HangOUT
D&AD New Blood Brief 2022
Ask: Create a typographically-led campaign based upon or expanding the Articles of the UDHR as a call to action or awareness.
Brands: Google & the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography
Insight: Despite the misperception that LGBTQ+ equality has been achieved, millions of LGBTQ+ people around the world continue to have their rights violated.
Idea: Create an encrypted safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals in discriminatory countries by using geo-specific, queer coded language to speak to LGBTQ+ people directly.
CW: Paige Gifford
AD: Kaitlyn Peterson
Queer Code.
Queer coded language exists across cultures and writing systems as a way for LBGTQ+ members to communicate with one another without fear of discrimination or danger.
Understated posters with geo-specific, queer coded language will slip past those who don’t understand the code, while still catching the attention of those who do.
Posters will be placed throughout the most LGTBQ+ tolerant cities within discriminatory countries in order to provide the safest interaction possible. This poster has Polish queer coded language meaning "loving differently", to be placed in Krakow, Poland.
A positive, queer coded Gulf Arabic term coined by LBGTQ+ Arab people meaning "gay", to be placed in Doha, Qatar.
Queer coded slang in Bajan English meaning "lesbian", to be placed in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Puzzle Punctuation.
Each poster is punctuated with a puzzle shaped QR code, which will encourage viewers who understand the language to look further.
This QR code will direct LGBTQ+ individuals to Google & HMCT’s HangOUT. In order to ensure the HangOUT remain a safe environment, OutRight Action International, an LGBTQ+ human rights watchdog organization, will screen individuals with a few questions.
LGBTQ+ people are part of a worldwide community.
To remind isolated LGBTQ+ individuals in unsafe countries they’re part of a bigger community, ordinary appearing installations designated with coded language will be placed throughout LBGTQ+ tolerant cities. These puzzle pieces will be equipped with the HangOUT QR code to guide them to the platform while providing them with a tangible representation of their place in the community.
Russian queer coded language used to refer to gay men to be placed in St. Petersburg, Russia.
QR coded puzzle piece found in the installation.
Persian queer coded language that means gay, to be placed in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The HangOUT.
Once they’ve scanned the QR code, OutRight Action International will screen individuals to guarantee the HangOUT community is right for them.
Once in the HangOUT, users will be able to securely communicate with other LGBTQ+ members and OutRight Action International employees who have been designated to provide region-specific resources for users in need.
