ReconcilingStories

Because ReconcilingStories deals with the highly personal issues of sexuality and religion, we wanted the site to appear inviting and intimate. We chose cool colors—purple and light blue—and a simple, elegant serif font.

But simple text isn’t enough to establish a strong brand identity. We wanted to allude to traditional gay iconography while avoiding such clichés as rainbows and upside-down pink triangles. Because the site is devoted to stories of faith, community, and identity, we also wanted the logo to portray storytelling and discussion.

To achieve this balance, we combined the gay iconography of interlinked astronomical symbols for Venus (woman) and Mars (man) with a “talk bubble.”

The final combination alludes to same-sex coupling and open discourse.

Choosing the right software

Our client wanted a site that could be easily updated and maintained with a minimal learning curve, so we chose WordPress, a popular content management system (CMS) designed for blogging. But the client didn’t want a blog in the traditional sense—he wanted the site to operate more like a magazine, requiring each submission to be edited before appearing on the site. To meet his needs, we completely overhauled WordPress’s interface, stripping away most of its “bloggy” elements.

Custom-built WordPress plugins

Transforming a blog into something more like a online magazine or newsletter required some programming. Custom plugins were developed, one of which allowed users to post stories anonymously—an important feature for a site that deals with such sensitive issues.