Story
What is "Our Values Are" project?
Our Values Are is a free image that businesses can display on their websites to show they stand for equality, respect, and kindness. In a world where these values are often challenged, this image offers a simple way for businesses to visibly declare what matters to them.
This page shares the story behind how the Our Values Are project was conceived, researched, and created. You'll discover the inspiration that sparked the idea, the research that informed it, and the thoughtful process behind creating an image that represents ten essential human values.
The Story
12-minutes read
In the midst of a deeply polarized American political landscape, I found myself increasingly concerned that core human values are being drowned out by louder voices promoting division and intolerance. As a digital product leader, I was determined to figure out how I could leverage my experience and skills to uphold fundamental principles like human dignity, inclusivity, equity, respect, and kindness.
The spark of inspiration came unexpectedly during a visit to a local San Francisco coffee shop. As I approached the entrance, I noticed various stickers adorning the glass door and windows—a gay pride flag and other signs that clearly communicated the establishment's values to customers before they even stepped inside. I realized I'd seen this pattern for years across storefronts, each using visual cues to signal their commitment to inclusivity and social justice. Personally, as a gay man from a generation that had to hide who I was to avoid discrimination, these symbols of pride have given me a sense of safety.
Then it struck me that stores might not promote the same values online as in their storefronts. For businesses that only have a digital presence, there are no equivalent visual models. While brick-and-mortar shops can display signs and flags, it seems that business websites and e-commerce platforms lack a unified, recognizable way to demonstrate their values. In our increasingly digital world, this represented a significant gap—one that I was uniquely positioned to address with my experience implementing and launching digital products.
But first, I needed to do research and learn about symbols representing inclusivity, equity, human rights, and social justice across multiple dimensions of identity and experience.
The Research
I began by researching the history and meaning behind various social justice symbols. The Gay Pride Flag, also known as the Rainbow Flag, was created by artist and gay rights activist Gilbert Baker in 1978. Today, the Rainbow Flag remains one of the most recognized symbols of LGBTQ+ pride, diversity, and inclusion worldwide, representing both the community's struggles and its enduring resilience. This was a good place to embark on my research as the gay pride flag is already used by many establishments.
Gay Pride Flag
As I expected, the research showed me that there are many social groups and communities suffering injustices right now, some extremely cruel, such as what is happening to the transgender community, while others go unseen, like the neurodivergent community.
It surprises me how the transgender community, despite being only 0.6% of the population in the United States, has been used by politicians to drive divisive campaigns and push restrictive legislation that disproportionately affects this vulnerable minority. The transgender community exemplifies why we must fiercely defend dignity and visibility for all people, especially our most vulnerable minorities.
Neurodiversity, a term coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in 1998, refers to the natural variation in human brain function. Neurodivergent individuals—those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurological differences—comprise approximately 15-20% of the U.S. population. This significant group often goes unnoticed but faces substantial discrimination and systemic barriers in education, employment, and daily life.
The research continued with pride flag variations like the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag with its quasar, Black Lives Matter imagery, the proposed new reimagined accessibility symbol, and many more symbols and imagery. Each had its own powerful story and represented communities fighting for recognition and respect.
During a hike near Mill Valley, about 45 minutes north of San Francisco, I encountered the "In This House, We Believe" sign in the front yard of an affluent home. This sign, which typically features phrases like "Black Lives Matter," "Women's Rights Are Human Rights," and "Love Is Love," had emerged around 2016-2017 as a response to the increasingly divisive political climate following the presidential election.
The sign immediately resonated with me on a deep emotional level. Like the pride flags in storefronts, it was a clear, visual declaration of values that aligned perfectly with my own beliefs. What struck me most was how effectively it communicated complex principles in simple, accessible statements. This powerful combination of clarity and conviction inspired me. I realized that this sign's approach—a series of straightforward value statements presented together—could serve as the perfect foundation for what would eventually become the Our Values Are image.
Art as a Form of Resistance
Throughout history, art has served as a powerful tool for resistance and social change. From protest posters during civil rights movements to street art in politically oppressed regions, visual expression has consistently been a way for marginalized communities to assert their humanity, challenge dominant narratives, and advocate for justice.
Visual communication holds particular power in movements for social change because of its accessibility. Unlike lengthy manifestos or complex theoretical frameworks, visual art can communicate powerful messages instantly and across barriers of language, education, and culture. Simple symbols and imagery often become rallying points for complex movements – the raised fist, the peace sign, the rainbow flag – each conveying entire philosophies and histories in a single glance.
In today's digital landscape, the tradition of resistance art takes on new significance. Digital spaces have become the new public squares where values are debated and cultural norms are shaped. Yet these environments often lack the visual cues that help us identify safe spaces and like-minded communities in the physical world. The stickers and signs that adorn storefronts have no widespread digital equivalent.
In a world increasingly dominated by divisive rhetoric, visual declarations of values can stand as forms of peaceful resistance against forces that would diminish human dignity and rights. When businesses and individuals visibly align themselves with principles of equality and respect, they join a long history of those who have used art to stand firm in their principles, even—especially—when those principles are under threat.
This tradition of art as resistance informed my thinking as I considered how to bring the visual declaration of values from physical spaces into the digital realm. If symbols and images could create safe spaces in storefronts, perhaps they could do the same for websites and digital platforms.
Resistance with Joy
While resistance is often associated with struggle and defiance, history has shown us that the most sustainable movements for change are those that incorporate joy, creativity, and celebration. Resistance fueled solely by anger or opposition tends to burn out. It takes a tremendous emotional toll on those involved. But resistance infused with joy creates a renewable energy source—one that nourishes the spirit even as it challenges oppressive systems.
