As Pride Month draws to a close, it’s time to pause and reflect.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or off grid), you’ve probably seen the wave of rainbow branded everything, from logos and coffee cups, to social media posts and packaging. For one month, every major brand seems to burst into technicolour.
At Nurture, we live and breathe design. We know how powerful visual language can be. Done well, it can speak volumes, quietly saying “we’re with you” without needing a single word.
But here’s the thing: Pride Month shouldn’t just be a colour swap. And here’s why.
At our studio, we’re proud to partner with people and organisations doing genuinely good things, from charities leading change, musicians using their platforms to spread love and positivity, and businesses rethinking impact. We’re always striving to learn, to become as educated and supportive as we can be. And one thing we’ve learned? Design has power. It can give voices, share messages, and contribute to real world change. But design without intention can become just decoration, and that’s where things get sticky. Design can be a tool for change, but that only holds true when it’s used with intention.
When brands adopt the rainbow logo in June but stay silent or complicit the rest of the year, it’s hard not to see it as performative. Worse still are those who embrace the Pride aesthetic while maintaining harmful partnerships, discriminatory policies, or exclusionary practices. Reducing it to seasonal packaging without context or commitment strips it of meaning, and the community of the respect it deserves. To put it basically, it loses all meaning.
The rainbow isn’t just a design trend. It’s a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, and the resistance, resilience, and celebration of the month and people. It has roots in protest, activism, and solidarity. It shows acceptance, safety and inclusivity. So when it gets watered down into a branding exercise without action, intention, context, or community, it loses its message.
We’re not here to rainbow shame anyone, but we are here to say: if you’re going to show up for Pride, show up with intention. Visibility can be powerful. But visibility without action isn’t allyship. Everyday actions such as employing LGBTQ+ people, donating to organisations and campaigns, celebrating real life people, stories and communities, and making sure that your environment is safe and inclusive for all is what speaks loudest.
Pride is a great moment, but it is important to support the community all year round.
The goal isn’t just to look inclusive. The goal is to be inclusive. Using the symbol of Pride for how it looks alone without showing up in any other way shows a lack of authenticity, and that’s just not good enough.
Too often, we see brands treating Pride like a trend or a box to tick, a campaign to run. But if you’re going to use the rainbow, use it with respect, with understanding, and with purpose.
At Nurture, we take our role seriously. We’re a purpose-led design studio that helps brands make a positive impact on people, the planet, and culture. We believe in design that’s thoughtful, inclusive, and rooted in real-world values.
So if you’re a brand asking how to “do Pride” right, start by asking how you support the LGBTQ+ community when the spotlight isn’t on. And let your answers shape your actions, not just your aesthetics.
Pride is more than a palette. Let's design like we mean it.
by
Charlene Payne
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