Problem

Several global cities have never hosted the Olympic games before. As the Paris Olympics were underway, the challenge is to reimagine a future Olympic games in another city.

Objective

1. Choose a city that has a great potential for hosting the Summer Olympics but has never done so before

2. Design a branding and pictogram set for this city in a mock campaign for their potential Olympic Games

Process and Solution

Istanbul is a city with significant international heritage, a history of hosting major sporting events, and the city itself has expressed a desire to host the Olympic games multiple ears in a row. There is a current bid for Istanbul to host in 2036, and I've based this brand proposal on elements I could see appropriately representing Istanbul for the Olympics.

This exercise took 3 weeks and was started after the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics ended. An estimated 20-25 hours was spent on this project in total (most of which on weekends or after work in the evening). Enjoy, I know I did.

Pictograph Design

Using the angles and styles from the logo, the pictographs feature a system of angular and systematic lines to form a series of event icons: running, bicycling, javelin, gymnastics, volleyball, swimming, soccer, and weightlifting.

This system would be transferable to all sports, and this array displays a representation of the full system.

Posters and Merchandise

Using Turkish, English, and Arabic, I designed a few different posters to welcome Olympians to Istanbul from near and far. The logo is prominent in the center of the poster, and the text is primarily in Turkish to boast of the local culture and language.

Blue, peace, unity. Olympics in Istanbul bring together the best in all cultures, and the brand displays this in a vibrant, bold design.

It’s also fun to imagine the types of brands that might sponsor the Olympics in Istanbul.

Results

This branding for Istanbul Olympics showcases the history and tradition of the city while also opening a door to hosting a global competition of sports.

Further

To take this project further, it would be worthwhile to hire a series of local artists to develop the brand further and involve local talent in the display for the Olympics.