Solid Lines

Background: First Nations creatives often lack access to engage with design and commercial art spaces. First Nations designers also remain largely under-represented in general design discourse. Our purpose was to co-create a pathway to improve participation and representation and enable First Nations creatives to engage with commercial art and design industries in culturally safe and supported ways, and on their own terms. Contribution: Solid Lines is Australia’s first illustration agency led by First Nations people and dedicated to representing First Nations talent. The Solid Lines agency was co-developed by First Nations creatives, design industry stakeholders, and RMIT researchers who all share collective authorship. The Solid Lines website was designed by Nicola St John, Emrhan Sultan, Jeremy Wortsman, Laurie Grattan, Jack Fowler, Jason Solo. This ground-breaking national agency provides First Nations artists with a culturally safe pathway into industry, while educating the design and commercial art community to understand the requirements for engaging with First Nations creatives. Cultural integrity and giving back to community are at the heart of Solid Lines business structure and licensing policy, developed through direct First Nations engagement. Significance: At the 2023 Good Design Awards, Solid Lines received the Indigenous Design Award and the Good Design Award in the Social Impact category, and in 2022 and 2023 won a Victorian Premiers Design Awards. The agency also received national and international media coverage, including Campaign Brief, It’s Nice That, Broadsheet, NITV, and The Koori times. Solid Lines was invited to speak at Purrumpa 2022, a national celebration of First Nations arts and culture. Solid Lines artists had received commissions from clients such as Apple, World Pride 2023, Cotton On, Frankie Magazine (cover), Peppermint Magazine (cover), Nightingale Housing, and Cadbury.