In 2015, I co-founded and launched Fellow Resident, an online magazine exploring the homes and heads of modern gay men.
Driven by a frustration at the variety of LGBTI-specific media, Fellow Resident aims to offer a different perspective on contemporary gay life. Through conversational interviews and real-life photography, the project celebrated the personal and creative successes of an ever-inspiring community.
Role: Founder, Editor & Creative Director
Initial research
During my research, I noticed three societal shifts happening both within my local gay community in London and on a larger, global scale:
- An increased awareness about LGBTI issues in the mainstream media, spearheaded by the gay marriage movement
- An evolution of established gay neighbourhoods
- A new generation of ‘post-gay’ men, pioneering a more inclusive society
It was these trends, along with discussions I was having with my peers, which went on to inform the overarching vision for Fellow Resident.
Vision
The vision for the project was to expose a quieter side to gay life – one that looked beyond common stereotypes – and represented a growing population of gay men.
I was keen to explore the themes of work, home and community through the lens of sexuality, and create content that readers would find relevant and familiar, yet inspirational and progressive.
Design
I treated the creation of Fellow Resident much like a mini-design project, developing the brand assets, UX and UI in my spare time.
The online magazine is the central hub for the brand and is split into two main areas – the ‘Interview’ section, which houses editorial content and ‘Must Reads,’ a space to share relevant news and articles from around the web.
Across all touchpoints (including marketing emails, social content and event branding) a contemporary look and feel is adopted. This visual style not only resonates with our audience but also distances Fellow Resident from its competitors.
Content
To expose a realistic version of our interviewees lives, we focus on creating documentary-style video and photography – imagery is natural and unposed. Long form copy also provides a conversational tone and allows us to dig deep into topics.
Over time, we've built up a network of global contributors to the site, creating content from cities as far flung as Los Angeles, Tel Aviv, Sydney and São Paulo.
Outcome
An East London block party marked the official launch of the brand in September 2015. Since then, we’ve continued to foster a small but engaged community of loyal readers and contributors.
The project has also been covered by numerous blogs and media companies, including Protein and The Fox Is Black, and named as one of the 20 Inspiring Interior Design Feeds by Etsy.
