Next Step Recovery
Blending coastal luxury with compassion to reach those seeking recovery.
Agency
Unlock Health
Industry
Behavioral Health
Role
Senior Graphic Designer, Lead Designer
Deliverables
Website Design • Landing Page Design
Next Step Recovery is an addiction treatment provider in Huntington Beach, California, dedicated to helping individuals find healing through detox, sober living, and sustainable recovery. Their mission is to offer a safe, structured, and recovery-focused environment where clients can transition toward lasting independence.
Through an in-depth discovery session, I learned that part of the Next Step Recovery’s goal in this full website redesign was to create a more updated style that depicts their idyllic location and better showcases the high quality services they offer. Beyond visual polish, the site needed to engage visitors more effectively and improve the user journey for those seeking treatment resources.
I began with a full audit of their site, evaluating both design and functionality. Design inconsistencies were apparent throughout the site: pages lacked cohesion, content was thin, and there were few clear calls to action. The overall website felt dark and outdated, which misaligned with the warm, luxurious environment Next Step Recovery wanted to convey.
Minimal supporting content and a lack of call-to-action areas prevented visitors from gathering useful information and connecting with the client. Accessibility issues such as low-contrast typography further compromised readability and trust, creating friction that could drive visitors away.
Inconsistent design styles
Lack of hierarchy
Difficult user experience
Different logos
Minimal CTA opportunities
Part of the visual discrepancies carried throughout the original website stemmed from an inconsistent brand. With only a simple black logo and no established guidelines, there was little to build from. To solve this, I created a refined color palette inspired by the client’s vision.
The primary palette of blue and gold strikes a balance between professionalism and luxury. A subdued green and various tints and hues of these collective colors mesh harmoniously to create balance, serenity and warmth. The result is a style that feels inviting, sophisticated, and aligned with their beachside setting.
With brand direction established I designed high fidelity wireframes for both desktop and mobile, weaving in visual cues that captured Next Step Recovery’s serene environment and commitment to structured, high-quality care. This framework emphasized clear navigation, thoughtful content placement, and intuitive calls to action to guide visitors with ease.
With brand direction established I designed high fidelity wireframes for both desktop and mobile, weaving in visual cues that captured Next Step Recovery’s serene environment and commitment to structured, high-quality care. This framework emphasized clear navigation, thoughtful content placement, and intuitive calls to action to guide visitors with ease.
In the final design, warm imagery of Huntington Beach is dispersed across the site, grounding it in place and atmosphere. A clean grid system brings consistency across pages, while the typography pairs a professional serif for headings with a modern, highly legible sans serif for body copy.
The refreshed color palette is showcased throughout the website through various graphic elements, further supporting the calm and inviting look and feel that truly embodies Next Step Recovery as a whole.
While each page consists of its own unique content, the website feels cohesive through consistent design styles and visual structures. Responsive layouts ensure an equally strong experience on mobile, a crucial consideration given the 60% of web traffic coming from handheld devices.
The Results
Through strategic design direction, I crafted a bright, welcoming and cohesive website to reflect Next Step Recovery’s mission and vision. By transforming a dated, disjointed site into a polished digital presence, the redesign builds trust, improves usability, and provides a supportive first touchpoint for those seeking recovery.
