DECOLONIAL BY DESIGN

THE
CREATIVE
BRIEF.

DECOLONIAL
BY DESIGN

THE
CREATIVE
BRIEF.

a decolonial, ecofeminist programme for branding, comms and culture-makers*
who want to frame their work in ways that disrupt today's supremacy narratives,
while co-authoring symbiotic futures.

a decolonial, ecofeminist programme for branding, comms and culture-makers*
who want to frame their work in ways that disrupt today's supremacy narratives,
while co-authoring symbiotic futures.

a decolonial, ecofeminist programme for branding, comms and culture-makers*
who want to frame their work in ways that disrupt today's supremacy narratives, while co-authoring symbiotic futures.

purchase decolonial by design

purchase decolonial by design

purchase decolonial by design

purchase decolonial by design

dear culture-maker,

your work is part of an important dialogue.

your work is part of an important dialogue.


Whether you are a brand strategist, journalist, filmmaker, artist or researcher. A therapist, language coach, policymaker or educator.

At your core, you're a culture-maker.
Your work in the world communicates something.

About what and who you celebrate; ways of being that you consider desirable; the people or places you value; and
so. much. more.

Your work is a channel for what we call narrative power: the ability to contribute to shaping social reality, cultural norms, identity, and power dynamics through intentional storytelling, framing, and the transmission of worldviews.

No matter how big or small our audience, or whether we primarily operate online or offline, we are all part of this dialogue. And what we communicate matters.

The Creative Brief is a companion for exercising that power with greater intention: framing and communicating your work in ways that reduce harm, while encouraging relationality, restoration and the redistribution of power.

Keep reading to find out why.


Whether you are a brand strategist, journalist, filmmaker, artist or researcher. A therapist, language coach, policymaker or educator.

At your core, you're a culture-maker. Your work in the world communicates something.

About what and who you celebrate; ways of being that you consider desirable; the people or places you value; and
so. much. more.

Your work is a channel for what we call narrative power: the ability to contribute to shaping social reality, cultural norms, identity, and power dynamics through intentional storytelling, framing, and the transmission of worldviews.

No matter how big or small our audience, or whether we primarily operate online or offline, we are all part of this dialogue. And what we communicate matters.

The Creative Brief is a companion for exercising that power with greater intention: framing and communicating your work in ways that encourage relationality, restoration and the redistribution of power.

Keep reading to find out why.

but first,

What do we mean
by 'decolonial' or 'ecofeminist'?

What do we mean
by 'decolonial'
or 'ecofeminist'?


Decoloniality focuses on examining and healing the harms caused by the cultural dominance of Eurocentric ideologies and power structures. Ecofeminism links the oppression of women with the exploitation and degradation of the natural world – and often, Indigenous people.

The two are deeply entangled.

The birth of commercial branding in the West, went hand in hand with the need to justify colonialism and patriarchy, using 19th century branding goods to promote racist and sexist ideologies that would normalise the extractive logic of these systems.

With this in mind, DBD equips you to use branding and marketing to contribute to decolonial futures.


Decoloniality focuses on examining and healing the harms caused by the cultural dominance and symbolic violence of Eurocentric ideologies and power structures. Ecofeminism links the oppression of women with the exploitation and degradation of the natural world and indigenous people.

The two are deeply entangled.

The birth of commercial branding in the West, went hand in hand with the need to justify colonialism and patriarchy, with 19th century branded goods used to promote racist and sexist ideologies that would normalise the extractive logic of these systems.

With this in mind, DBD is designed to support the use of those vehicles to drive decolonial futures.

VISIT HERE FOR A SHORT READ

READ THIS SHORT PIECE

ON the colonial history of branding

(for a bit more insight into what I'm talking about)

(or watch this short video instead)

we don't live
in a man's world.
we live
in a yang world.

One that privilges
the masculine principle (yang)
over the feminine principle (yin)

we don't live
in a man's world
we live in a yang world

we don't live
in a man's world.
we live
in a yang world.

One that privilges the masculine principle of yang
over the feminine principle of yin

the original
backgrounding


The colonial, capitalist and patriarchal systems that currently dominate are rooted in cultures of supremacy and extraction.

And it's important to understand what this means in practice.

These systems depend on an 'other' to make less-than. In order to exploit people, places and ecologies, these systems first have to devalue them, obscure their contributions or position them as dormant resources to be used.

This is what we call backgrounding.

Ecofeminist Vandana Shiva links this to what she calls a lack of ecological humility: an unwillingness for the power hungry to submit to the relationality at the heart of our collective ecosystem.

ie Men's interdependence with women. Humanity's African and broader Indigenous origins. Our dependence on nature. As well as Indigenous ways of knowing that have grounded our connection to each other and our place as part of nature for millennia.

