To create a cohesive and expressive brand identity for The Blackening that reflects its purpose as a safe, celebratory space for Black queer men, while enabling consistent and scalable communication across platforms.

 The Blackening is a community-led platform designed to create space for Black queer men to show up fully, freely, and without compromise.  My role was to develop a visual identity that could hold this emotional and cultural weight, while remaining flexible enough to scale across digital, physical, and community touchpoints.

At the core of the identity is a dynamic logomark, built from radiating forms that symbolise individuality within collective strength. This visual metaphor reflects the brand’s core values of joy, authenticity, and community as power. The colour palette balances deep, grounding tones with vibrant, expressive hues, allowing the identity to shift between intimacy and celebration depending on context. Typography was selected for clarity and flexibility, supporting a voice that is confident, warm, and unapologetically direct.

The result is a brand system that feels both expressive and intentional, capable of living across social platforms, merchandise, and community spaces. More than just an identity, it creates a visual language that reflects belonging, celebrates individuality, and reinforces the power of collective experience.