palmerston association

The first step
is the hardest.

A complete brand identity for the Solid Steps AOD Recovery Program — a partnership between Palmerston Association and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, delivered for the Department of Justice at Casuarina Prison’s Mallee Unit.

Client

Palmerston Association & Wungening Aboriginal Corporation

Partner Agency

Department of Justice

Sector

NFP | Justice | AOD Recovery

Services delivered

Logo Design Brand Identity Development Colour & Typography System

Market

Perth & Western Australia

Project Overview

A brand built to
inspire change.

Palmerston Association engaged Sixteen By Nine to develop a complete brand identity for a new program being delivered in partnership with Wungening Aboriginal Corporation. The Solid Steps AOD Recovery Program is an initiative funded by the Department of Justice — supporting men to break the cycle of addiction to alcohol and other drugs within a modified therapeutic community environment at the Mallee Unit, Casuarina Prison.

The program is voluntary, open to males 18+ from all cultural backgrounds who are motivated to take new steps forward in life. The brand needed to honour that mission — to feel approachable, human, and genuinely hopeful without diminishing the seriousness of the journey participants undertake.

  • Developed to serve a cross-cultural audience from all backgrounds
  • Five distinct brandmark concepts explored before final direction selected
  • Colour palette chosen for specific emotional and psychological impact
Solid Steps AOD Recovery Program logo

Solid Steps AOD Recovery Program — final brand mark

The Brief

Brand with purpose.
Built with care.

Creating a brand identity for an AOD recovery program operating within the prison system demands more than design skill — it demands genuine empathy and strategic clarity. The brand had to speak to men at the most vulnerable point of their lives, while reflecting the credibility and stability of the organisations behind it.

Challenge One

Approachable, not diminishing

The brand needed to feel warm and human — not clinical or institutional — while still conveying the credibility expected of a Department of Justice program. It had to invite participation, not intimidate.

Challenge Two

Cross-cultural relevance

Delivered in partnership with Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, the program serves men from all cultural backgrounds. The identity needed to feel universal — inclusive by design, not by accident.

Challenge Three

Two organisations, one voice

With Palmerston Association and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation both represented, the brand had to stand on its own — a distinct program identity that united both organisations without being owned by either.

Design Rationale

Every element chosen
with intention.

The Footprint Mark

There is nothing more direct or connected than our feet touching the earth. The footprint mark captures the essence of the program — no matter what journey we take in life, the first step is the hardest. It sets our direction and, like any footprint, leaves an impression and shows how far we have come.

Typographic Treatment

A bespoke font has been applied to the typographical brand mark using upper and lower case, creating a conversational tone. The font is bold — conveying strength and confidence — but rounded edges create an organic, approachable feel that invites rather than intimidates.

Orange — The Footprint

The orange of the footprint mark was chosen with specific intent — it is the colour of excitement, vigour, and success. It carries energy and momentum, representing the journey forward and the possibility of what lies ahead.

Excitement Vigour Success

Indigo — The Wordmark

Indigo provides the grounding counterpoint to orange's energy. It represents trust, intuition, and perception — the qualities that underpin the program itself: a safe, structured environment where participants can trust the process and those guiding them through it.

Trust Intuition Perception

The Design Process

Five concepts.
One direction.

Our process involves exploring the full range of creative possibilities before arriving at a recommendation. Five distinct concepts were developed — each with its own rationale and direction — before Option A was selected as the strongest expression of the program's purpose.

Option A — Solid Steps selected direction
★ Selected Direction

Option A — The Footprint Mark

A bespoke typographical brand mark using upper and lower case to create a conversational tone. The footprint icon grounds the brand in human connection — the simplest, most universal symbol of a journey taken and progress made.

Option B — stepped typographic layout with natural footprint

Option B

A more natural footprint silhouette emphasising individual journey, with the wordmark set in a stepped typographic layout to reinforce the program name.

Option C — stylised E representing steps leading up

Option C

A strong typographical mark using a stylised E to represent steps leading upward, with perspective added to suggest a bright future ahead.

Option D — stylised E as steps through a doorway

Option D

A simplified mark where the stylised E becomes steps leading through a doorway — each step an achievement, each achievement a new beginning.

Option E — perspective-driven E with connectivity

Option E

The same doorway concept as D but with perspective added to represent energy, movement, and results. Letters and elements interact to represent connectivity and guidance.

Brand Identity System

Colour & typography.
Built to last.

Colour Palette

Program Orange

#E8731A

Excitement · Vigour · Success

Program Indigo

#3D3B8E

Trust · Intuition · Perception

White

#FFFFFF

Black

#1C1A18

Typography

Brandmark Type — Bespoke

Solid
Steps

Upper and lower case combination. Bold weight, rounded edges. Conversational in tone, confident in presence.

Supporting Type

AOD RECOVERY PROGRAM

Improving your wellbeing

Body copy, captions and supporting materials

Clean sans-serif supporting type maintains clarity and accessibility across all program materials and collateral.

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