What is OpenForum Europe? About the organization
OpenForum Europe (OFE) is a non-profit, independent think tank based in Brussels, focused on promoting open source software, open standards, and open technologies to foster a competitive and innovative digital ecosystem in Europe. Launched in 2002, it advises policymakers through research, technical analysis, and advocacy on topics like digital government, public procurement, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and internet policy.
Since its inception, OFE has built a strong legacy as a registered interest group with the European Commission and Parliament, working closely with EU institutions, national governments, and partners to embed openness principles (user centricity, competition, flexibility, sustainability, and community) into Europe’s IT market.
Today, OFE advances digital sovereignty, interoperability, and fair competition via evidence-based research, policy interventions, events like the annual EU Open Source Policy Summit and EU Open Source Week, and initiatives such as Open Technology Research linking academics with policymakers. It convenes stakeholders from industry, civil society, and public sectors to address challenges like vendor lock-in and open source adoption in government.
Fun fact: this isn’t our first case study together
In our earlier cooperation with OpenForum Europe, we focused on modernizing their digital presence to better facilitate dialogue with the business ecosystem. We delivered a comprehensive solution comprising branding, UX/UI design, and the development of a custom, high-performance WordPress platform. The project resulted in a highly responsive website, combining professional aesthetics with dynamic micro-animations to reflect the OFE’s influence in the IT landscape.
We worked on that project back in 2020–2021. However, the tech landscape evolves fast, and the image of a mature, forward-thinking NGO has significantly changed in recent years. This evolution needed to be reflected in a refreshed brand — and, naturally, in a new website layout. So after a few years’ break, our teams came together for a new project. You could say: OFE × Wise People: Act II.
A professional image for the organization – the primary goal of the project
Although OFE has been active and thriving since 2002, the past few years have been a period of remarkable growth. The organization is behind numerous industry events, maintains strong relationships across politics, business, and the broader IT ecosystem, and proactively engages in new areas of public debate – including a particularly exciting and forward-looking direction within the tech space.
During the Discovery Workshop, the primary project goals were defined as:
- refreshing OFE’s image and brand identity – both externally and internally;
- unifying the organization’s “image products” and communications;
- professionalising the sales approach.
OFE wanted the new website to deliver a clear “wow, cool” effect to strengthen the professional image in the eyes of the EU’s business and political environment in Brussels.
It is worth noting that digital projects for EU non-profit organisation require communication to address multiple target audiences – including policymakers, donors, journalists, employees and volunteers (current and prospective), service beneficiaries, and the wider think tank ecosystem.
Brand refresh and key design decisions
The brand refresh had one primary objective: to increase perceived professionalism and build the image of a serious, credible organization. We moved away from colorful shapes and an excess of vibrant hues, focusing instead on shades of the primary color supported by a single accent color. We also introduced new primary colors for the sub-brands.
When presenting the concept, the color palette resonated strongly – as did our proposal to update the logo, which had not initially been planned. We enlarged the logotype and introduced a filled version of the mark, significantly improving its readability and visual weight.
Another key element was developing a distinctive brand asset. In this case, it took the form of gradient circles – subtle and elegant, yet distinctive enough to unify the entire communication and strengthen brand consistency.
Our development work focused on implementing the new views and translating the redesigned UI/UX into a fully functional website. We also used this opportunity to introduce a valuable integration layer. For the OFA Symposium, we integrated Pretix and Pretalx — enabling event registration directly through a Pretix form and synchronising the agenda section with Pretalx. This ensured a smoother event management workflow and reduced the need for manual updates.
Working with Wise People on our brand refresh and website redesign has been an outstanding experience for OpenForum Europe. Their thoughtful approach helped us strengthen our professional image, unify our communications, and create a digital presence that reflects our role in Europe’s digital policy ecosystem.
Sivan Pätsch, Finance and Operations Director, Member of the General Assembly, Member of the Management Board
Summary
- Organizational growth and the desire to reshape how key audiences perceive the brand became a strong argument for a light brand refresh and the implementation of a new website design – exactly the case for OFE.
- OFE’s new look brings even greater professionalism, stronger consistency across sub-brands and initiatives, and improved clarity for audiences across Europe.
- The collaboration between OFE and Wise People has been ongoing since 2020. As you can see, mutual trust allows us to continuously shape the digital image of an non profit organisation that… specialises in the digital world. It’s always great to work on meaningful initiatives.
