Grip Hub

Grip Hub was developed as a brand identity for a contemporary climbing centre.

Climbing brings together physical movement, problem-solving and a community of people who enjoy challenging themselves.

The project brings together a wordmark, a standalone symbol, a high-contrast colour palette and a set of branded applications, exploring how Grip Hub can be recognised across different touchpoints.

A climbing centre has a character that extends far beyond the climbing walls themselves.

It's a place associated with movement, personal challenges and shared experiences.

The challenge was to create an identity that could communicate that energy while remaining clear and practical - bold enough for signage across a large hall, and simple enough to sit on a chalk bag or a t-shirt.

The identity is built on two complementary pieces: an expressive wordmark and a sharp, geometric symbol.

The wordmark stacks "Grip" over "Hub" in tall, hand-cut letters of uneven heights. The letters lean against and lock into each other, a little like holds set close together on a wall, giving the name a lively, irregular rhythm.

The symbol takes the opposite approach. It is built from bold, parallel angular strokes that step and turn into a compact mark, bringing structure and a sense of direction to the identity.

The wordmark is set inside a thick, rounded outline that follows the shape of the letters, so it always reads as one solid, sticker-like silhouette - on the reception wall, a poster or the front of a t-shirt.

The symbol works where the full name would be too much. Its strong, simple silhouette holds up at small sizes and in a single colour, which is why it appears on the chalk bag and the back of the staff t-shirt.

Both versions work in orange on white and reversed in white on orange, keeping the logo flexible without changing its shape.

The visual language is built on contrast.

Orange is the brand's signature colour - echoing the coloured holds on the climbing walls and giving the identity its energy. White keeps everything clean and open, while Charcoal grounds the palette and links it to the concrete and dark surfaces of the climbing hall.

Combined with the bold logo shapes, these three colours make Grip Hub easy to spot, from a poster on the street to the equipment inside.

A strong visual identity needs to work beyond its original logo presentation.

At Grip Hub, the wordmark welcomes people at reception and on outdoor posters, while the symbol moves onto the things climbers actually use and wear - chalk bags and t-shirts.

The scale and setting change, but the same shapes and colours connect every application, so the identity works as one visual system rather than a collection of separate designs.

Grip Hub brings together an expressive wordmark, a geometric symbol and a high-contrast palette into one connected identity.

From the reception wall to a chalk bag, the result is a brand built to feel consistent, memorable and connected to the experience of climbing.