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The Assembling Queer Displacement Archive (AQDA) is an innovative digital archive that captures oral histories related to LGBTIQ+ forced displacement. It originated as part of a creative doctoral research project, conducted by Renee Dixson at the Centre for Digital Humanities Research, Australian National University. We collaborated with AQDA to develop a fresh website and brand identity for the project, enhancing the archive’s online presence and accessibility.

A pink rectangle featuring a large green semicircle on the right, set against a green backdrop. The letters AQDA appear in the lower left corner of the rectangle.
Credits

Branding and UI Design: Alaïs de Saint Louvent

UX/UI Design: Katie Gee

Development: Sofiia Bondarenko

Branding

Studio Lutalica worked with AQDA to update their UX journey and provide the organisation with a brand revamp. Drawing on inspiration taken from historical, vintage and archival footage, we provided a new font and logo for AQDA’s website. We decided to experiment with a diverse selection of playful shapes throughout the website’s branding, with the intention of representing a displaced community finding its place.

A grid of six squares, each featuring a stylised D design. The colours used are yellow, black, pink, and dark green, set against assorted background shades. Each D shape is divided into contrasting halves within its square.

A playful assortment of colour swatches featuring Black (#191718), Off-White (#E5E5E5), White (#FFFFFF), Pink (#DDB7C9), Forest Green (#40552A), and Yellow (#FDB81E). Swatches are in square, circular, and semicircular shapes, each labelled with its respective colour code for easy identification.

A logo displaying the bold, black, geometric letters A, Q, D, A set against backgrounds in yellow, green, white, and pink. Beneath it sits the text ASSEMBLING QUEER DISPLACEMENT ARCHIVE on a black background.

A pink background showcases three font samples: Archiv Grotesk in bold, Silka Regular in standard weight, and Silka Italic in an italicised style. Each example includes uppercase and lowercase letters, alongside numbers.

Logo design featuring geometric black and white shapes, such as circles and rectangles. The letters AQDA appear inside one shape, with the phrase Assembling Queer Displacement Archive shown below in a different section.

A grid of six squares, each featuring a stylised D design. The colours used are yellow, black, pink, and dark green, set against assorted background shades. Each D shape is divided into contrasting halves within its square.

A playful assortment of colour swatches featuring Black (#191718), Off-White (#E5E5E5), White (#FFFFFF), Pink (#DDB7C9), Forest Green (#40552A), and Yellow (#FDB81E). Swatches are in square, circular, and semicircular shapes, each labelled with its respective colour code for easy identification.

A logo displaying the bold, black, geometric letters A, Q, D, A set against backgrounds in yellow, green, white, and pink. Beneath it sits the text ASSEMBLING QUEER DISPLACEMENT ARCHIVE on a black background.

A pink background showcases three font samples: Archiv Grotesk in bold, Silka Regular in standard weight, and Silka Italic in an italicised style. Each example includes uppercase and lowercase letters, alongside numbers.

Logo design featuring geometric black and white shapes, such as circles and rectangles. The letters AQDA appear inside one shape, with the phrase Assembling Queer Displacement Archive shown below in a different section.

Website

Website interface showcasing a project named Assembling Queer Displacement Archive. Features include Explore, About, and Contact buttons. Graphics display six yellow circles labelled Refugee and six purple squares labelled Asylum seeker, highlighting migration status.

Focusing on accessibility, we worked with colours on AQDA’s new website to ensure that those with disabilities, and people who didn’t have English as a first language, weren’t at a disadvantage when accessing the site. We prioritised using a colour scheme that wasn’t overwhelming or triggering, adding pops of yellow throughout the new website to represent a warm and positive atmosphere.

Screenshot of a webpage featuring a video interview with Elena Nechaeva. She is seated on a couch, smiling, with a bookshelf visible behind her. The header reads Assembling Queer Displacement Archive in pink and white tones.
Web interface showcasing the online contact page for the Assembling Queer Displacement Archive. Features text inviting story contributions, filters for gender and sexual orientation, and options for language selection. Social media icons displayed at the bottom.
Screenshot of a webpage titled Assembling Queer Displacement Archive set against a pink background. The page features tabs and a timestamped transcript. A search bar on the right displays search results for the keyword Russia.
An online page titled Assembling Queer Displacement Archive contains tabs: Details, Context, Transcript, Citation, and Related Stories. It shows citation styles like AGCL, Oxford, and Harvard alongside document details such as the page title and publication date.

