Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Daphnée Zouankouan, Graphic Designer & Illustrator, Twitch Content Creator and Event organizer. She speaks about her journey as a graphic designer, illustrator, and advocate, using her creative skills to promote diversity and inclusion in gaming through Women in Games France, Afrogameuses, and community-driven events. Read more about Daphnée here:
Hi Daphnée! Your career journey spans graphic design, illustration, and community building in organizations like Women in Games France and Afrogameuses. What inspired you to pursue a career at the intersection of creativity and advocacy, and how has this shaped your professional identity?

Since I was a kid, I’ve always been drawn to creating visuals and imaginary stories. My main motivation was to express myself in ways beyond words and to convey messages visually. That’s why I was really into comics, manga, and video games—especially video games, where you get to discover a story while living it directly through the character you play as. I had a big video game phase as a kid, and then again around 2014.

As I grew older, being a Black woman, I started noticing the stereotypes and clichés in the media I consumed, especially in video games. I didn’t play online much back then, but I was aware of the sexist comments female players were receiving, which made me even less inclined to join in.

In 2017, I decided to take the leap and share my love for video games on YouTube and later on Twitch. That’s when I learned about the sexist behaviors female gamers faced on these platforms. I was determined to show that yes, there are girls and women who play video games, and yes, there are Black girls and women who play video games too.

2017 was also the height of the Me Too movement, and that’s when Women In Games France was founded. It’s an organization that promotes diversity and inclusion in video game studios in France.

I met them at Paris Games Week that year (or maybe in 2018) and joined the association to help advocate for more women and marginalized genders in games and in the studios making them. I wanted to contribute to change, even in my small way as a gamer and fan of video games. In 2020, I also joined Afrogameuses for the same reasons and to connect with a community of Afro-descendant gamers and streamers, so I wouldn’t feel so alone.

At first, I was just a member, showing my support and sharing their initiatives in my own small way. Then I started helping out occasionally by creating visuals for social media (I was a student and needed experience). Today, I’m on the board of Women In Games France and work as a graphic designer for Afrogameuses. I dedicate my time and energy to their IRL events and Twitch activities.

All of this has had a huge impact on both my personal and professional life.

What still motivates me to give my time and energy after seven years of volunteering is helping people, feeling useful, contributing to meaningful projects, and seeing the happiness it brings. I also love shining a light on talented people who inspire me and who can inspire so many others.

And if my skills can help make a difference, I give it my all! Especially for causes I care deeply about, which allow me to meet amazing people who share the same values, interests, and struggles. We support each other, learn from one another, and celebrate our victories—big or small.

All these positive experiences have helped me embrace myself more as a Black woman, overcome imposter syndrome, and feel understood. They’ve also taught me to incorporate values like listening, kindness, and respect into everything I do. It’s not always easy, but I pour my heart into making it happen in every aspect of my work and life.

As a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, you’ve worked on diverse projects, from branding to multimedia. How do your current roles reflect your passion for storytelling and your commitment to making a positive impact in the gaming industry?

I’ve previously talked about my involvement in various associations, which has had a huge impact on both my work and who I am. It’s also through this and my content creation activities on Twitch that I’ve found most of my clients. Through my work, I help highlight amazing people and their projects—people who embody values I deeply believe in, like inclusion, diversity, and respect.

For example, I’ve worked on:

  • Video editing of an ad promoting Kosma’s Chronicles, an inclusive visual novel for mobile
  • Twitch assets and illustrations for marginalized content creators
  • Logos, visual identities, and Twitch assets for gaming-related community events

They all have two things in common: video games and the causes I stand for.

I also create other things, like:

Illustrations and fan arts inspired by video games, manga, and anime—mediums that have left a great mark on me. This is how I express my love for these works, share my passion with other fans, and connect with a community where I can talk about these interests and feel heard.

For example, I’m currently working on a Hi-Fi Rush fan music project with some incredibly talented people.

I also do original drawings and illustrations, often featuring Black characters with beautiful afros (and, of course, wearing satin bonnets for sleeping!)

Content creation on Twitch, where I share my love for video games through let’s plays but also showcase my work—art, graphic design, and co-working sessions. On Twitch, we’re building a community of amazing people! Just by creating content on Twitch helps show that yes, women and Afro-descendant people play video games, love video games, and stream on Twitch. And hopefully, this can inspire people who might hesitate to get started. That’s also part of the mission of associations like Afrogameuses, Melanin Gamers, Black Girl Gamers, and others.

I also just recently got into cosplay in 2023 at Paris Games Week! I did a Rayman, a Kuruto Ryuki (from AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative), and a Chai (from Hi-Fi Rush). Cosplaying is my way of showing my connection to a fan community while bringing characters I love to life. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s also my way of proving that yes, Black people can cosplay, even as white characters. Yes, we can cosplay characters from another gender and it’s okay ! And finally yes, you can cosplay using clothes from your closet without needing to know how to sew!

To sum it up, content creation, drawing, fan art, and cosplay allow me to share my passions with people and show to game developers our love for their work—supporting them in our own way, especially in these challenging times for the gaming industry.

