This sense of play and approachability is mirrored in illustrations. The back cover of The Outer Work Newspaper features illustrated character icons – labelled Ashamed, Acknowledged, Included, Overwhelmed – to “help normalise the many complicated feelings one might experience when committing to social change”, says Michelle. Equally, to encourage free interaction with the publication, Practice purposefully included “scribbles and scratches”, to welcome further annotation from readers, whether through markings, by highlighting impactful passages or jotting down thoughts.
Practice also looked to balance familiarity with the serious nature of discussing anti-racism, sourcing a type family which could do both. The publication has been intentionally set in type created by Black designers “to highlight the work done by individuals like Tré Seals and Joshua Darden”, says Michelle.
For studios looking to help shape incredible projects such as the Outer Work Newspaper, Michelle concludes by pointing them in the way of Outer Work itself. “[The community] has created a space for designers and creatives of all kinds to donate their time and skills, so one way studios could do this is by connecting with BIPOC visionaries on the platform.” Finally, for anyone based in the US, we highly recommend keeping your eyes peeled for the beautiful publication this week; for everyone else, make sure to head to the Outer Work site.