Through ethical illustrations, decolonial design, and an intentional color palette, the report honored the lived experiences of West African LGBTQI+ activists.

When We Are Stories Studio was approached to design Mosaic of Stories, ISDAO’s annual report, we knew this project was about more than just layouts and color palettes. It was about justice. About community. About holding space for voices often unheard in traditional philanthropy and activism reporting. The challenge wasn’t just to create a visually compelling report—it was to make something that felt like home to the communities it represented.

ISDAO’s work is deeply embedded in the realities of West African LGBTQI+ activists. The report had to honor that. The stories inside weren’t abstract statistics; they were lived experiences, acts of resistance, and triumphs against oppression. Our design approach needed to carry this weight while keeping accessibility, authenticity, and decolonial representation at its core.

1. The Power of Illustration: Ethical Representation at the Forefront
From the start, we rejected stock images and generic icons. Instead, we embraced hand-drawn illustrations that were rooted in ethical representation. Every character, every visual element was intentionally created to reflect the communities ISDAO supports:

• Diverse Body Forms: Moving away from Western beauty standards, the illustrations reflected real, lived diversity—varying body types, skin tones, and expressions of gender and queerness.
• Collective Storytelling: Instead of isolated figures, we illustrated interconnected communities, visualizing solidarity rather than individual heroism.
• Decolonial Design Choices: We prioritized fluid, organic shapes over rigid grids, breaking away from colonial-era design hierarchies that enforce top-down structures. Instead, the layout mirrored the way movements actually work—interwoven, evolving, and deeply relational.

2. A Palette of Power: Colors That Speak of Resistance and Hope
The color palette was more than just aesthetics—it was a language.

• Deep Ochres and Warm Reds: Representing the roots of activism and the courage of those on the frontlines.
• Earthy Blues and Vivid Purples: Evoking both resilience and the expansiveness of queer and feminist movements.
• Accessibility Considerations: High contrast and careful selection ensured the report remained readable for all audiences, regardless of visual ability.


3. Typography as a Tool for Justice
Words have power, but how they are presented can dictate who gets to engage with them. Our typography choices were guided by:

• Readability for All: We balanced authoritative serif fonts with approachable sans-serif elements, making the report both professional and inviting.
• Multilingual Accessibility: With ISDAO’s bilingual (English and French) team and audience in mind, we ensured equal prominence of both languages, rejecting the hierarchy that often privileges English in global discourse.
• Breaking the Norms: Pull quotes, callouts, and handwritten-style type treatments were used to amplify activist voices directly within the layout.

The final Mosaic of Stories report was more than just a document—it was a reflection of movement-building in action. It resonated deeply with ISDAO’s grantees, funders, and broader activist networks, not just as a piece of communication but as a visual archive of their collective journey.

This project reaffirmed something we at We Are Stories Studio hold dear—design is activism. Every choice we make as designers has the power to reinforce or dismantle existing power structures. Ethical, justice-centered design isn’t just about “inclusion”—it’s about fundamentally shifting how stories are told and who gets to tell them.

For us, this was never just a report. It was—and remains—a testament to what design can do when it is guided by integrity, community, and justice.