CrossFit Atlantic — Logo Design & Brand Identity

A bold, distinctive logo design for CrossFit Atlantic, a fitness gym blending CrossFit training culture with South African coastal identity. The challenge was merging multiple symbolic elements — CrossFit equipment, Cape Town’s iconic landscape, Atlantic Ocean waves, sunrise imagery, and South African national colors — into a cohesive, memorable mark. This was one of the most competitive contests I’ve entered, with 75 designers submitting entries. After multiple refinement rounds and close collaboration with the client, my design was selected as the winner.

Project Overview:

Project Type:

Logo design and brand identity system

Challenge:

Create a unique logo that authentically represents multiple distinct themes simultaneously:

• CrossFit workouts and training culture
• CrossFit gear and equipment (barbells, kettlebells, rigs)
• Cape Town cityscape and geography
• Atlantic Ocean and sea waves
• Sunrise/dawn imagery
• South African flag colors and symbolism

The logo needed to work across digital platforms, gym signage, apparel, and marketing materials while remaining clean and recognizable at any size.

Research Phase:

Extensive research into:

• CrossFit branding conventions and visual language
• Cape Town landmarks and coastal geography
• South African symbolism and flag elements
• Fitness industry logo trends
• Ocean/wave design motifs
• Sunrise color gradients

Design Direction:

Bold, athletic typography paired with an icon system merging CrossFit equipment silhouettes with Cape
Town’s Table Mountain outline and stylized ocean waves. Color palette drew from the South African flag while maintaining modern fitness brand aesthetics.

Solution:

• Created a distinctive wordmark with strong, geometric letterforms
• Designed custom icon merging CrossFit barbell with mountain and wave elements
• Integrated South African flag colors thoughtfully and subtly
• Ensured versatility: full logo, icon-only, horizontal, stacked
• Provided multiple colorways (full color, monochrome, reversed)

Deliverables:

• Vector logo files (Adobe Illustrator .AI and .EPS)
• High-resolution raster files (PNG with transparency, JPG)
• Multiple logo variations (horizontal, stacked, icon-only)
• Color specifications (RGB, CMYK, HEX codes)
• Usage guidelines document
• Social media profile versions
• Apparel mockups

Result:

Won against 75 competing designers in a highly competitive contest. The client’s testimonial called me “by far one of the best graphic designers” and praised my patience, politeness, and willingness to go “out of the way to satisfy requirements even after completion.” This became a repeat client relationship.

What The Client Said

“It was indeed a pleasure working with Faruk. He is by far one of the best ‘Graphic Designers’. Please do check his profile as he can help in vast range of Graphic Designing / 3D works / Web Site Designing needs. Very polite, exceptionally patience and will go out of the way to satisfy your requirement even after completion of project. I am going to use him from now on wards for all my requirements.”

— Hatim K. (@LadiesGents), CrossFit Atlantic (Saudi Arabia)

Design Challenges Solved

Challenge 1: Too Many Symbols

With 7 distinct elements to represent (CrossFit, equipment, Cape Town, ocean, waves, sunrise, South African flag), the risk was visual clutter. The solution? Strategic merging — combining barbell shapes with mountain silhouettes, integrating wave motion into letterforms, and using flag colors as accents rather than literal reproductions.

Challenge 2: Athletic Yet Elegant

CrossFit branding tends toward aggressive, heavy aesthetics. But the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Town elements required elegance and fluidity. The final design balanced strength (bold letterforms, geometric shapes) with flow (wave curves, gradient sunrises).

Challenge 3: Versatility Across Mediums

The logo needed to work on:

• Gym signage (large format, from distance)
• Apparel (embroidery, screen printing)
• Social media (small profile images)
• Marketing materials (flyers, posters)
• Digital platforms (websites, apps)

Solution: Created a modular logo system with multiple configurations that maintained brand consistency across all applications.

The Competitive Edge

With 75 designers competing, standing out required not just design skill but strategic thinking about what makes a fitness brand memorable. By deeply researching CrossFit culture and South African identity, I created a logo that felt authentic to both — not generic fitness branding.