Meet the Ambassadors of Two Nerdy Cats: How Two Illustrations Became a Brand

Every brand has a story. Ours began with two cats, countless late-night conversations, and a shared love for everything nerdy. Two Nerdy Cats was born from something deeply personal: a mix of passion, creativity, love for cats, and a lifetime of embracing who we are.

In the beginning, the idea started to take shape thanks to a joint project between Natalia and Donald, childhood friends who dreamed of building something together: she with her talent for graphic design, and he with a business vision. At the same time, Cassandra and Donald, a married couple, were talking about the possibility of creating their own brand inspired by their cats and their nerdy lifestyle. Those conversations, combined with Natalia’s creativity, eventually gave life to Two Nerdy Cats as we know it today.

Our designer, Natalia

Out of that mix came two characters that now represent everything we are: Cece and Dom. They are not just drawings or decorative mascots; they are the heart and personality of our brand.

Cece and Dom: The Feline Faces of the Brand

To understand who Cece and Dom are, you have to think of them as more than just characters. They are living representations of how we see the world, the balance between our personalities, and the little things that inspire us.

When we first imagined them, Cece and Dom weren’t exactly who they are today. At first, Cece was going to have a more human vibe: Cassandra pictured her in a feminine dress, with glasses and even hair. However, we quickly decided she needed to preserve the essence of a clean, pure cat design — though we always knew she would be a calico, because Luna, the real-life cat who inspired her, is a calico too.

Luna - Cassandra and Donald's cat that inspired Cece's design

The final design of Cece

Dom, on the other hand, was originally thought of as a gray tabby, inspired by Spike, Cassandra and Donald’s other cat. But in the end, he became a black-and-white tuxedo cat, directly reflecting Donald’s personality: his dark hair, his love for black t-shirts, and that spark that makes him stand out in everything he does.

Our founder, Donald, and his cat, Spike - The inspiration behind Dom

The final design of Dom

The result of this process was a pair of characters with clear, complementary identities. Dom is the tireless, curious one. He has an energy that pushes him to explore, experiment, and constantly ask questions. His passion for learning makes him the cat who can’t stay still: full of spark, enthusiasm, and that constant “what if we try this?” mindset. Dom is pure energy, reflecting the part of Donald that loves science, technology, and anime, and who is always looking for ways to bring ideas to life.

Cece, by contrast, is the perfect balance. She is calm, gentle, and sweet. She represents the quiet of an afternoon spent reading, the warmth of a handmade crochet piece, or the joy of a shared video game session. Cece mirrors Cassandra’s cozy spirit: caring, creative, and tender, but also firm and passionate in the way she builds.

Together they form a balance — and it’s in both that union and contrast where our brand identity is built.

The Inspiration Behind Cece and Dom

Two Nerdy Cats wouldn’t exist without Cassandra and Donald, the humans behind the brand. They are the real inspiration for our feline ambassadors.

Cassandra (left) and Donald (right), Two Nerdy Cats owners

Cassandra is a nurse by profession, a software developer by choice, and a cat mom by calling. Her world is full of nature, crochet, books, and video games. And in the middle of it all, Luna (a calico) became the muse who shaped Cece. From Luna, Cece inherited her tenderness, her colors, and that calm aura that defines her character.

Donald, on the other hand, is a true mad scientist. His background in chemistry made him curious by nature, and that curiosity has only expanded into technology, anime, video games, and software development. He is the spark behind Dom: the energy that never runs out, the enthusiasm that spreads, the passion for experimenting and endlessly creating.

It’s no coincidence that Cassandra and Donald also have two cats in real life who inspire them daily. Luna and Spike walk across keyboards, knock things off desks during work sessions, and serve as daily companions. They’re a part of this project as much as we are, reminding us that it was born, above all, from love for felines.

Cece and Dom: Beyond the Logo

The moment we saw Cece and Dom illustrated for the first time was unforgettable. Going from imagining them, talking about their personalities, naming them, and suddenly seeing them drawn was a proud and emotional moment. That first “awww!” reaction confirmed that we hadn’t just created characters — we had brought to life the future ambassadors of our brand.

Our admin assistant, Manuela, seeing our logo on a tote for the first time!

Although Cece and Dom are the ambassadors of Two Nerdy Cats, their role goes far beyond appearing on a logo or design. They represent everything we want to share:

Cece is comfort, sweetness, and calm. She’s the hot cup of coffee waiting for you in the morning, the crochet you work on while listening to music, the cozy refuge in the middle of chaos.

Dom is curiosity, energy, and spark. He’s the improvised lab in the kitchen, the thrill of a new project, the laughter from a favorite anime, the drive to always build and learn.

When someone sees Cece and Dom on a product, they’re not just looking at a pretty drawing: they’re seeing our story, our passions, and that little piece of us we want to share with the world.

From Drawing to Brand: Building an Identity

The interesting part about Cece and Dom is that they didn’t start out as just illustrations. From the beginning, they were designed with strong, distinct personalities to reflect a brand identity. That wasn’t as easy as it sounds — the biggest challenge was figuring out how to tell their stories both individually and together in a cohesive way.

Cece is a cozy, home-loving cat, passionate about reading, cooking, crochet, and crafting. Dom, in contrast, thrives on science and technology. We wanted those differences to be clear, but we also wanted to show how much they share: a love for food, anime, video games, and, of course, endless curiosity and whimsy.

There was also a key detail: we wanted them to be both “cute” and “cool.” Finding that balance in their design was one of the trickiest parts of the creative process.

Today, when we talk about Two Nerdy Cats, we’re not just talking about print-on-demand products. We’re talking about a space that celebrates curiosity, creativity, comfort, and — of course — love for cats. Brand development is about that: taking a small idea and breathing life into it until it has its own personality, voice, and values. Cece and Dom helped us achieve that. They are the way we connect with people because they represent moods and passions many share — from the excitement of science to the pleasure of staying home with a book and a cup of tea.

How We See Cece and Dom As a Team

For us, Cece and Dom are more than ambassadors: they’re travel companions. Every time we work on a new design, a new product, or a campaign, we like to think: "What would Dom say?" Or, "How would Cece experience this?".

It’s our way of keeping the brand spirit authentic and consistent. And most of all, it reminds us that we love these characters because they are a part of ourselves.

A 3D printed Dom that Natalia made out of love for the character

Meet the Cats — Meet the Brand

One of the fondest memories from their creation was seeing them express emotions for the first time. Natalia drew several versions of Cece and Dom with different expressions: happy, surprised, curious, sleepy. That was the moment they truly came alive, because those faces conveyed so much more than a static drawing. We loved them so much that some of those versions ended up on mugs and shirts — and to this day, they remain some of our favorite designs. You can check out one of our favorites here!

So, the next time you see a tote with Cece surrounded by flowers or a t-shirt with Dom in his lab, remember: it’s not just a design. It’s part of a story that began with two cats, two nerdy humans, and a strong desire to share what we love.

Cece and Dom are not just ambassadors of Two Nerdy Cats. They are the very essence of what we believe, what we build, and what we love.