Creating a brand design that represents and celebrates the African Diaspora through a Black queer lens
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Inspired by the incomparable work of authors James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Marlon Riggs, Audre Lorde, Joseph Beam and other progressive thinkers and literary figures, Son of Baldwin is the literary, sociopolitical, popcultural blog exploring, critically, issues that matter to Blaqueer people and their accomplices.
A Celebration of Continental African Culture and Beyond
Robert Jones Jr., the founder of Son of Baldwin (SOB), made it clear that he wanted a brand design that not only embraced the cultural diasporic qualities of the Black experience, but one that also emphasized celebrating Black queerness and Black women. This was a uniquely challenging project that I believe unfolded beautifully.
Exploration
Throughout this process, I referenced the patterns and colors noted across various African cultures, including Bògòlanfini, a creation of the Malians. I also explored iconography that visualizes the Black experience including concepts such as Black love, resilience and hope, conveying them through bold fonts, symbolic shapes and vivid colors.
