the city of Chicago IL and telling a visual story in the form of a gallery print and tee design.

The 'GO limited-edition "Wrigley" & "Soldier" tees

Based on a new shortened slang for the city of many monikers (Windy City, 2nd City, Chi-Town), "The 'GO" bears a very strong, progressive sound and inferred meaning. And yes, the pun is intended. The artwork featured a stylized bear, giving a little love to the city's two teams that can claim similar mascots. The bear hovers above the word "GO" loosely resembling the famous Chicago Theatre neon sign. Inside the "O" are flames representing the fire that brought the city to the brink of extinction in its infancy, as well as the knowledge and wisdom born out of such tragedy. The municipal flag of The City of Chicago is nestled under the lettering. Two dates of establishment are shown as well as the phrase "So Nice They Built it Twice" alluding to the true meaning of the nickname '2nd City'. The lower portion is framed by a set of vesper flourishes to give a nod to the other nickname of "Windy City."