The Deep is a worker-owned grocery cooperative dedicated to restoring East Oakland’s community through fresh organic produce, community education, and cooperative economics, prioritizing the well- being of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

The Deep approached TBD* in order to create several pieces of collateral for their pop-up shop at the Akomo Market as well as social media infographics in order to engage a diverse audience. They expressed their need to have impactful graphics that embodied the spirit of Deep East Oakland while maintaining their goal of educating the larger community.  They emphasized the need for design that was made by and for humans, leaving the concept of “gentrified design” behind.

The infographics and collateral are a play on the various connotations of deepness that The Deep embodies through their work. The Deep represents a multitude of things, their relationships and conversations are deep, the food system grows deep in the soil, the location is Deep East Oakland, and the history behind cooperatives run deep. The Deep is not only a literal space, a way of communicating, but also a way of living.

The fruit stickers seen on the Town Box postcards are a playful reference to the food system and structure, acknowledging where food products are sourced from and the BIPOC farmers. The collage elements are a playful reference to the agriculture and food that surrounds us as well as the history that impacts us daily. Remembering the historical figures that paved the way for us today.

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