Impact Report
ustwo × Where Are the Black Designers?
Telling the story of a first-of-its-kind cultural and creative partnership
In 2024, JAIKU was brought in to help make sense of something big.
Over the course of a year, global product studio ustwo and grassroots advocacy organisation Where Are the Black Designers? (WATBD) had formed a first-of-its-kind partnership — investing time, money, and care into building equity in the design industry.
Their partnership had already done the work. JAIKU was brought on to tell the story in a way that would resonate across industries and communities alike.
JAIKU led the end-to-end storytelling strategy for their flagship Equity Through Service impact report.
This meant conducting interviews, analysing programme data, sourcing community insights, and crafting a narrative that could inform, inspire, and compel.
From narrative strategy to press coordination, and co-branded design direction to social rollout, we kept one goal in mind: To help this partnership live on — not just as a case study, but as a model.
The Backdrop
For decades, the design industry has suffered from a glaring absence: Black creative voices missing from studios, stages and leadership seats. The absence of Black designers in positions of influence was certainly felt. But for too long, it was ignored.
In 2020, Where Are the Black Designers? posed the question plainly. And after saying the problem out loud, they took action. From online forums to global gatherings, WATBD swiftly became a connective force for over 10,000 people around the world: 60% Black creatives, 40% allies, all ready to reimagine what design could look like when everyone has a seat at the table.
By 2023, WATBD had the reach. What they needed was a partner to amplify the signal.
Answering with Action
Global product studio ustwo stepped forward with full commitment. In April 2023, they entered a first-of-its-kind partnership with WATBD: pledging time, capital and care to make real change.
Together, they invested:
$115,000 towards Black creative advancement
260+ hours of hands-on volunteer work
And the effort of two full teams, working across five countries and twenty cities — hosting global launch events, intimate portfolio reviews, financial wellness workshops, and career-shaping conversations.
This wasn’t a one-off event. Or a one-time blog post. It was a collaborative effort to spark real change.
And, it did.
Over 1,000 Black creatives supported across 20+ cities
10+ events hosted globally — from Lagos to London to Nashville
20+ recruiters introduced to rising Black design talent
518,000+ people reached through media, press, and word of mouth
The Role of JAIKU
JAIKU was brought in to turn twelve months of action into a story that could live beyond the report — one that could move funders, grow communities, and show what real partnership looks like.
Over four months, we worked hand-in-hand with both teams to bring
the partnership’s story to life in a format that would resonate with stakeholders, creatives, and potential funders alike. The result was “Equity Through Service”: a flagship Impact Report published in May 2024 that distilled twelve months of effort into one compelling, clear, and human narrative.
We led:
Narrative strategy and content writing
Community research and quote gathering
Design briefing and co-creative direction
Stakeholder interviews and press coordination
Social media storytelling across platforms
More Than Metrics
The final report became a centrepiece in WATBD’s fundraising deck for their first-ever in-person festival. It showed up in pitch meetings, in partner slide decks, in press coverage. The report gave both organisations (and their audiences) the power to be heard, recognised, and backed by those ready to build a more equitable industry.
Through the storytelling strategy we built, the impact report achieved:
Documentation and showcase of key results
Shareable social assets that engaged both communities
Press coverage in Design Week and Creativepool
Positioning ustwo as a leader in design industry equity
Amplifying WATBD’s mission and reach
Why It Matters
By giving this work a voice, we weren’t simply capturing a moment. We were fuelling momentum.
We believe that stories hold power — the right one, at the right time, can shift culture.
This project opened a door. But the work doesn’t end here. There are more doors to open, more systems to challenge, more ways to build equity that lasts.
We hope this story helps spark the next step. A case study that doesn’t stop at the outcomes or deliverables, but illuminates better paths forward. Showing what’s possible when a global B Corp, a grassroots nonprofit, and a creative studio align to serve something bigger than any single brand.
The full story lives in the Equity Through Service Impact Report. Read it here.