The NO PAUSE™ Project

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🏆 3x GOLD Winner at Muse Design Awards 🏆
(Conceptual Design/Communication, Conceptual Design/Education, and Conceptual Design/Inclusive)
🥈 2x SILVER Winner at Muse Design Awards 🥈
(Packaging Design/Games and Conceptual Design/Play)

The NO PAUSE™ Project started because we wanted to create a way for men, specifically Black and Brown men, to give themselves the freedom to enjoy the things that we all love.

It’s difficult to do anything as a man in today’s society. You can’t even enjoy a glizzy because of the way it slides in your mouth (pause). Or carry an umbrella because of the way your hand grips a wet pole (ayo!)? That’s why the goal of the NO PAUSE™ Project is to expand the idea of what masculinity could be because every man should have the confidence to enjoy the things they love, big or small, no matter who’s watching. So, just do you and say “f*ck ‘em”.

To bring this movement to life, we knew we had to find the perfect way to get people talking and give Black men a chance to let their guard down. So after consulting multiple different experts and resources, including real gameologists – we made a card game. For real – a whole card game (and a custom coffee table book that is the centerpiece of my living room).

To play, each card would feature a “dare” complete with challenges we sourced from social listening on things deemed “unmasculine” across Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, etc.

Some challenges were lighthearted (like crossing your legs to sit, letting a homie pour a drink into your mouth, or…eating a banana), but some got to the root of what it means to be a Black man, and asked the tougher questions around masculinity, self-expression, homophobia, and so much more – like why we may not feel comfortable crying, expressing love, or even considering therapy. Ultimately, the game was created to shine a light on what it means to be a man who’s confident in his own skin.

PLEASE ask me more about this campaign because there’s honestly too much to cram in here, but we went on to build it out into a content series across Instagram and TikTok, and even partnered with Therapy for Black Men, a mental health organization dedicated to connecting men of color with mental health resources.