If you frequent Zoom video calls, you have probably seen the Documents and Media produced June background "There are so many ways to be human". The phrase rests on a baby pink backdrop decorated with abstract illustrations of people of all skin tones, hair colors and styles, and even a set of pristine pink mustaches.
This message of equality, belongingness, and expression resonated with Monica Mapa, so much, she wanted it off the screen and close to her heart via a T-shirt.
Tracey and Chelsea posing in their "There are so many ways to be human" tee.
Mapa, a marketing director with Campus Life Services is a fierce copywriter with a fountain of ideas on how to make your product stand out, enlisted a Documents and Media team of Tracey Long, production specialist, and Reggie Sparks, creative director, and original designer of the artwork, to make her dream come true.
For Long, this project is especially meaningful, “my daughter Chelsea is a trans woman, and Reggie made sure to represent all aspects of LGBTQIA diversity.”
Adapt and Print
First things first, the Zoom background design needed to be adapted to something you would see on a T-shirt. "Revisiting the design as a statement tee provided us the opportunity to further elevate the message. Advances in direct-to-garment printing also allowed us to keep the bold vibrancy of the original design."
Once the design was finalized Long worked with a trusted partner vendor and placed an order for a modest quantity. “Just a few years ago T-shirts had to be screen printed in large quantity and re-designed for a few colors. We now have access to a digital T-shirt press that can produce small runs in full color quickly,” she explained.
So, if you see people wearing these shirts, give them a thumbs up as a sign of "hey, cool shirt" and that you support the message.
