Services
  • Brand Strategy
  • Visual Identity
Project Overview

Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) is a nonprofit organization charged with preserving the history and developing the future of Washington DC's Union Station.

With a major expansion project looming, USRC becomes a focal point of engagement for the constituents, community, and customers of the station.

USRC partnered with Manual Labor for a strategic brand redesign at this critical point to help solidify trust in the brand, build early advocacy, and facilitate conversations with key stakeholders on the Hill.

Inspiration from within

We didn't have to look far for incredible inspiration: Union Station’s Beaux-Arts style is awe-inspiring. The twenty-six legionnaire statues standing guard over the main hall mirror USRC's task of guardianship over this historic community nexus into its next 100 years.

Throughout Union Station are symbolic reminders of strength and support, like the famed columns and eagles at its entrance or the coffered octagonal ceilings. These shapes and patterns helped inspire a new brand direction that’s both classical and forward-looking.

Branding the past and future

The USRC brand and its core assets are designed to be timeless and communicate institutional legacy while evoking an innovative mindset for the future, a duality rooted in the present as Union Station remains a functioning major transport hub.

The logo, patterns, and typography draw on subtle architectural details throughout Union Station and the color palette is derived from foundational elements like its granite stonework.

Next stop: brand rollout

A new brand wouldn’t be a new brand without a proper rollout of collateral and assets. Manual Labor helped bring USRC's new brand to life by designing business cards, letterhead, presentation templates, and social assets for the USRC team.

Laying the track for expansion

With a major physical expansion project beginning, USRC needed a wide and unique range of branded collateral from hard hats and safety vests to commemorative pins, employee badges, and signage.

Manual Labor offered strategic guidance on strategizing and designing a full suite of branded items as well as the core design work for an impactful range of supporting brand assets.