Our collaboration began by defining the Apus Sports brand ethos. Early on, Husarska worked with Apus to craft a brand identity reflecting quality, strength, and ambition in the fitness industry.
Our work with Apus Sports kicked off with a strategic workshop attended by all five board members, where we aligned on vision, mission, and values to set a unified direction. Building on that foundation, we crafted a comprehensive brand strategy—defining Apus’s image and identity across products, communications, and environments.
We then developed the Apus Academy concept: an educational platform and training system aimed at fitness professionals and enthusiasts. By creating Apus Academy, we helped Apus extend its brand beyond products – positioning it as a knowledge leader and fostering a community around proper training techniques. This product-anchored brand experience ensured that using Apus equipment came with guidance and expertise, reinforcing customer trust in the brand.
Fast forward to 2024: Apus re-engaged Husarska to refresh its brand identity for a new era. Through intensive Brand DNA workshops, we revisited Apus’s core values and market positioning. The rebranding was evolutionary, not radical – respecting Apus’s established recognition while infusing a more premium and dynamic look aligned with its growth plans. We refined the logo and unified the branding across sub-lines (accessories, cardio, strength) to eliminate any fragmentation in communications. A new campaign key visual was developed as a centerpiece of the refresh, serving as a consistent graphic theme for marketing materials, the showroom, and the website.
The outcome is a brand identity that feels premium, ambitious, and authentic to Apus’s mission, resonating with both longtime partners and new international clients.
Product design has been at the heart of Husarska’s contribution to Apus Sports. In our initial collaboration, we developed a range of free weights and fitness accessories that not only looked distinctive but also set new standards for ergonomics and user experience. Crucial to this success was a rigorous, user-centered design process. We engaged in deep research with athletes, personal trainers, and even physiotherapists to understand real-world usage, biomechanics, and injury prevention needs. This cross-disciplinary approach – blending industrial design with sports science – ensured each product would truly enhance performance and safety.
Every design began with gathering insights from the fitness community. Our team conducted dozens of interviews and observational studies in gyms, collaborating with professional bodybuilders, trainers, and sports experts to pinpoint pain points in existing equipment.
We analyzed how people of varying skill levels grip, lift, and move with equipment, often consulting physiotherapy experts to verify ergonomic correctness. For instance, when designing Apus’s Space Bar weight plates, we delved into how participants use barbells in body pump sessions. Trainers noted limitations of conventional round plates, which informed us of opportunities to improve versatility. Armed with this research, we introduced a unique Space Bar system with three integrated grip handles around each plate. Unlike standard plates, these can be grabbed from multiple angles – including a central handle – allowing athletes to perform many additional exercises (one-handed and two-handed) beyond normal barbell routines.
We rigorously prototyped and tested the Space Bar plates in real workouts, iterating the design to perfect their form and function. The final plates even clip securely together on a bar to prevent shifting and have a clever geometry for easy vertical stacking when not in use. The result was not just visually striking equipment, but truly user-centric innovation. The Space Bar’s enhanced ergonomics and versatility earned acclaim from both gym-goers and industry experts – even clinching a prestigious Golden Medal award in 2015 for its innovative design. This award-winning product helped put Apus Sports on the map as an innovator in free-weight equipment.
Another example of our design process in action is Apus’s line of kettlebells. Husarska reimagined the classic kettlebell from the ground up by first studying how people naturally grip and swing them during functional training. Our designers and engineers observed training sessions and interviewed personal trainers to gather input on what caused discomfort or risk. Using these insights, we went through countless sketch iterations and 3D models including plasticine modeling to optimize the kettlebell’s form for perfect ergonomics. We experimented with different handle shapes, diameters, and weight distributions, producing multiple prototypes and physically testing each in the Fitness Platinium Gym. This hands-on iteration process ensured that the final kettlebells offer a more secure, natural hand position that reduces strain on the wrists and forearms, thereby improving workout safety and effectiveness. Small but significant design details – such as subtly flattened bases for stability when resting on the floor, and color-coded vinyl coatings for easy weight identification. The result was a set of seven kettlebells with a sigśnature look and feel, each featuring a cast-iron core and durable anti-slip coating for comfort. These kettlebells not only stand out visually, but they also function better – supporting users’ grip and technique, which is exactly what our research with trainers and physiotherapists aimed to achieve.
Throughout all product development for Apus, Husarska’s team emphasized an iterative design thinking methodology. We moved through cycles of ideation, prototyping, and testing, continuously refining each product’s form and function based on user feedback. By applying this research-driven, multidisciplinary approach, Husarska turned standard gym items into smarter, more user-friendly tools. The end result is a lineup of fitness equipment that serves as an extension of the body’s natural movement, allowing athletes to push their limits safely and effectively.
To fully engage Apus’s audience, design of the products and brand was complemented by rich media content created by Panopticon Films crew. In an industry as dynamic as fitness, static images aren’t enough – you need to see the energy.
Panopticon Films produced a suite of video and photo content that brings Apus’s performance-driven spirit to life.
We shot commercials and promotional videos highlighting Apus equipment in action. These short films, produced in 4K with crisp cinematography, showcase athletes training with Apus gear – from intense weightlifting circuits to functional training routines. Renowned athletes such as Natalia Gacka and Aleksander Włodarczyk took part in the project. Our team choreographed these scenes to emphasize both the human passion for sport and the design features of the products. The resulting commercials are high-octane and inspiring, aligning with Apus’s athletic and ambitious tone. They’ve been used on Apus’s website, social media, and played on large screens at trade fairs to draw in crowds.
