AORThe Fatherie
A father and two children asleep across a white bed, seen from above

The Home for Queer Dads

The Fatherie

  • Strategy
  • Creative Direction
  • Brand Design
  • Animation
  • UX/UI Design

The Fatherie was born out of lived experience—a search for queer fatherhood reflected in the world, and the frustration of finding little representation, support or community.

While mainstream gay culture often centred on nightlife and freedom, there was no clear path for those dreaming of a different kind of sleepless night. The Fatherie set out to create an entry point for anyone curious, preparing for or already on the journey to becoming a dad.

Our challenge was to build a distinct identity for something part lifestyle brand, part movement and part community. It needed to carry advocacy, resources and support while feeling considered yet rebellious, witty, joyful and radical—creating a place where queer dads could feel seen, supported and empowered.

Campaign statement in orange on lilac: “Fatherhood is human, not hetero”
We made space the organising idea for the brand—creating room for emerging ideas of family. Proudly forging, framing and (re)defining it for gay dads, the dad-curious and dads-to-be.
Through the interplay of frame and form, our system expands from bracket-like shapes that hold, highlight, and open up space — a confident act of inclusion and possibility
The Fatherie vertical lockup: the wordmark set inside The Anvil symbol, in black

Lockup

Our primary logo lockup brings together our wordmark and The Anvil symbol as a unified mark.

The wordmark itself is unapologetically modern with radical clarity.

Set in Surt Expanded Black, the wordmark’s bold, precise form ensures strong legibility in print and digital.

It exists also in a stacked composition when we literally or otherwise need to express a fraction more volume or take up more space ;)

The Anvil symbol in black on white, the T and F locked into one form

Symbol

Our symbol combines the letters ‘T’ and ‘F’ into a singular brand mark we call The Anvil.

Solid and structural, it forms the backbone of our visual identity — a confident anchor for the brand.

The Anvil embodies resilience and craft, a reminder that fatherhood is forged through care, patience, and strength.

Designed to hold its own across different contexts, the symbol carries both weight and warmth. For maximum impact, it should be used boldly and without hesitation — a statement of strength and presence.

Twelve colourway tiles pairing the Anvil mark with the Dad× script across the palette

Color

This is where the radical spirit of the brand comes to life. Colour is not decorative but declarative. A statement of visibility, rebellion and joy.

The power of the palette lies in its contrast: vibrant, energetic tones set against calm, grounded neutrals. Together they create balance — impact with clarity, expression with intention.

Two or three colours can be combined within a single composition to create contrast and rhythm.

Type specimen: SURT in green, Reckless in lilac and the Harriet script in yellow, overlapping

Typography

The Fatherie’s typographic system is built around three distinct typefaces, each serving a clear role within the identity.

Together they create a balance of structure, expression and personality — from confident statements to moments of warmth and humanity.

This combination allows the brand to shift tone seamlessly across applications, while always remaining cohesive and recognisable.

Twelve spreads from The Fatherie brand guidelines: contents, vision, identity, composition, typography, colour and image
Built to shift between care and provocation, the system gives The Fatherie a variable volume. Bold statements challenge convention; intimate stories create connection; photography brings warmth and the texture of lived experience.
Across information, tooling, advocacy and culture, every expression belongs to the same world.
Yellow post reading “Because it takes a village, people” in redRed post reading “Down to father?” in lilacGreen post reading “Parenting from pride to playgroup” in pink
Snapshot of a father holding his son at the beach, captioned “Brett & Theodor”Black and white portrait of a father cradling his newborn, the Anvil mark framing them
A newborn's hand curled around an adult finger, the Anvil mark aboveBlack and white photograph of a father kissing his sleeping babyA father seen from behind at a table with his son on his shoulderA father in a Vegemite cap holding his baby outside a café
From social and editorial to apparel, campaigns and the street, The Fatherie turns care into an act of radical visibility. The result is more than an identity: it is a recognisable home for queer dads—and a more expansive picture of who gets to be called Dad.
A man seen from behind in an olive tee with The Fatherie across the shouldersA man in a black Fatherie beanie covering his face with both hands
A street hoarding papered with The Fatherie posters, photographs of dads and babies under the wordmark

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