WATCH
This project is part of the work on the GLADIATOR 2026 SUP board collection, which began with the work on ELITE and continued with the PRO and ORIGIN collections.
The Gladiator ELITE collection is a premium line of Gladiator SUP boards – one of the leaders in the global SUP market. Designed for athletes and enthusiasts alike, these boards combine technology and elegance. Lightweight, durable and thoughtful down to the smallest detail, they embody the brand’s philosophy of precision, style and perfection in every detail.
The Elite collection embodies this philosophy as much as possible, with improved materials, narrower rails and a redesigned nose. The focus is on aesthetics, quality, comfort, reliability, and functionality, which allows you to create premium boards not only in appearance but also in use.
PROCESS
TASK
To develop a collection of SUP boards and accessories for the Gladiator Elite 2026 collection.
The main goal is to make the boards more premium and visually expressive, while maintaining the core elements of Gladiator’s visual identity. The new collection should appeal to the existing audience and attract new customers without breaking the continuity of the brand.
Ergonomics is also a key priority. The previous collection had several usability issues that caused negative reviews, so new products should provide not only updated aesthetics, but also clear functional and ergonomic improvements.
ANALYTICS
To begin with, we analyze the previous Elite collection. The boards are distinguished by a laconic, directional design with symmetrical and asymmetrical compositions, an angular logo and a characteristic brand name on the nose, integrated into the PVC pattern. Dynamic graphics on the bow and cargo nets located along key deck lines emphasize movement and visual continuity with the Origin and Pro series.
However, cargo nets, despite their attractive appearance, have received negative reviews from many users due to practicality problems. Therefore, in the new design, they will be replaced by a classic, more reliable cargo system, but at the same time they will retain the premium appearance of the Elite line.
Then, we analyze the different brands of SUP boards available in major retail stores.
This helps us to understand how the different collections are positioned visually, to better understand the ergonomics of the SUP boards, the materials, the functional and aesthetic details.
We pay special attention to the choice of color, graphic compositions, surface patterns, technical and ergonomic aspects. These observations help to determine what makes a particular design stand out from the competition or, conversely, makes it invisible.
This research formed the basis for the development of the visual directions of the Gladiator Elite collection.
STAGE 1. CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
We develop various concepts of SUP boards based on a single board size.
One of the concepts is chosen, which is then refined taking into account the color combinations, proportions and graphics on the front side of the board.
Once the top of the board is ready, we move on to the next step, which involves working through all the other sides of the board and scaling the design for other board sizes.
STAGE 2. DESIGN SCALING
Define the design of the bottom of the matte, the left and right edges. Limiting the color gamut to two basic shades.
Completing the development of the SUP board in one of the selected colors.
Having agreed on the final design of the board, we move on to the accessories – paddles, fins, bags, pump and leash.
After several iterations, we come to a coordinated design of the accessories and all the supporting elements of the collection.
FINAL DESIGN
RELEASED COLLECTION
All of the following are Gladiator promotional materials.
TEAM
Rodion Usaev – project management, art management, design.
Yana Zhurkina – concept development, design elaboration.
Alexandra Lysenko – concept design
