Client
upa! Escalódromo de Coimbra

Services
Creative Direction
Naming
Art Direction
Visual Identity
Signage Design
Print Design
Web Design
Production Management

Team
Project with Allie Heesh. Copywriting & Naming by Andreia Luísa. Website development by Huw Saunders 

Year
2024-25

Rooted in the raw, communal spirit of bouldering, the identity captures this uplifting mindset through a bold analogue language built from rough textures, handmade gestures, and an unapologetically energetic attitude. The hand-brushed logo sits at the centre, inspired by the rough surfaces and movement of rock, instantly conveying texture, imperfection, and the upward motion of a climb. A rough-edged, textured treatment of the text, combined with bright, expressive colours, reinforces upa!’s inclusive, youthful energy, while halftone imagery, collage cut-outs, arrows, and scribbles form a flexible DIY toolkit for posters, social content, and in-space graphics.

 

Inside the gym, painted signage interacts with existing wall textures, grounding the identity in the physical environment and emphasising its grassroots character. A series of infographic boards outlining climbing rules and difficulty levels were created using the same DIY elements to maintain visual consistency.

The landing page brings the identity into the digital space through video content, animated graphic elements, and subtle interactions, all designed with a lo-fi sensibility that preserves the brand’s analogue feel.

To support the launch, we delivered a complete identity system including logo assets, custom typography, poster templates, stickers, flyers, painted wayfinding, and PSD actions for duotone and cut-out treatments, ensuring upa!’s visual world is cohesive, energetic, and unmistakably its own.