The Client
San Francisco’s Transgender Cultural District (“The District”), a nonprofit formed in 2017, is the first legally recognized transgender district in the world.
The mission of the Transgender District is to create an urban environment that fosters the rich history, culture, legacy, and empowerment of transgender people and its deep roots in the southeastern Tenderloin neighborhood. The Transgender District aims to stabilize and economically empower the transgender community through ownership of homes, businesses, historic and cultural sites, and safe community spaces.
From The Transgender District website
The Challenge
The District needed branding for the renaming of the organization from Compton’s Transgender Cultural District to The Transgender District, including a redesigned logo, a report similar to an annual report, and social media and event graphics.
Projects for this ongoing client need to introduce the District to the national and international transgender rights scene and showcase the energy, vibrancy and strength of the District’s transgender community.
The Solutions
Logo
For the new logo, Co-Founder and Executive Director Aria Sa’id wanted me to use the pink and blue of the transgender flag but insisted, “absolutely no butterflies,” a cliched symbol of transformation. Using the two colors, I created a dynamic swirl to denote change and movement. The type is strong, but not overpowering in size, with subtly textured edges to keep it from being harsh. The logo appears in color and black-and-white and in horizontal and vertical formats.
Social Media
I created social media graphics to support the rebrand for numerous Transgender District events, conferences, and talks (see one, below).
A full range is here.
Mailchimp Email Newsletter
The Executive Director and I created an email newsletter using the Mailchimp platform, to increase the organization’s reach. The newsletter contained news and information about the District, event listings, and resources for their local, national and international subscribers. The patron base numbered as high as 10K individual subscriptions, clearly fulfilling a strong need for content by transgender people, for transgender people.
Additional views of and information about the newsletter are here.
Biennial Report
I created this biennial document (see below)—similar to an annual report, without the financials—with the District’s Executive Director and Director for Strategic Partnerships. It’s an accounting of the activities of the organization for 2020 and 2021, with careful documentation and metrics. The founders and staff of the District wanted a document that had all the information of a white paper, but looked more formal and finished. They later informed me that they were certain the “attractive and professional” document helped them secure funding from the City of San Francisco government for the next two years.
More information and a scrollable PDF are here.
Entrepreneur Accelerator Program
The Transgender District created an Entrepreneur Accelerator Program which gave eight transgender People of Color access to business help: business development information, a small seed money grant, a website and branding. I created logos, style guides and social media graphics for the participants. Fluid Coffee & Events (see below) will be launched as a café, hangout space and event venue in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, home to many transgender people. Fluid will be especially but not exclusively for transgender youth, for whom there are few welcoming, safe spaces in the city. All eight participants completed the 2020-2021 program, and the program has been renewed for 2021-2022.
Branding materials for other 2021 participants is here. Branding for selected 2022 participants is here. Branding for selected 2023 participants is here.
