Out and proud: why queer design needs to be bold, playful, and unapologetic

When you think of condom packaging, chances are you picture something sterile, clinical, or leaning heavily into straight-masc aesthetics. But why should safe sex feel so joyless, especially for a community that thrives on colour, confidence, and playfulness.

At Cul-de-sac, we love seeing ideas come to life that don’t just look good but challenge expectations. For our intern and Adelaide University design student, that meant taking a final-year project university brief and transforming it into Out, a Mardi Gras inspired safe sex kit that is as bold and playful as the community it celebrates.

That’s the gap that Keeton Pearce, Cul-de-sac design intern and University of South Australia final year student design student, set out to fill with Out, a Mardi Gras inspired safe sex kit that reimagines what protection could look and feel like. 

Out is a project that reimagines what protection could look and feel like. “It’s colourful, unapologetic, and full of pride.” says Keeton. “I wanted to capture the same energy in safe-sex product. I saw a gap for something that leaned into queerness with humour and confidence.”

The name itself says it all. Out is short but packs a heavy punch. It is about being out, coming out, standing out. “It just kind of landed,” Keeton explains. “It can be proud and flirty. I loved that it carried all those layers without me needing to spell them out.”

Humour plays an essential role, with lines like ‘We’re not just out, we’re into it’ and ‘We’ve got you covered (literally),’ makes you laugh but still delivers trust and clarity. “The aim was for people to laugh at it, but also feel like they could rely on it. It’s fun as f*ck, but still clear and credible,” Keeton elaborates.

Then there are the conscious design details that bring everything together: the custom phallic-cut tray is playful (a little wink to what it’s holding), but it’s also practical, it neatly holds both the condoms and a 60ml lube bottle. The turning point for Keeton was the design of the tray, “it captured exactly what I wanted Out to be –– playful and a bit bold, but also genuinely functional.”

What makes Out powerful is its genuine and authentic nature and storytelling. It does not tokenise queerness, it leans into it with confidence. “As part of the community, I wanted Out to be something that belonged at Mardi Gras –– fun, cheeky, and celebratory. Every detail had to carry that energy so it felt natural at the festival and like something people would actually want to pick up and use.”

For Keeton, the project was a personal turning point. “Out taught me that I’m happiest when I stop playing it safe,” he reflects. “It also reminded me that I want to design for good –– work that has purpose behind playfulness. If I care about it and believe in it, chances are other people will too.”

It is not hard to imagine Out extending beyond a University project – kits handed out at Mardi Gras, cheeky posters lining parade routes, even collaborations with LGBTQ+ health organisations. “I’d love to see Out come to life at Mardi Gras for real (Durex, if you’re listening), not just as a kit but as a part of a bigger campaign,” says Keeton. After all, if you can’t have fun with branding here, where else can you?

But Out is only part of the story, Keeton’s time at Cul-de-sac has also been shaping him as a designer in ways that go far beyond the project. Working at Cul-de-sac has only strengthened this mindset. “Being in that collaborative environment showed me how much better ideas get when they’re being bounced around,” Keeton says. “Live projects, deadlines, client feedback – you don’t get the same pace anywhere else.”

For Keeton, Out was more than just a final-year project, it was a reminder that design can be playful, purposeful, and unapologetically authentic all at once. His time at Cul-de-sac has only deepened that belief, showing him how collaboration and courage can take an idea further than he first imagined. And while Out may have started in a classroom, it’s clear that Keeton’s next chapter as a designer is only just beginning. 

Find Keeton on Instagram @designbykeeton

Aryani Singh, September 2025