This logic of dominance & extraction fuels colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy and ecocide. In doing so, it has disproportionately impacted four central sites:


The colonial, capitalist and patriarchal systems that currently dominate are rooted in cultures of supremacy and extraction.

And it's important to understand what this really means.

These systems depend on an 'other' to make less-than. In order to exploit people, places and ecologies, these systems first have to devalue them, obscure their contributions or position them as dormant resources to be used.

This is what we call backgrounding.

Ecofeminist Vandana Shiva links this to what she calls a lack of ecological humility: an unwillingness for the power hungry to accept the relationality at the heart of our collective ecosystem.

ie Men's interdependence with women. Humanity's African and broader Indigenous origins. Our dependence on nature. As well as Indigenous ways of knowing that have grounded our connection to each other and our place as part of nature for millennia.

This logic of dominance & extraction fuels colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy and ecocide. In doing so, it has disproportionately impacted four central sites:


The colonial, capitalist and patriarchal systems that currently dominate are rooted in cultures of supremacy and extraction.

These systems depend on an 'other' to make less-than. To exploit people, places and ecologies, these systems first have to devalue them, obscure their contributions or position them as dormant resources to be used.

This is what we call backgrounding.

Ecofeminist Vandana Shiva links this to what she calls a lack of ecological humility: an unwillingness for the power hungry to submit to the relationality at the heart of our collective ecosystem.

ie Men's interdependence with women. Humanity's African and broader Indigenous origins. Our dependence on nature. As well as Indigenous ways of knowing that have grounded our connection to each other and our place as part of nature for millennia.

This logic of dominance & extraction fuels colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy and ecocide. In doing so, it has disproportionately impacted four central sites:

africa
& its diaspora

womanhood
& the mother

nature
& the environment

episteme
& sovereignty

But it doesn't stop there. While domination and extraction is concentrated in these four origin sites, it ripples outwards, fueling a wider supremacy culture that extends beyond race and gender. A culture that positions white over black, male over female, extraversion over introversion, logic over intuition, doing over thinking, movement over stillness and so on.

The Creative Brief uses this framework to help us recognise what is being backgrounded, in relation to our work, and orient our creative and communication practices towards bringing it back into view.

Because ultimately, our attention, energy and resources flow to where we place our value.

But it doesn't stop there. While domination and extraction is concentrated in these four origin sites, it ripples outwards, fueling a wider supremacy culture that extends beyond race and gender. A culture that positions white over black, male over female, extraversion over introversion, logic over intuition, doing over thinking, movement over stillness and so on.

The Creative Brief uses this framework to help us recognise what is being backgrounded, in relation to our work, and orient our creative and communication practices towards bringing it back into view.

Because ultimately, our attention, energy and resources flow to where we place our value.

Decolonial
by design:
the creative brief

Decolonial
by design:
the creative brief

Decolonial
by design:
the creative brief

A three hour activation of ideas, insights and connections for infusing your work with the restorative power of decolonial and ecofeminist thought-practice.

Complete with a creative brief that you can return to as often as you like: for generating ideas, identifying opportunities and bringing that DNA into whatever it is you're creating.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

grounding

An introduction to the histories and future opportunities connected to this work.
Reflect on the assumptions shaping your practice, and create the space to approach your work with greater intention.

orientation

Where terminology gets put to work as creative tools. Explore how decolonial, ecofeminist and sociological concepts can be used to orient your creative work and generate ideas.

tracing original ecologies

A look at how oppression links back to the reordering of Indigenous ecologies, at both macro and micro levels. And how this continues to shape our commercial and social economies today.

symbolic violence, signals of

Learn to recognise symbolic violence in narratives in your work and in the world – and the material harms they create. From harmful narratives within international development, to sexist advertising, report making, research and funding calls.

MODULE 1

MODULE 2

MODULE 3

MODULE 2 →

grounding

An introduction to the histories and future opportunities connected to this work.
Reflect on the assumptions shaping your practice, and create the space to approach your work with greater intention.

orientation

Where terminology gets put to work as creative tools. Explore how decolonial, ecofeminist and sociological concepts can be used to orient your creative work and generate ideas.

tracing original ecologies

A look at how oppression links back to the reordering of Indigenous ecologies, at both macro and micro levels. And how this continues to shape our commercial and social economies today.

symbolic violence - the signals

Learn to recognise symbolic violence in narratives in your work and in the world – and the material harms they create. From harmful narratives within international development, to sexist advertising, report making, research and funding calls.

what's included?

The programme is intentionally kept under three hours long, with bitesize lessons making the content more digestible, easy to apply and return to.

