Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
We chatted with Tristan LeBreton, Creative Director at 99designs by Vistaprint, for tips on getting the right look for any kind of gym. Read on for his gym logo design tips, as well as some of our advice on marketing your fitness business.
The logo for your small business should be unique…,but it should also communicate what kind of business you’re operating. If you’re opening a gym, your logo should make that clear — and then let customers know what kind of gym it is. For example, a strength-training gym and a pilates gym will have some overlapping design techniques but will still feel very different. (More on that later!)
Once you have the perfect gym logo, you can use it to reinforce your brand and promote your small business with marketing supplies, gym swag and more. Getting the perfect logo can feel challenging or overwhelming, especially if you’re not a designer. (Most small business owners aren’t, so you’re not alone!) But with a little know-how, you can set yourself up for logo success.
What’s your gym’s vibe?
Before you start the process of creating a logo, Tristan recommends defining your overall brand personality. ‘Start by asking yourself questions like, “Is my gym lively or serious? Luxurious or affordable? Does it have a rustic charm or is it exclusive and high-end?” The answers to these questions will give you an idea of how you want to be perceived, and from there you can choose colours and fonts that accurately encapsulate that personality.’
Your answers to those questions can also inform how you market your brand once your logo is complete. If your gym is affordable, give out low-cost swag like stickers and pens. If you’re a little more luxurious, reward new members with something a little more upscale, like a water bottle.
What do you want your logo to say about your gym?
As the cornerstone of your whole brand, your logo holds a lot of responsibility, Tristan says. ‘It helps your audience understand what kind of gym you are and what sets you apart from the competition. You can have a stunning logo, but if it’s vague and doesn’t say much about your business, it’s going to fall flat. It can be the difference between a drop-in session and creating a member for life — so it’s important to get it right.’
You can use design elements to differentiate your business from other gyms. Tristan cites CrossFit as an example. ‘It’s likely that your members visit you for very different reasons than they would a pilates studio. For many CrossFit gyms and their members, the focus of the workout is strength and power, rather than the relaxation and flexibility found in a yoga or pilates class.’
So, your strength-training gym should have bold, strong imagery (like chains or barbells), while a pilates studio could use curved lines to represent balance and flexibility.
Vistaprint Tip
You can also use language in your logo to tell people who you are. Tristan suggests adding a few words to your logo to describe what you do, like ‘performance fitness’ or ‘strength and conditioning’.
Is your gym masculine or feminine? Powerful or playful?
When it comes to designing a logo for your gym, you can use any colour you want — just keep in mind that psychology plays a big part in colour. Tristan notes that every colour has very different emotional and cultural connotations and can influence how your brand is perceived.
‘When choosing a colour for your gym, think about which emotions you want associated with your overall brand…and thoroughly research the meanings of each colour. Would you describe your gym as powerful and dominant? Look to red and black colour palettes. Are you more playful, with a focus on vitality? Then orange colour schemes could be more suitable for you.’
What do you want your font to say about your gym?
Fonts and colours are the building blocks of your logo, and picking the perfect combinations for your brand is essential for communicating the right messages about your business.
The font you use for your logo should reflect your brand’s personality. ‘Sans-serif fonts tend to be popular among gyms for their bold, clean and simple feel. Since these fonts also pair well with bold colours, they work well for gym logos that honour strength and power (like CrossFit).’
Designed by Smeg!
Designed by banggayogia
Vistaprint Tip
When you’re choosing a font for your fitness brand, make sure it’ll be legible on everything from postcards to posters.
How flexible does your logo need to be?
Your logo should look good everywhere. Tristan says that a common mistake is creating a design that’s too detailed…affecting the versatility of the logo. ‘Detailed logos aren’t inherently bad, but gyms need logos that are scalable. While something detailed will look great on the signage outside your gym, it can often be illegible at smaller scales like merchandise…and one thing gyms do well is great swag!’
If you already have an amazing detailed logo, don’t worry — you can still use it. ‘A great alternative here is to design an accompanying set of ‘responsive logos’. These are variants of the master logo that change in size and complexity to adapt to wherever they need to be placed.’
So, keep your original and more detailed logo for the sign on your building, and have a different one for smaller placements. Use variations of your logo that are simpler on smaller marketing items, like stickers and pens, and your more intricate one on signage with more space (like banners and posters).
Designed by Sava Stoic
Where do you want your logo to work?
As Tristan said, your logo is the cornerstone of your brand…and it’s probably the first visual interaction potential customers will have with your small business. So, do everything you can to get that logo seen. (Much like working out, the key to great branding is repetition.)
Once you have a logo design for your gym, you can use it to build brand awareness in your community. Gym-goers love swag…so incorporate your logo into T-shirts, hats and caps, personalised tote bags and other merchandise that clients will love to show off.
At your gym or studio, look for opportunities to display your logo. Make sure your entryway is clearly marked with a sign or banner, add your logo to class schedules and reminder postcards, and outfit your employees in branded T-shirts or printed polo shirts.
About the designers
All of the logos seen in this article were created by the experts at 99designs by Vistaprint. As your partner in an ever-changing world, we’re here to help — visit 99designs.com to find a designer and get a logo for your small business.
Mashup Fitness: Designed by allyna
Elite Fitness: Designed by Ayra
FlyCycle: Designed by Dimitry99
Fit for Holiness: Designed by Smeg!
Fitness Camp 10X: Designed by banggayogia
Iron Buffalo CrossFit: Designed by Sava Stoic
