Alexis Wuestewald

The Cleveland Surge is a basketball brand concept built around one central idea: momentum. A surge is a powerful, rising force, energy that builds, pushes forward, and can’t be held back. That idea became the foundation for every design decision in this project.

Cleveland is a city defined by resilience and movement. From its industrial roots to its presence on Lake Erie, it has continuously rebuilt itself, turning setbacks into strength. This project translates that identity into a sports brand, one that reflects controlled power rather than chaos, and the moment when effort turns into forward motion. In basketball, momentum is everything. Scoring runs, defensive pressure, and crowd energy can shift a game in seconds. The Surge captures those moments, when energy builds, spreads, and takes over. This concept guided the development of the logo, color palette, typography, and extended brand elements.

This capstone explores a full brand system, including visual identity, merchandise, court design, and digital applications. While not all pieces were produced physically, each mockup represents how the brand could exist in a real-world environment, from the arena to the community. The result is a cohesive identity that reflects both the game of basketball and the spirit of Cleveland: a team, and a city, that rises in bursts and surges forward.

 Cleveland Surge: A Brand in Motion