Olympic Identity Reimagining

Olympic ’88 is a conceptual reimagining of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics
visual identity. Inspired by the energy and visual culture of the late 1980s, combining bold typography, dynamic forms, and a color palette influenced by
the Rocky Mountains, Western prairies, and Bow River.

The project extends the identity across environmental graphics,
official sportswear, athlete credentials, and
promotional applications.

tHE iDENTITY

The title 'Characu 28' in large, colorful, striped letters on a black background.
The title 'Characu 28' in large, colorful, striped letters on a black background.

The redesigned ’88 mark captures the movement and energy of the late 1980s while drawing inspiration from Calgary itself. Its flowing forms reference the Chinook winds that sweep down from the Rocky Mountains, creating an identity rooted in both place and movement.

Official Sportswear

A white winter jacket with a hood, hanging in mid-air with a gray background and snowflakes falling.
A white winter jacket with a hood, hanging in mid-air with a gray background and snowflakes falling.

A monochromatic version of the identity demonstrates how the system can subtly adapt across official apparel while maintaining a consistent, recognizable visual presence.

Two Calgary 2023 Winter Olympics lanyards with name tags attached. The left lanyard is pink with white text, and the right lanyard is blue with white text. The tags feature line drawings of winter sports figures: figure skating on the left and alpine skiing on the right. The name tags display the names Gwen Gold and Steven Silver, along with their respective sports. The Calgary 2023 Winter Olympics logo is at the bottom of both tags.
Two Calgary 2023 Winter Olympics lanyards with name tags attached. The left lanyard is pink with white text, and the right lanyard is blue with white text. The tags feature line drawings of winter sports figures: figure skating on the left and alpine skiing on the right. The name tags display the names Gwen Gold and Steven Silver, along with their respective sports. The Calgary 2023 Winter Olympics logo is at the bottom of both tags.

Athlete credentials

Color helps distinguish sporting categories throughout the identity system. Prairie Violet represents skating events, while Bow Blue identifies alpine events, creating a simple visual system that can extend across Olympic applications.

Poster for the XV Olympic Winter Games held from February 13 to 28, 1988, featuring stylized mountain peaks and the Seoul 88 logo with the Olympic rings.

official POSTER

The official poster brings together the visual language of Olympic ’88, combining bold graphic forms with imagery inspired by Southern Alberta. The result is an Olympic identity that feels energetic, cohesive, and distinctly connected to its host city.