Unity Temple
Project
Unity Temple Foundation
We were honored when tasked with creating a new brand identity for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple Restoration Foundation in Oak Park. Capturing the longevity, geometry, and spiritual heritage of this iconic landmark was essential. Classic yet contemporary, the new symbol embodies the essence of Wright’s legendary style—strong horizontality, harmonious proportions, and elegant simplicity—while expressing the freshness, vitality, and promise of preservation for the future.
Deliverables
Services
Positioning
Verbal Identity
Visual Identity
Web & Digital
Deliverables
Voice Attributes
Logo
Visual Language
Writing
Art Direction
Campaign
Editorial
The new mark reflects the duality of Unity Temple itself: timeless architecture brought into the present moment. Its lines, spacing, and structure reflect Wright’s Prairie Style sensibilities—crisp geometry, layered horizontals, and thoughtful symmetry—while the refined rendering and modern typographic pairing introduce a contemporary clarity. This balance allows the symbol to feel both archival and current, honoring a revered past while positioning the Foundation for decades of stewardship ahead.
Archival Perspective
A Study in Heritage
Historical exploration was a crucial part of the design process. We immersed ourselves in original drawings, elevations, and archival photographs to understand the rhythm, proportion, and expressive restraint of Wright’s vision. This research informed every detail of the identity—from line weights to spatial balance—ensuring the brand resonates with the character and intention of the original architecture.
Contemporary and Classic
The identity system was designed for ease of use across light and dark backgrounds, allowing the symbol and wordmark to maintain balance and clarity in a wide range of contexts. Stylistically, the suite draws inspiration from classic poster design—clean compositions, confident typography, and bold contrasts—reimagined with a contemporary restraint. The brand is timeless appeal while feeling unmistakably modern.
A fresh Palette Inspired by Glorious Interiors
We created a fresh color palette based on the original colors throughout the interiors of Unity Temple itself. We interpreted the soft palette and punched it up for a more contemporary attitude, while honoring the original interiors.
Unity Temple Foundation
As the Restoration Foundation transitioned into the Unity Temple Foundation, an expanded suite of logos was developed. Each lockup echoes the architectural motifs of the main identity while allowing room for expressive variation tailored to specific initiatives. This system ensures consistency across fundraising events, tours, lectures, and community programming.
Event Logo
“Our brand refresh is an absolutely brilliant transformation—breathing vibrant new life and professional sophistication into the Unity Temple Foundation image. Jef and his team were great to work with and accommodating throughout the entire process.”
Heidi Ruehle
Unity Foundation Events
Collector Posters
The collector posters take visual cues from WPA-era prints of the 1930s and ’40s—stylized geometry, simplified shape language, and bold, graphic rendering. These posters celebrate Unity Temple not only as a building, but as an artistic and cultural touchstone, paying homage to American poster heritage through a fresh, modern lens.
A Solid Foundation
The Foundation website was designed as a digital extension of the brand—clean, structured, and grounded in Wright’s architectural principles. Classic earth tones anchor the experience while strategic sparks of color bring warmth and accessibility. The layout emphasizes clarity, education, and ease of navigation, helping visitors explore the history, architecture, programs, and mission of the Foundation with intuitive flow.