A Movement for Equality and Unity

Challenge

Be Proud EU is a campaign for LGBTQI+ equality across Europe. It uses storytelling and participation to challenge gender stereotypes. The line: “Be Proud of EU, NOW.”

LGBTQI+ rights are going backwards in parts of the EU. By 2019, more than 80 areas in Poland had declared themselves “LGBT-free zones”. In June 2020, Polish president Andrzej Duda described LGBT as an “ideology more destructive than communism”.

We focused on heterosexual men aged 22 to 37 who reinforce gender stereotypes without realising it. The idea was to change minds through empathy, not confrontation. What we learned:

• Fear and hostility toward gender expression are still widespread.
• Ignorance is often rooted in cultural stereotypes.
• Stories that challenge norms can build empathy and change minds.

Process

We ran interviews, surveys and market analysis to understand public sentiment, then built personas and tested story-driven concepts. Three things guided the design:

Key solutions

1. A constellation of stories. An interactive night sky where every star is a story from an LGBTQI+ person or ally.

2. Share your story. Anyone can add their story and light up a star.

3. Merchandise. People can buy personalised merchandise with their own star on it.

4. A brand of stars. The identity draws on the EU flag and its circle of stars, a symbol of unity and diversity. The tone is bold and inclusive, and invites people to take part and be proud.

Impact

The campaign built a sense of community and empathy, challenging stereotypes through storytelling and taking part.

What I learned

Designing for people who don’t agree with you is harder than designing for people who do. We chose empathy over confrontation, and every design decision had to pass that test. I’d test the story submission flow with the actual target group earlier, since they were the least likely to take part.