I witnessed this truth firsthand in my native Chile during the resistance against Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. Under Pinochet's brutal regime (1973-1990), Chileans developed remarkable forms of creative resistance that combined political protest with artistic expression. The "¡No!" campaign that ultimately helped end the dictatorship wasn't just about opposition—it deliberately used bright colors, catchy jingles, and hopeful imagery to envision a more joyful future. Chilean artists, musicians, and ordinary citizens created arpilleras (colorful tapestries documenting political oppression), organized clandestine concerts, and used humor to undermine the regime's authority.
The William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut. Storrs, 860-486-1707.
"A government truck is spraying
contaminated water on the protesting
women in this city. This is a political protest."
https://benton.uconn.edu/tag/arpillera/
This strategy wasn't merely aesthetic—it was deeply strategic. By embedding resistance within joyful cultural expressions, Chileans created sustainable movements that could withstand the psychological warfare of living under authoritarianism. Joy became not an escape from reality but a way to insist that another reality was possible.
The Creation of "Our Values Are" image
Rather than choosing just one cause, I envisioned something more comprehensive—a single visual statement that could encompass multiple values being challenged in today's political climate. The Our Values Are image stands as a bold declaration—at once a reflection of our current moment and a timeless affirmation of enduring human principles. It serves as both a mirror to our present struggles and a path toward a more just and compassionate future.
Let's explore the design, phrases, and color decisions in more detail.
You can get the Our Values Are image set here.
The Phrases and Order
To develop the specific phrases, I conducted extensive research to identify statements that symbolize a commitment to inclusivity, equity, human rights, and social justice across multiple dimensions of identity and experience. My selection process was deliberate—I filtered the initial list to focus on phrases that directly impacted specific social groups and communities. I intentionally excluded broader, more abstract concepts like "All are welcome" or statements like "Science is real" in favor of declarations that spoke directly to current challenges faced by identifiable communities.
During my research, I discovered the Student Values display from The Basildon Academies Trust in England, which uses bold, colored blocks with statements like "CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL," "BLACK LIVES MATTER," and "KINDNESS IS EVERYTHING." Their approach of presenting clear, concise value statements corroborated my research direction. Finding this established example validated that I was on the right path in selecting direct, impactful statements that address specific social justice issues.
After much deliberation and numerous iterations, I arrived at the final list of ten powerful statements that now form the core of the Our Values Are image.
All People Are Equal is a core tenet of human rights, with roots in various philosophical and religious traditions and formalized in documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Learn more here
Love Is Love phrase gained prominence in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly in relation to marriage equality. Learn more here
Women's Rights Are Human Rights was popularized by Hillary Clinton at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, emphasizing that women's rights should not be seen as separate from general human rights. Learn more here
The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 in response to police brutality against Black people and has become a global call for racial justice. Learn more here
Transgender Rights Now phrase reflects the ongoing fight for the rights and recognition of transgender people. Learn more here
Diversity Makes Us Stronger statement promotes the value of diversity and inclusion in various contexts. Learn more here
Neurodivergence Is a Superpower statement positively frames neurodiversity and challenges negative stereotypes by highlighting the strengths of people with neurological differences. Learn more here
Disabilities Are Respected emphasizes the importance of respecting the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. Learn more here
No Human Is Illegal phrase is widely attributed to Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, to reject the criminalization of undocumented individuals. Learn more here
Kindness Is Everything phrase gained prominence in November 2016 when a group of women in Madison, Wisconsin, initiated a campaign inspired by a local handwritten sign. This grassroots effort aimed to promote love and inclusivity in response to rising societal tensions. Learn more here
I carefully structured the declarations to flow from universal to specific and back to universal. "ALL PEOPLE ARE EQUAL" opens with a fundamental truth, while "KINDNESS IS EVERYTHING" provides a powerful conclusion that transcends specific issues.
The order takes the viewer through a journey from well-known concepts to less familiar ones, guiding them through various dimensions of inclusivity, equity, human rights, and social justice in a thoughtful progression. In between, each statement addresses communities and principles facing significant challenges.
The Style and Colors
For the visual presentation, I drew inspiration from various sources. The striped, declarative format has precedents across social justice movements and educational materials—similar approaches can be found throughout advocacy spaces online. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I sought to refine and adapt existing visual language that has proven effective for communicating important values in clear, accessible ways.
The color choices were also carefully considered. I deliberately chose not to follow the standard order of rainbow colors found on other symbols and flags, as I wanted to be more intentional about pairing specific phrases with colors that enhanced their meaning. Blue and red echo the American flag while representing harmony and life. Pink represents women's rights, black represents Black Lives Matter and diversity, light blue references the transgender flag, orange symbolizes diversity and energy, yellow highlights neurodivergence with its association to positivity, green represents nature and progress for disabilities, brown stands for inclusivity and acknowledges those affected by deportation policies, and purple's spiritual associations complement the message that kindness is everything.
The Invitation
Our Values Are is an invitation for digital businesses to visibly align themselves with these core values as a declaration. By providing a simple yet powerful image that can be added to websites, particularly in the footer as an unobtrusive but consistent presence, Our Values Are offers a way for online entities to be empowered and make their stance clear.
My vision is to see this symbol spread across the digital landscape, creating a recognizable signal that helps like-minded customers find businesses that share their values. In a world where every purchase and click can be a political act, Our Values Are provides a way for businesses to proudly declare where they stand—on the side of equality, respect, diversity, and kindness.
This project represents my personal contribution to ensuring that these essential values remain visible and celebrated, not just in physical spaces but throughout our digital world as well.
A. R.
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