Abortion Escort Stories: Cause-Driven Digital Design

Multi-device mockup showing the Abortion Escort Stories website on desktop and mobile, paired with social media layouts, Facebook pages, and merchandise items like shirts and stickers with the flame-and-fists logo.

Amplifying truth through design, structure, and solidarity

Overview
Abortion Escort Stories began as a conversation before it became a movement. Zoe, the founder, reached out to create a website that could give voice to abortion clinic escorts, a group whose work is often unseen and misunderstood. Together, we built more than a site. We built a full brand system and storytelling framework that gave this new platform visibility, credibility, and emotional resonance.

The goal was to protect and empower those on the front lines of reproductive access while fostering community among people who share their courage and compassion.

Slide labeled “Brand Strategy and Overview – AES,” featuring the Abortion Escort Stories brand guidelines with fonts, color swatches, and a description of the platform’s mission to amplify clinic escort voices.

The Challenge
The heart of the project was visibility. Clinic escorts are a small, cautious community, and many have to protect their privacy. The stories are deeply human and often painful, yet they deserve to be shared. The brand needed to speak to this truth while maintaining safety, care, and professionalism.

Limited resources meant every design element had to serve multiple purposes. Messaging had to adapt to platforms with different rules around language and tone. And the visual identity needed to reflect both resistance and empathy, without ever diluting either.

The Process
We collaborated closely through weekly working sessions. Each meeting ended with action items to keep the project moving at a sustainable pace. I led every stage of the brand’s creation, from naming conventions and design to voice development and accessibility standards.

1. Brand Foundation
We chose the flame and fists logo for its clarity and symbolic strength. The design draws from familiar protest imagery but softens it with curved shapes and balance, reflecting the project’s combination of defiance and compassion.

2. Color System
The primary orange came directly from the high-visibility vests worn by clinic escorts. It represents courage, visibility, and warmth. A complementary palette of teal, purple, and sand tones provided grounding and contrast.

3. Voice and Archetype
We defined the brand personality as a blend of the Outlaw, Everyperson, and Caregiver archetypes. It speaks plainly and truthfully, challenges harmful systems, and protects others with empathy and care.

4. Audience and Personas
Each design and message was created for the people who make this work possible. The core audience includes clinic escorts, advocates, and allies who value both clarity and authenticity.

5. Accessibility and Storytelling
We developed a content system that standardized how stories appear across platforms. Templates ensured consistent use of alt text, source citations, and plain-language captions so that posts could be both powerful and inclusive.

6. Community Engagement
We extended the brand beyond the website through merchandise, social campaigns, and storytelling prompts. Every design was crafted to start conversations, from bumper stickers to Redbubble shirts featuring statements like “Blessed are the loud, the bright, and the unafraid.”

The Outcome
Abortion Escort Stories now stands as a cohesive platform with a strong voice and unified visuals.

  • The logo and color palette have become recognizable symbols of solidarity.

  • The social strategy strengthened engagement, particularly on Instagram.

  • Merch designs created new ways for supporters to participate in advocacy.

  • The website provides a safe and accessible space for escorts to share their stories.

This project demonstrated that structure can amplify emotion rather than mute it. The design became a framework for courage.

Collage of branded merchandise mockups including T-shirts, stickers, and a water bottle featuring protest sayings such as “Rage is a renewable resource” and “Blessed are the loud, the bright, and the unafraid.”

Reflection
The moment that stayed with me most was designing a post about the Brookline clinic shootings and realizing how little reproductive safety has changed in thirty years. It reminded me that design can hold space for grief as much as for hope.

Abortion Escort Stories continues to grow, connecting people who protect others at their most vulnerable moments. This work reaffirmed what I believe about purpose-driven design: when you give a mission structure and clarity, it becomes something people can hold onto.

Amplifying the voices of clinic escorts through truth, courage, and care – AbortionEscortStories.com