The Queer Design Club is a vibrant online community that celebrates the intersection of queer identity and design. While it has thrived as a digital platform, there is an opportunity to extend its reach beyond the screen and create a multi-channel narrative that embodies the spirit of the community.

To achieve this, I developed a speculative reimagining of the Queer Design Club's brand system, incorporating a refreshed logo design, color scheme, typography, and layout. These design elements were chosen to convey the community's energy, diversity, and inclusivity.  

To bring a unique touch to the brand, a custom display typeface, "Flux", was created. This digital-inspired font encompasses a diverse range of typographic styles, including classic blackletter, sharp angular serifs, and geometric sans serifs, allowing the brand to be both versatile and distinct. 

The inspiration behind Flux was the wide range of typography found in historical Queer ephemera, combined with a digital pixelated aesthetic that reflects the club's primary means of connecting with its users. The color scheme is a nod to the intersection of RGB, utilizing a vibrant yellow, soft lilac, and digital-inspired cyan that are all set against a bold black background.

I had the opportunity to visit the Bishopsgate Institute, where I was able to collect a wide range of Queer ephemera. This collection included posters, flyers, and other printed materials that were created for LGBTQ+ events and causes over the past few decades. Each piece was unique and had its own distinct style, ranging from bold and graphic to whimsical and playful. Using these materials as my starting point, I began to develop a design system that reflected the vibrancy and energy of the Queer community.

I used the imagery from the ephemera as decorative flourishes throughout the website and newspaper, implementing them into the bitmapped design style that I had created. The result was a design system that was both cohesive and visually compelling. By incorporating the Queer ephemera into the design, I was able to create a sense of continuity and historical context, while also showcasing the creativity and innovation of the LGBTQ+ community.

The brand system was then applied to an 8-page newspaper, which was created as a way to bring the club's story to life through a diverse range of media. The newspaper includes insightful interviews with prominent members of the community, thought-provoking articles on the intersection of queer identity and design, eye-catching advertisements that showcase queer designers' work, and entertaining puzzles that engage readers in a fun and interactive way.

Expanding the Queer Design Club's reach beyond the digital platform and creating a multi-channel narrative has several benefits for the community. By creating a physical manifestation of the club's brand, in the form of the 8-page newspaper, it allows the community to engage with its members in a more tangible way. This can create a stronger sense of belonging and community among members, as they can hold a physical product that represents their shared identity and values.