LGBTBE
OutBritain, the UK’s first LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, created LGBTBE (LGBT+ Business Enterprise) certification as a way of officially recognising UK businesses that are LGBTQ+ owned. The goal is both practical and cultural: make it easier for customers to identify and support queer-owned businesses, and strengthen connection and community within commerce.
We developed the visual identity for LGBTBE and applied it across early-stage collateral, including certificates, letterheads, and storefront stickers designed to work in the real world.
Project Team
Branding and Collateral: Zoe Tang
The Challenge
A certification mark has to work hard. It needs to be recognisable at a glance, hold up across print and digital, and stay readable at small sizes.
It also needed to feel confident and credible, without drifting into something generic or overly decorative. Because the certification is designed to be used by many different businesses, the system also needed to be flexible and robust.
What We Did
OutBritain gave us space to explore a fresh visual direction. We chose to work with rainbow colour intentionally, applying it in block forms that stop and start. This approach keeps the energy and recognisability of rainbow colour, while adding maturity and confidence.
We also drew inspiration from art-deco in how the colours and shapes are implemented, giving the system a sharper edge and a more distinctive rhythm.
Typography choices supported clarity and versatility. We used Manrope for its clean lines and curves, helping the identity feel modern and work across contexts.
Finally, we applied the identity across key collateral to test how it performs “in situ”, including certificates, letterheads, and stickers that certified businesses can place on storefront windows.
Impact
LGBTBE now has a recognisable certification identity that helps LGBTQ+ owned businesses be seen and supported more easily. A confident, flexible system makes the mark usable across multiple touchpoints, from formal documents to storefront applications.
By translating the identity into practical collateral from the start, OutBritain can roll out certification in a way that feels credible and consistent, and participating businesses can signal community and belonging in everyday contexts.
From start to finish the journey with Studio Lutalica has been a smooth and professional one. Their talent is limitless and without equal. They are truly an inspirational business and we at OutBritain look forward to working with them again very soon!
– Matt Dabrowski, Founder & CEO, OutBritain and OutScotland