Our media production extended to event coverage as well. When Apus Sports appeared at major industry events (for example, FIBO Cologne - the premier fitness trade fair), Panopticon Films was on hand to document it. We produced highlight reels and social media clips capturing Apus’s exhibition stand, product demos, and visitor interactions. This allowed Apus to amplify its reach beyond the fair floor, showing the wider audience the buzz around its brand.
All photography for Apus’s new catalogues and online store was also executed by our team. We conducted product photoshoots in-house, utilizing creative lighting to accentuate the form and quality of each item. We also shot lifestyle images with models in workout scenarios to convey the aspirational aspect of Apus’s equipment. Every piece of content — be it a dramatic slow-motion shot of chalk dust flying off a dropping weight, or a crisp still of a product against a signature Apus-colored backdrop — was crafted to be on-brand and impactful. By controlling the content creation process end-to-end, we ensured that Apus’s visual narrative is consistent across all platforms. This media content has been instrumental in engaging Apus’s community, driving social media campaigns, and educating users, thereby tightly integrating with the overall design and brand strategy.
Husarska’s design influence also extends into the physical spaces where the Apus brand comes to life. In 2024–2025, we designed key interiors for Apus corporate office that embody the brand’s ethos and provide functional value.
One of the highlights is the new Apus Sports showroom at their headquarters. Apus needed a dedicated space to showcase its full range of equipment to clients, distributors, and trainers – essentially a physical embodiment of the brand. Husarska approached the showroom as a brand experience center. We planned the interior architecture and layout to naturally guide visitors through various product zones (free weights, cardio machines, functional training, etc.). We incorporated the refreshed Apus branding into the environment: walls and displays feature the distinct graphic motifs reinforcing brand identity without overpowering the equipment.
The result is a showroom that speaks Apus’s language: professional, energetic, and quality-focused. Clients visiting can not only see but also feel what Apus stands for, strengthening their confidence in the brand.
Adjacent to the showroom, we also designed a conference room for Apus. This multi-purpose space is used for client and distributor meetings, and strategy sessions. We carried the brand theme here as well – from the color scheme (Apus’s signature colors in furnishings and wall accents) to motivational wall graphics that echo the brand message of balance and perfection.
Moreover, Husarska contributed to Apus’s exhibition design for trade fairs. A notable project was designing Apus’s stand for FIBO in Cologne, a crucial venue to attract international buyers. For the expo booth, we aimed to create a miniature version of the Apus experience on the show floor. The stand featured an open and inviting layout with dedicated zones to try out equipment. We designed tall banner walls incorporating the key visual – sweeping geometric forms and bold photography – which gave the stand high visibility across the exhibition hall. The FIBO stand was a physical proof that Husarska’s holistic design – from brand to product to space – creates a memorable presence. This consistency in spatial design means whether someone walks into Apus’s own showroom or a booth at a global fair, they immediately recognize the Apus Sports brand experience
The culmination of our recent collaboration is the redesign of Apus Sports’ website, set to launch in 2025. In today’s digital-first world, the website is arguably the most important touchpoint for the brand, so we applied the same level of care to its design and development. Husarska’s digital design team undertook a complete UX/UI overhaul, with the goal of translating Apus’s performance-driven and customer-centric philosophy into an engaging online experience.
We began by mapping out the key user journeys for Apus’s target audiences – gym owners looking to equip facilities, distributors seeking product info, and everyday fitness enthusiasts browsing for quality gear. The new site navigation is clean and intuitive, segmenting content in a way that each user type can quickly find what they need.
Visually, the website carries forward the refreshed brand identity. The design features a balanced use of Apus’s brand colors. We utilized the signature graphic elements (rings, grids, dynamic lines) sparingly in the background of pages and as hover animations, giving the site a unique flair while keeping the focus on content. We also ensured the site is fully responsive and mobile-friendly, recognizing that many users (like on-the-go gym managers) might access it from phones or tablets.
Importantly, the new Apus site is built on Webflow, a modern web development platform. By choosing Webflow, we enabled fast development cycles and easy content management for the Apus team moving forward. The result is a smooth, app-like user experience that loads quickly and feels interactive. Webflow’s CMS capabilities mean Apus’s marketing team can update product info, post news articles without needing coding expertise – a long-term benefit that we always aim to deliver in our projects.
As this new website rolls out, Apus Sports will have a digital presence that matches its high-quality physical presence. The site not only showcases Apus’s products beautifully but also tells the brand story – from heritage to innovation – in a compelling way. Early feedback from Apus’s stakeholders during testing has been extremely positive, with praise for the site’s ease of use, aesthetic appeal, and informative content. We’re confident it will become a key driver in Apus’s global expansion and customer engagement strategy.
The journey of Apus Sports and Husarska Design Studio is a powerful example of vision realized through design. By addressing every facet of Apus’s brand – from the weights on the gym floor to the website on a user’s screen – we have helped build a cohesive, product-anchored brand experience that sets Apus apart. Our interdisciplinary approach ensured that the brand values of performance, ambition, and quality were woven consistently into every output, whether it’s a physical product or a piece of digital content. This holistic design philosophy has not only elevated Apus’s image but also enhanced how users interact with the brand at each touchpoint.
As Apus Sports moves ahead with bold plans, Husarska is proud to have contributed to its journey – proving once again that when you marry ambitious vision with expert design execution, the results are truly game-changing and long-term.
