Visual storytelling for ISDAO’s LBQ+ Convening in West Africa
with Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ISDAO)
Client
Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ISDAO)
Relationship
Since 2021
Services
Visual storytelling, report design, illustrations, graphic identity
Creating the Future We Want
Illustrating the tenderness and clarity that emerged during a four-day LBQ+ convening in West Africa, a space where stories rest and strategies breathe, holding both vulnerability and power.
The Project
In April 2024, ISDAO brought together 28 LBQ+ activists from nine West African countries for a historic four-day gathering. This was more than an event—it was a deeply intentional space for healing, strategising, and dreaming up bold futures for LBQ+ movements across the region. We were invited to translate the richness of this gathering into a visual report that could hold its complexity, intimacy, and collective power. Our task was to bring texture, warmth, and clarity to a story that was still unfolding, while honoring the voices and visions that shaped it.
Our Approach
The first thing we noticed was that this wasn’t a typical convening. This was a space where people mapped their life stories as rivers. Where conversations moved fluidly between activism, identity, pain, and joy. Where body mapping was used not as a diagram, but as a way of saying “this is who we are—sensory, layered, alive.” We knew the design couldn’t be static or sterile. It had to feel like something you could sit with, reflect on, and return to. So, we designed a visual system rooted in softness, depth, and multiplicity—one that celebrated the humanity behind the activism.
Illustration and Motif Language
We drew inspiration from traditional African visual cultures, queer symbolism, and natural metaphors like water, flow, and growth. Each section of the report was brought to life through custom illustrations that responded to the themes:
- River of Life visuals reflected the uneven, beautiful, and often turbulent journeys of participants.
- Body Mapping sections used earthy tones and organic shapes, echoing the practice of tracing lived experience through senses and memory.
- Dreamspace & Healing Justice illustrations used floral motifs, moon phases, and expansive skies to suggest imagination, restoration, and collective hope.
- Icons were hand-drawn to maintain a human touch—imperfect, expressive, and full of character.
We worked closely with the graphic recorder, facilitators, and ISDAO team to ensure that every visual felt aligned with the spirit of the gathering—not extractive, but interpretive.
Color Palette
The colors were chosen with care. We used rich maroons, ochres, indigos, and fresh greens—colors that felt grounded in West African textures but also evoked softness and safety. These weren’t primary colors yelling for attention. They were layered, contemplative, and meant to be lived with, much like the stories they held. Pops of bright coral and mango yellow offered moments of boldness—mirroring the sparks of laughter, protest, and brilliance that filled the convening space.
Outcome
The final report isn’t just a record of what happened. It’s a tool for memory, movement, and momentum. It reflects the emotional depth of the gathering while remaining accessible, visually compelling, and easy to navigate. It gives funders, allies, and community members a chance to engage with the convening in a way that feels respectful and energising. Most importantly, it centers the humanity, creativity, and leadership of LBQ+ people in West Africa, in a form that is as thoughtful as the process itself.
French Report
Why it Mattered to Us
Designing this report wasn’t about simplifying complexity. It was about making space for it. At We Are Stories, we care about holding people’s truths with care—especially when those truths are brave, vulnerable, and still unfolding. This project reminded us that visual storytelling can be a form of witnessing, and when done right, a form of solidarity.
