Website Design
A vibrant guide to fair & inclusive reporting with 2 Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse communities.
with The 519
Relationship
Since 2022
Services
Graphic Design, Website Design, Website Development
The 519 is a City of Toronto agency that provides space, service and leadership for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across the GTA. Loop is privileged to have a long-standing partnership with The 519, and we were delighted to work with them again. In response to consistently poor representation of Queer communities in the media, The 519 reached out to Loop for help creating the definitive Canadian guide to fair & inclusive reporting with 2 Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse communities.
When the 519 came to Loop, their media reference guide was a short PDF with some written information and a small glossary. With a vision for something much more robust, engaging and queer-responsive, Loop got to work bringing best practices for reporting on Queer communities to the web.
Creating a Multidimensional Experience
The discovery process engaged several departments at The 519 to better understand the goals and audiences who will use the Media Reference Guide. The outcome was a dynamic and colourful visual direction inspired by iconic Pride flags and 70s broadcast design inclusive of big, bold stripes, a strong type system, and custom icons with a repeating stripe motif. The visual language brings the content to life, supporting rather than detracting from the comprehensive information and resources, and has space to expand and update as these issues evolve.
Combatting Media (Mis)representation
Accurate and fair representation of trans and gender-diverse communities in the media helps show that these communities are made up of real people experiencing joy, sorrow, excitement, and monotony—just like everyone else. Visibility in the media truly has the power to uplift and enrich lives.
This Media Reference Guide is an opportunity to learn, report, and write more accurately, inclusively and fairly. The website’s information architecture is carefully organized to encompass various tools and topics that support this learning, including statistics, do’s and don’ts callouts, frequently asked question sections, a comprehensive glossary, resources and testimonials that encompass lived experience. The tool’s thoughtful design also supports information sharing in various ways, keeping users engaged and learning at a digestible pace. The 519 teams are now armed with a valuable tool to keep the tools updated as new situations arise and as terminology and practices within the 2SLGBTQ+ communities change.
“The Media Reference Guide would not have been possible without the support of Loop. It’s rare to work with a studio that fits so easily into the team and acts as true partners and champions of the work. Through their support, we developed a guide that greatly exceeded our initial expectations, and that evolved into North America’s most comprehensive guide on reporting with 2SLGBTQ+ communities. The feedback we’ve gotten – from PR professionals, journalists, our colleagues and our communities – has been glowing.”
– Curran Stikuts, Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications at The 519
From Empathy to Impact
The Media Reference Guide has been positively received and has already begun to make meaningful impacts in our community!
Thank you The 519!
