Manual’s energetic rebrand of the Obama Foundation expands on its visual legacy

The Obama Foundation, founded in 2014 by Barack and Michelle Obama, is a nonprofit focused on leadership development and community programmes – running initiatives such as the Obama Foundation Leaders, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, and Girls Opportunity Alliance. The foundation also oversees the Obama Presidential Centre, a planned museum and community space in Chicago’s Jackson Park. Unlike traditional presidential libraries, the new centre, set to open in 2026, will include a museum, forum, athletic centre, and public park. In the run-up to its due date, The Obama Foundation turned to San Francisco and Amsterdam-based design studio Manual to rebrand the institution, taking on the challenge of reimagining the former president’s iconic logo and visual history. 

“Working with such an iconic client (and an equally iconic logo) was both exciting and a little daunting,” Vanessa Lam, associate creative director at Manual says, recalling the legacy of Obama’s 2008 campaign. “It set a new precedent for how a president could use branding to inspire hope and mobilise action,” with its impact still being felt almost two decades later. “The challenge was to channel the optimism and enthusiasm of those early days while grounding the brand in today’s realities,” Vanessa says, “acknowledging both the pressing issues and complexity of the world we’re now in.”

Manual initially worked with the Obama Foundation on a visual exploration rather than a full brand identity refresh. The studio developed a more adaptable design system for the centre whilst building on the existing brand and its use of the typeface Gotham. In balancing a visual tone that felt both presidential and approachable, Manual got more than they originally bargained for. “Our vision resonated strongly with the foundation team, and with President Obama himself,” executive creative director Tom Crabtree says, which culminated in a comprehensive rebrand unifying the foundation’s programmes, events, and channels.

The bedrock of the rebrand is Gotham, the renowned typeface designed by Tobias Frere-Jones in 2002, which led Obama’s original campaign. Seeing both the potential and creative necessity in expanding the type family, Manual – alongside Monotype’s Sara Soskolne – developed a bold condensed cut, as well as a stencil and slab style. “It was perfect for the 2008 campaign, but times have changed, and we felt it was time to evolve beyond Gotham as we knew it,” Tom says. “The idea was to use Gotham Condensed as a unifying thread,” Vanessa adds, “maintaining its core structure while shifting into different styles to represent a multitude of voices.” They drew on the visual legacy of America’s progressive movements and athleticism in the ensign of Gotham Stencil and Gotham Slab. “Together, these custom typefaces expand the Foundation’s voice,” Vanessa continues, “able to adapt across an array of expressions while staying rooted in Gotham’s enduring appeal.”

Alongside a refreshing colour palette and energetic layout principles, The Obama Foundation’s emphasis on motion brings a distinct vitality to the brand, embodying the institution’s energetic tone. “Motion is integral to our work, not an add-on,” Tom says. “The Obama logo held lots of potential to reinforce the idea of community, radiating outward and coming together as a whole,” Vanessa adds. The team created a set of motion guidelines based on four core principles – advance, reveal, grow, and unite – each linked to the Foundation’s aim of driving change. “Motion can be fluid and understated, intuitively guiding visitors to their destinations, or it can also create moments of delight, this way, motion becomes not just a design choice but an essential part of the visitor experience,” Vanessa ends.