Building a Digital Platform to Destigmatize Abortion

Challenge

The objective of Shout Your Abortion (#SYA) was to de-stigmatize the experience of abortion by encouraging women to share their personal stories about why they had an abortion and its impact on their lives. With 1 in 3 women in the U.S. having had at least one abortion, our aim was to shift the conversation from accusations and conflicts to sharing stories and humanizing the experience. This approach was intended to change negative perceptions, reduce hate, and influence policy against abortion.

We were challenged with developing a brand and digital platform to: 1) Create a space for capturing and sharing abortion stories; 2) Provide resources and a sense of community for those who feel alienated or misinformed about abortion and 3) Develop a brand and create assets that could be disseminated across cities nationally to support protests and gatherings.

Solution

To support the rapid online movement, we focused on digital design and functionality. The brand needed to be accessible, collectively owned, and adaptable across various formats. Drawing inspiration from historical protest graphics and women’s rights movements, we created a distinct look and feel that encouraged both digital and physical participation from abortion supporters. To ensure security against hacking, trolling, and unauthorized user profiles, we implemented high-security measures and an easy-to-use community review system, suitable for the small team managing this movement.

Results

Our team developed a comprehensive activism movement that spanned digital and physical systems. The website allowed a decentralized network of supporters to discuss abortion on their own terms, regardless of location. The SYA movement permeates various mediums, including art, zines, building murals, and social media, all converging on this platform. The site enables users to upload video testimonials or written stories, download protest materials, shop, donate, and most importantly, learn how to educate others. In an era marked by extreme opposition and misinformation, the SYA site serves as a digital safe space for sharing real stories.

With the digital hub, cities could host SYA events and organize pre-protest or activation meet-ups, bringing communities together to take action on a national scale.

2017 Webby Award, People’s Voice — Best Activism Website

Design of Dissent (2nd edition) — Rockport (ISBN: 1631594249)

Honorable Press — New York Times, The Guardian, New Yorker, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Time, AIGA Eye on Design, IdN World, Seattle Times.