A three-hour
activation

A three-hour
activation

Videos, audio and reflective tasks to ground the ideas in your creative practice.

Videos, audio and reflective tasks to ground the ideas in your creative practice.

The DBD Framework

The DBD
Framework

Questions to help you recognise patterns + signals and uncover opportunities for change.

Provocation to help you recognise patterns + signals and uncover opportunities for change.

The
Creative Brief

The
Creative Brief

A practical tool for framing your work in ways that disrupt supremacy narratives and centre reciprocity.

A practical tool for framing your work in ways that disrupt supremacy narratives and centre reciprocity.

use case
templates

Prompts and examples to spark ideas and explore possibities for channeling your narrative power.

Use Case
Templates

Prompts and examples to spark ideas and explore possibilities for channeling your narrative power.

who is this for?

This iteration of the programme is designed for folks who already have work they are engaged with, ready to hit the ground running:

Whether as a freelancer, solopreneur, founder, CEO, artist, researcher, community organiser or contractor.

Working within traditional areas of "impact" however is not required. This programme will support you to situate your work meaningfully, whether you're working as an activist or landscape gardener.


This iteration of the programme is designed for folks who already have work they are engaged with, ready to hit the ground running:

Whether as a freelancer, solopreneur, founder, CEO, artist, researcher, community organiser or contractor.

Working within traditional areas of "impact" however is not required. This programme will support you to situate your work meaningfully, whether you're a traditional activist or landscape gardener.

creative agencies + brands

For companies, productions and studios of all shapes and sizes.

creative freelancers

Strategists, creative consultance, journalists, community organisers, campaigners and more.

Charities, ngos + community orgs

Including grassroots organisations, INGOs, social enterprises and collectives collectives.

founders + solopreneurs

Consultants; designers; service providers and more.

artists + researchers

Filmakers; photographers; directors; authors; fashion designers; academic researchers; curators; archivists and more.

ceos + leaders

Folks leading teams, communties. Driving ideas and culture.

liminals

Freelancers, consultants, project workers, facilitators, healers, educators, and folk who move between disciplines.

meet the instructor

conference hall

Hey I'm Najite. A narrative change researcher, artist and consultant with a love of obscure histories, and a Master's degree in brands, communications and culture.


why me,
why this?


(Not just because I could talk about this forever + a day).

There's an abundance of information on decoloniality. But not nearly enough specifically geared to branding, marketing, comms and cultural production.

When I completed my master's degree in 2017, I found myself engrossed in this subject, choosing to focus on it entirely for my disseration and early PhD research.

At the time I was plagued by a low-grade frustration. Regularly teetering on furious that such mindblowing insights were locked in ivory towers and buried in academic-speak. I knew that eventually I wanted to take the insights I'd foraged and distill them into a concoction that doers could digest and benefit from.

Three children and an interrupted PhD later, I decided to start experimenting: moving into training, collaborating and consulting on this work with organisations globally – big and small.

The weird and wonderful experiences I've since gained from these local and international contexts have grown into the unique body of work that's now the current iteration of this programme.

My absolute favourite part has been witnessing folks fall back in love with their work, reconnect with how much it matters and understand the material change it makes.

Can't wait for you to do the same x


(Not just because I could talk about this forever + a day).

There's an abundance of information on decoloniality. But not nearly enough specifically geared to branding, marketing, comms and cultural production.

When I completed my master's degree in 2017, I found myself engrossed in this subject, choosing to focus on it entirely for my disseration and early PhD research.

At the time I was plagued by a low-grade frustration. Regularly teetering on furious that such mindblowing insights were locked in ivory towers and buried in academic-speak. I knew that eventually I wanted to take the insights I'd foraged and distill them into a concoction that doers could digest and benefit from.

Three children and an interrupted PhD later, I decided to start experimenting: moving into training, collaborating and consulting on this work with organisations globally – big and small.

The weird and wonderful experiences I've since gained from these local and international contexts have grown into the unique body of work that's now the current iteration of this programme.

My absolute favourite part has been witnessing folks fall back in love with their work, reconnect with how much it matters and understand the material change it makes.

Can't wait for you to do the same.

What People Are Saying

A few words from folks who experienced the first iteration of this programme.

Here are a few words from folks who experienced the first iteration of this programme.

SAMANTHA KUDERNA-REEVES

GOOD STUFF PARTNERS

“The Decolonial by Design course was absolutely fantastic. It covered so much, delving into complex issues - presented clearly with great visuals. It's such an extensive piece of work that I think should be utilised by advertising, branding and comms teams everywhere. I 100% recommend. ”

BROOKE SMOLLEY

COPYWRITER + COACH

"The DBD course is incredibly informative, engaging, easy to follow and reinforces why I want to decolonize the way I brand myself and market my services. I definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to decolonize the way they approach marketing and branding."