A complex challenge we were initially faced with when undertaking this project was working with the translation of transcripts. We were able to overcome this challenge by incorporating the use of subtitles, timestamps and accessible text. With the new website design, we were able to convey something joyful and playful, without undermining the seriousness of the stories told by AQDA.

Two mobile menu interfaces featuring search bars at the top. The left menu has a light green background with bold text for search terms and contact info. The right menu is set against a darker green background, showcasing icons for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Two adjacent screenshots of a search interface. The left screenshot displays story filters with options for gender identities and sexual orientations. The right screenshot features a tool designed to build a queer displacement archive, offering filters for language and geographical location.

In terms of mobile design, we wanted to create something that was really linear, again drawing on inspiration from digital archival design. The new website is responsive and works on a solo, filterable navigation system that works across multiple screen types.

Mobile webpage displaying the About Assembling Queer Displacement Archive section. Features a circular logo with AQDA text and a paragraph outlining the archives mission to document LGBTIQ+ forced displacement histories.

Smartphone displaying a webpage about an interview with Elena Nechaeva. Information includes age 54, female, lesbian, pronouns she/her/hers, originally from Russia, and current status as asylum seeker.

Screenshot of a mobile webpage displaying a black and white portrait of a woman named Elena Nechaeva. Below the image, film information is presented: duration 95 minutes, keywords including Lesbian, Female, English, Russia. An Exit Now button is located on the side.

Mobile interface displaying a search bar and menu icon at the top. Text reads: ASSEMBLING QUEER DISPLACEMENT ARCHIVE with categories: 6 Asylum seeker, 0 Migrant, and 5 Refugee. A yellow rectangle is labelled EXIT NOW. Current Interview Status is noted at the bottom.

Mobile interface displaying citation format selection with options such as Oxford, Harvard, and more. Oxford is selected. Citation preview includes: Page Title 24, Website Name AQDA, URL www.aqda.com, accessed date, published date, year 2019.

Screenshot of a website displaying two portraits. The first portrait features a person with short curly hair, resting their chin on their hands; accompanied by text highlighting their name and personal details. Below is the second portrait, showing a person with long hair.

Screenshot of a contact page from an online archive. The page includes a title, description on how to interact with the platform, and form fields for first name, surname, email address, and message. It provides assistance specifically for LGBTIQ+ refugees and migrants.

A webpage displays a contact form featuring fields labelled for name, email, and message input. Below the form is a SEND button. At the bottom of the page, there’s a logo for Assembling Queer Displacement Archive, alongside a subscription field and website credits attributed to Studio Lutalica.

Mobile webpage displaying the About Assembling Queer Displacement Archive section. Features a circular logo with AQDA text and a paragraph outlining the archives mission to document LGBTIQ+ forced displacement histories.

Smartphone displaying a webpage about an interview with Elena Nechaeva. Information includes age 54, female, lesbian, pronouns she/her/hers, originally from Russia, and current status as asylum seeker.

Screenshot of a mobile webpage displaying a black and white portrait of a woman named Elena Nechaeva. Below the image, film information is presented: duration 95 minutes, keywords including Lesbian, Female, English, Russia. An Exit Now button is located on the side.

Mobile interface displaying a search bar and menu icon at the top. Text reads: ASSEMBLING QUEER DISPLACEMENT ARCHIVE with categories: 6 Asylum seeker, 0 Migrant, and 5 Refugee. A yellow rectangle is labelled EXIT NOW. Current Interview Status is noted at the bottom.

Mobile interface displaying citation format selection with options such as Oxford, Harvard, and more. Oxford is selected. Citation preview includes: Page Title 24, Website Name AQDA, URL www.aqda.com, accessed date, published date, year 2019.

Screenshot of a website displaying two portraits. The first portrait features a person with short curly hair, resting their chin on their hands; accompanied by text highlighting their name and personal details. Below is the second portrait, showing a person with long hair.

Screenshot of a contact page from an online archive. The page includes a title, description on how to interact with the platform, and form fields for first name, surname, email address, and message. It provides assistance specifically for LGBTIQ+ refugees and migrants.

A webpage displays a contact form featuring fields labelled for name, email, and message input. Below the form is a SEND button. At the bottom of the page, there’s a logo for Assembling Queer Displacement Archive, alongside a subscription field and website credits attributed to Studio Lutalica.

Social Media

Three Instagram posts: first, an elderly woman grinning warmly; second, bold text reading Stories of Ukrainian refugees set against a vibrant yellow background; third, a playful geometric design with circles and squares in black, yellow, and pink.

We provided AQDA with a comprehensive social media and branding guide to ensure that there is a plan in place for their presence online going forward.

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