Illustration: #StrongerTogether

CrossFit Allendale is a CrossFit gym located near of the Grand Rapids area. The company serves its clients with fitness programs designed for safety, enjoyment, and results, and believes in the power of community to help athletes achieve their goals.

On Friday August 3rd I met with the owner of the CrossFit Allendale gym. I wanted to find out how I could help him with visual branding when it comes to his business.

While we were talking, he told me about his vision for his gym, an encouraging, inclusive environment for people who are serious about their health.

Promotional art for the gym so far commonly included abstracted pieces of workout equipment, or people engaging in workouts.

When the owner spoke with me, he told me about how he liked to focus on the image of real people doing real things, not just some nameless strongman lifting an impossible weight. I also was able to see that the gym took time to focus on influencing the children of patrons toward positive fitness choices through allowing children in the gym and watching their parents work hard, and then be able to participate in engaging fitness activities designed for the children.

When I got back home, I started having ideas, and and went to work about as promptly as I could.

Development essentially consisted of five thumbnails until i arrived at something that I believed reflected the inclusive and energetic nature of the gym as I saw in the gym’s social media feed, as well as in-person when I visited the gym.

When I arrived at what I believed was the right concept, I began to develop it aggressively.

Thus was born the “Stronger Together” graphic.

A hand-crafted aesthetic was chosen for this graphic to represent the nature of CrossFit training. The gritty feel of the hand-drawn work, in tandem with the block shapes and rough edges is designed to reflect the gritty experience of consistent, intense training

The three figures in the graphic are designed to evoke a sense of communal forward focus on physical condition and wellness. The man, woman, and child are interlocked to reinforce this sense of unity, and to communicate to the viewer that the CrossFit Allendale gym is not simply a fitness center. 

CrossFit Allendale is a fitness family.

All three figures are pulling the weight, a design that reflects the desire of the owners of CrossFit Allendale for their patrons to help each other pull weight in their fitness goals and efforts.

The two adult figures are shown flexing an arm to reflect the strength they acquire not just in the working out, but in working with one another to gain strength. The child is shown fist in the air as a reminder that the consistent practice of training is uplifting for the spirit. This is to communicate the owners’ belief that there is fun to be had in the proper care of one’s physical fitness.

The features of the man, woman, and child are made somewhat ambiguous so as encourage the vision of inclusiveness in the gym. 

The tractor tire, a staple piece of intense workout equipment, encircles the three. This tire in surrounding the three figures is designed to further reinforce the sense of community and cooperation within the gym, as well as to serve as a visual cue for the CrossFit category in which the gym operates.

The taller design features the hash tagged phrase “Stronger Together”, in line with the spirit of the gym.

The final result is a graphic that imprints a sense of raw communal strength, designed to communicate a training experience that is available to anyone.

The graphic was produced in a clean vector form and a hand-painted form.


I designed this graphic to help a local business develop their visual identity and better connect with their client base.

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