LAURA TUFIS

THE MARKETING PALLETTE

"The Decolonial by Design Framework is brilliant. I love how the provocations ask critical/complex questions in a clear an concise way. It's really helped me to reflect on the work that I do with NGOs. I think it's crucial for all organisations and marcomms professionals out there."

why you,
why now?


*gestures broadly at the world*

It may or may not surprise you to discover that the people most invested in "narrative change" are not those of us addressing social and climate justice issues. But the billionaires behind those very issues.

I think often about how different things might look if we too prioritised building the narrative infrastructure needed to imagine, fuel and sustain the futures we want to create.

Not by matching million-dollar budgets, necessarily. But by doing what we've done best for decades: Pooling our creativity and the genuine love and enthusiasm we hold for a better future, into now.

If you're curious about the possibilities this opens up,
I invite you to step into this work.


*gestures broadly at the world*

It may or may not surprise you to discover that the people most invested in "narrative change" are not those of us addressing social and climate justice issues. But the billionaires behind those very issues.

I think often about how different things might look if we too prioritised building the narrative infrastructure needed to imagine, fuel and sustain the futures we want to create.

Not by matching million-dollar budgets, necessarily. But by doing what we've done best for decades: Pooling our creativity and the genuine love and enthusiasm we hold for a better future, into now.

If you're curious about the possibilities this opens up,
I invite you to step into this work.

the creative brief will:


  • Shift the way you see yourself, your work and the world.

  • Leave you better equipped to identify supremacy narratives and significantly reduce the likelihood of reproducing them within your work.

  • Support you to create and communicate more confidently in ways that are actively anti-racist, (eco)feminist and decolonial.

  • Provide a lens for recognising the ways that your work is actively withdrawing power from crumbling systems, norms and power dynamics, while energising what might come next.

  • Help you begin to see both the actual and possible material consequences of how your work is framed and communicated.

  • Instill a deeper confidence in your creative practice and ability to generate ideas.

  • Reinvigorate your connection to and the sense of joy within your work.

READY?

enrol below

The programme relaunches October 20th 2026 at 3pm GMT.

solo seat

For individuals.

£325
(£175 until oct 13th)

Instant access to the programme

Personal login

Enrol Now

Enrol Now

group seats

For small organisation
(up to 10 seats)

Includes a thirty-minute live Q+A session.

£2600

Instant access to the programme

Individual login for team members

Enrol Now

Enrol Now

collective seats

For mid-sized organisations
(up to 20 seats)

Includes a one-hour live Q+A session.

£5525

Instant access to the programme

Individual login for team members

Team leader insights and management tools

Enrol Now

Enrol Now

Use code " earlybird " to save £150 on individual seats.
Code expires at midnight GMT on October 20th.

faqs

What happens after I purchase?

You’ll receive a confirmation email and have immediate access to the course. If you purchased for a team you’ll also have immediate access but will receive an additional email providing an option to enrol your team members individually.

Do you recommend taking it individually or in one sitting as a team?

The course has been designed to be taken individually, enabling users to dip back into the course or framework as often as they like. If you are part of a team and opt to self-study you’re encouraged to feedback and discuss as a team. But if you would like to take it as part of a team one one sitting, that’s fine too. We've had teams come through who've preferred doing it this way. Ultimately the call is yours.

We need more than 20 seats. Can you accommodate?

Sure, just drop an email to hello@decolonialbydesign.co with your request and we’ll get you set up.

How long will I/we have access to the course?

You’ll have access to the course for as long as it exists. This includes all future updates at no extra cost.

right now, your work
is shaping culture

What futures might your next creative, marketing
or strategic decision help make possible?

start your experiment

start your experiment

Quick Links

The Programme

Contact

Policy

Code Of Conduct

Terms Of Service

Social

LinkedIn

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© 2026 Decolonial by Design. All rights reserved.

right now, your work
is shaping culture

What futures might your next creative, marketing
or strategic decision help make possible?

start your experiment

start your experiment

Quick Links

The Programme

Contact

Policy

Code Of Conduct

Terms Of Service

Social

LinkedIn

Facebook

© 2026 Decolonial by Design. All rights reserved.

right now, your work
is shaping culture

What futures might your next creative, marketing or strategic decision help make possible?

start your experiment

start your experiment

Quick Links

The Programme

Contact

Policy

Code Of Conduct

Terms Of Service

Social

LinkedIn

Facebook

© 2026 Decolonial by Design. All rights reserved.