Your work champions diversity and inclusion, particularly for marginalized groups in gaming. What moments or achievements in your career have reaffirmed your dedication to this mission, and what keeps you motivated?
I’d like to share three events and one initiative I contributed to – experiences that helped me grow both personally and professionally, where I met amazing people, and that have had a huge influence on my future.

The moments that impacted me the most were when I participated in and helped organize inclusive events where people from marginalized genders could feel safe and heard (Adelphe Game Fest, Game Changers, Gaming Queens…).

I’ve also worked on initiatives that helped them attend and take part in professional gaming industry events to boost their careers. And all of this happened through my involvement in community-driven associations.

1. At the start of 2023, I took part in Gaming Queens, an event organized by Afrogameuses on Twitch for International Women’s Rights Day.

I created the event’s new visual identity (logo design, Twitch assets and overlays, etc.), inspired by Afrogameuses’ existing brand identity.

It was also my first time speaking on a live roundtable, where I talked about Brittany Morris’ book SLAY, which tells the story of an African-American student girl who plays an online game exclusively for Black people—without telling her friends.

Huge thanks to Jennifer Lufau for trusting me with this! I was super nervous at first, but it turned out to be an amazing day. I loved every moment of it.

The next edition of Gaming Queens will take place on March 15th, 2025, on Twitch!

2. In early 2024, I was part of the organizing team for the first-ever Adelphe Game Fest, an intersectional event on Twitch co-organized by Afrogameuses, Game’Her, Projet AWR, Stream’Her, Witch Gamez, and Women In Games France for International Women’s Rights Day.

This event aims to highlight the daily injustices faced by women and marginalized genders and emphasizes the importance of intersectionality in these struggles. For example, a white woman faces sexism and mysoginy, but a Black woman faces both gender-based and racial oppression—and the same goes for other intersectional identities.

Along with “promoting women’s rights and diversity in gaming”, the event’s slogan, we also include support for queer people, people with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, and more.

For the first edition, I worked alongside members of the six associations to organize the event. I also created the visual identity and participated in two live shows—my first time doing that for such a large-scale event.

It was a huge challenge but also a huge success, leaving a strong impact on our communities and my own commitment to these causes. It’s an experience that shaped both my work in associations and my professional life.

The second edition of Adelphe Game Fest has just happened on March 1st-2nd 2025, and it was another amazing success! Viewers really enjoyed the weekend, and everyone involved in organizing the event had a great time. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this project!]

3️. Mid-2024, I helped three members of Women In Games France attend devcom for the first time!

One of WIG France’s missions is to support marginalized genders in attending professional gaming industry events—where they can learn and network.

These events often require a big financial investment, which can be a major barrier for marginalized people, who are statistically paid less and face many other obstacles.

To make this happen, we reach out to event organizers who offer us free passes for our members. Then we work on securing funding to cover accommodation and travel expenses.

We usually do this for French professional gaming events (ADDON, Game Camp, Horizon(s)), and in 2024, for the first time, we extended this initiative to devcom/gamescom.

It involved a lot of planning—joining the devcom Scholarship Program (which invites students and marginalized industry members to attend devcom for free), communicating in English, negotiating partnerships for funding, and more.

Attending devcom for the first time was an incredible opportunity, allowing us to make great connections through the scholarship program and at networking events.

Following this experience, I’ve made four LinkedIn posts and one video explaining the whole journey and process and what it taught me. I’m so proud to have played a role in the beginnings of this initiative—I really hope we can make it happen again in 2025!

devcom recap
Gamescom Opening Night Live recap
Gamescom recap
Personal and professionnal glow up
VLOG

4. At the end of 2024, I redesigned the logo for Afrogameuses’ Game Changers event, after having revamped its visual identity in 2022. I also co-hosted the event for the first time!

Game Changers is an inclusive, in-person professional gaming event featuring a series of conferences, roundtables, and workshops focused on diversity, inclusion, and gaming industry news.

It was my very first time co-hosting a live, in-person event—and it was an incredible experience! Attendees really enjoyed the day, which felt like a true safe and supportive space despite the tough news in November 2024… I can’t wait to do it again!

What keeps me going:

  1. Seeing how valuable these initiatives are. People leave these events inspired, with stars in their eyes, having made new connections and gained knowledge that motivates them to keep pushing forward. Seeing people happy and fulfilled is the best reward!
    Plus, every action—no matter how small—contributes to changing the gaming industry for the better. And right now, its workers really need support and a platform to be heard.
  2. I learn so much—not just from the talks and panels but also about myself through organizing and participating in these events, especially Adelphe Game Fest. Of course, there’s always room for improvement (goodbye, perfectionism!), but every mistake and experience helps us grow. Thankfully, we never face these challenges alone—working alongside association members creates a wonderful synergy full of good vibes, and that’s just awesome.

Finally, I’d say that designing visual identities and organizing gaming and Twitch-related events—especially those focused on diversity, inclusion, and intersectional advocacy—is something I definitely want to keep developing in my freelance work. It’s a constant learning journey with lots of challenges, and working for important causes like these truly makes me thrive.

Thanks for this interview, Daphnée!

Daphnée’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger