MSNBC : LEAN FORWARD
DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

MADE W/ LARRY OLSON (CD), Paula Maki (CD/WRITER) The world felt stuck. Political gridlock, cultural tension, and endless noise made progress feel distant. MSNBC had reach and relevance, but it lacked a clear identity—something more than just delivering the news. Lean Forward became that identity.

In a time when standing still felt like moving backward, Lean Forward gave MSNBC a mission: to inform, inspire, and push the national conversation toward what’s possible.

The design system was built on classic American woodtype, a CMYK+Orange color palatte that nodded at the basics, simplicity, and optimism. Photographic direction was intentionally documentary and captured moment style to emphasize the real-timeness of the moment (aside from headshots used on tv promos).