Behind the Design: Pride Month
As Fearless Thinkers, TWIST supports those who impact culture for the better. This summer, TWIST chose to educate ourselves and others on the history of the Pride movement with a series of social posts that embraced empathy, inclusion, and understanding.
Inspired by the resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community’s fight for freedom, TWIST Designer Thiago Wimberly called upon historical events and icons that sparked progress in the fight for rights.
Wanting to create something powerful for Pride Month, Thiago came to the team with a mood board filled with a mix of bold text, color, pattern, and collage. He drew inspiration from London-based artist and illustrator Hattie Stewart and queer artist Kris Andrew Smalls, who had recently collaborated with Adidas on a Pride collection. Thiago also shared articles and archival images from the 1969 Stonewall Riots, the beginning of the movement, emphasizing that Pride month isn’t only about the celebration. It’s about honoring history.
“The Pride series was designed with the intent to educate our audience on what Pride really is about; it holds a revolutionary meaning to its core, and it’s important that we remember those who paved the way so we LGBTQIA+ could get where we are today.”
— Thiago Wimberly, Graphic Designer
Excited by the power and emotion of the archives images we found, the team picked four historical moments and figures to highlight in the series — Stonewall, the first Pride flag, marriage equality, and Marsha P. Johnson, a prominent transgender activist. Thiago overlayed colorful illustrations on original photography, elevating the photos and evoking feelings that reflected the force of individuals in the LGBTQIA+ movement. He also created two type-only images, drawing on the impact of protest signage and words.
“The design direction had to be expressive, but I also wanted it to have some of the revolutionary feel that sparked the first Pride movements,” he said.
Once Thiago sat down with his ideas, he rarely put down his pen. There were always ideas to show the team.
“As part of the DEII committee at TWIST, we are constantly working towards using design as a tool to create change and uplift community voices. I am very proud and grateful for being able to express myself through the design in this series.”
— Thiago Wimberly, Graphic Designer
Modern yet historical, the series reflected not only how far we’ve come but how far we still have to go in the fight for equality.
Follow the Fearless Thinkers on Instagram to view the entire Pride Month series.
