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Made with BulletBrand Style Guide · v1.0
Judy O'Shea
West Kerry Tours
Visual Identity, Voice & Audience Guidelines for an Authentic Irish Experience Brand
00 — Brand Essence
Where landscape becomes
emotional experience
emotional experience
Physical World
Green Hills
Grey Stones
Blue Skies
Rainbow Accents
Rural Authenticity
Earthy Tones
Neolithic Sites
Ancient Ruins
Old Churches
Graveyards
Magical
Emotional World
Meaningful Connection
Retracing Roots
Authentic
Discovery
Excitement
Stress Free
Warm & Welcoming
Meaningful
"We translate the physical landscape — its stones, its hills, its ancient ruins — into
emotional experiences of connection, discovery, and belonging."
Keyword → Colour Mapping
Green Hills
Sage / Sage Dark
Grey Stones
Stone
Blue Skies / Light
Parchment / Cream
Earthy Tones / Warmth
Gold / Gold Light
Ancient / Rural Depth
Forest
Rainbow Accents
Use sparingly as gradient moments
01 — Colour Palette
Rooted in landscape
& antiquity
& antiquity
Primary Brand Colours
Forest
#2D3D25
Parchment
#F4EFE4
Gold
#B09050
Sage
#8FA67A
Supporting Palette
Sage Light
#C9D4B5
Sage Dark
#5C7348
Stone
#7A7260
Ink
#1A1A14
Parchment Dark
#E8E0CE
Gold Light
#D4B87A
Audience Accent Colours
Cultural Enthusiast
#6B8F71
Heritage Seeker
#7A6B52
Luxury Traveller
#8C7355
💡 Click any swatch to copy the hex code.
02 — Typography
Type that speaks
with authority
with authority
Irish Heritage Journeys
Walking Ireland's Living History
"The landscape is a living text
waiting to be read."
Cultural Enthusiast · Heritage Seeker · Luxury Leisure
Ireland's landscape holds secrets that most guided tours simply don't have the depth to translate. Every ring fort, every field pattern, every abandoned famine cottage tells a story. Our journeys are built around meaningful access — not the commercialised tourist trail, but the living history beneath your feet.
Weight 400 — Supporting body text, captions, secondary descriptions and UI elements.
Lato Bold — Labels, CTAs, navigation items, strong callouts
Tír na nÓg · Sláinte · Fáilte
⚠ Use Sparingly: Reserve for Celtic/Irish decorative moments only — section dividers, pull-quote ornaments, map labels, chapter openers. Never use for paragraphs, headings, or UI text. Maximum 1–2 instances per page/spread.
H1
Heritage Journey
Cinzel Decorative 700 · 48px
H2
Cultural Enthusiast
Cinzel Decorative 400 · 32px
H3
Walking the ancestral townlands
Playfair Display Italic 500 · 22px
Body
Ireland's landscape is a living text waiting to be read.
Lato 300 · 16px
Label
Audience Moodboard · Heritage Seeker
Lato Bold · 11px · Tracked
✓ Do
Use Cinzel Decorative for H1/H2 headings only. Use Playfair Display italic for subheadings, pull quotes, and emphasis. Use Lato for all body, UI, and label text. Reserve Uncial Antiqua for rare decorative moments — never more than twice per page.✗ Don't
Never use Uncial Antiqua for body copy or headings. Don't use Cinzel Decorative at small sizes — it loses legibility below 18px. Don't use Lato for display headings. Don't mix Playfair Display with Cinzel Decorative in the same heading.03 — Audience Segments
Three distinct travellers,
one authentic Ireland
one authentic Ireland
Cultural Enthusiast
Heritage Seeker
Luxury Leisure
Sarah Mitchell · Age 52–62
"I want to experience Ireland that most tourists miss — rural landscapes, archaeological sites without signage."
Academic / Museum Professional / Nonprofit Director · Pacific NW or NE USA / Canada · Income $70–95k · Single, no children
Key Desires
Off-beaten-path sites
Expert interpretation
Scholarly depth
Pre-Christian archaeology
Peer-worthy stories
Fears & Friction
Commercialised tours
Superficial narratives
Rushed group travel
Personality Dial
Knowledge-driven & Intellectually Curious
Adventurous & Off-beaten-path
How to Speak to Her
Lead with intellectual depth and nuance. Reference specific archaeological periods (ring forts, Neolithic, pre-Christian). Acknowledge her existing expertise. Emphasise access to sites that require local knowledge. Use scholarly but accessible language — she values nuance over simplification.
Expert-led
Nuanced history
Living landscape
Margaret O'Brien · Age 65–72
"I want to understand the social and economic forces that drove my ancestors to emigrate."
Retired Teacher / Healthcare · Boston / NY / Chicago · Income $80–120k · Married, adult children
Key Desires
Ancestral townlands
Emotional connection
Family closure
Landscape interpretation
Heritage for grandchildren
Fears & Friction
Missing the right townland
Rural driving anxiety
Feeling disconnected
Personality Dial
Authentic, Meaningful Experiences
Knowledge-Seeking & Curious
How to Speak to Her
Lead with emotional resonance and belonging. Use language of completion, connection, and legacy. Reassure about logistics (navigation, timing). Emphasise the guide's ability to "bring the landscape alive." Speak to the experience as a gift — both to herself and to future generations.
Emotional resonance
Roots & belonging
Guided reassurance
Robert & Diane Hend · Age 58–68
"Despite our luxury preferences, we want authentic Ireland — ancient sites, rural landscapes, local insights."
Retired Executives / Business Owners · California / Texas / Florida · Income $150k+ · Married homeowners
Key Desires
Seamless, optimised itinerary
Exclusive access
Insider knowledge
Premium value
Story-worthy moments
Fears & Friction
Premium price, standard experience
Crowded group tours
Wasted vacation time
Personality Dial
The Ruler (Premium, Control, Efficiency)
The Explorer (Authenticity, Adventure)
How to Speak to Them
Lead with exclusivity and the promise of access most travellers never get. Reassure about seamless logistics. Emphasise curated, private experiences. Validate their sophistication — they've done their research and want a guide who exceeds their expectations, not just meets them.
Exclusive access
Effortless luxury
Expert curation
04 — Voice & Tone
Always authoritative,
never academic
never academic
Brand Voice Pillars
Scholarly but Accessible
Deep knowledge expressed in vivid, human terms. Never jargon for its own sake.
Intimate & Guiding
The voice of a trusted local friend who happens to have a PhD in Irish history.
Evocative, Never Clichéd
Avoid "Emerald Isle," "craic," or "céad míle fáilte" as marketing shorthand. Let specificity do the work.
Quietly Confident
The brand doesn't oversell. It trusts the landscape and the experience to speak for itself.
Words to Avoid
"Amazing experience"
"Bucket list"
"Unforgettable"
"Luxury package"
"Magical Ireland"
"Emerald Isle"
"Book now"
Words to Embrace
"Living landscape"
"Meaningful access"
"Untouched sites"
"Read the terrain"
"Local knowledge"
"Bring history alive"
"Off the tourist trail"
Cultural Enthusiast — Sample Copy
"Beyond the well-worn path to Newgrange, Ireland's megalithic landscape is full of sites that reward the intellectually curious. We'll spend a morning reading the ring forts and field systems of the Burren — a living archive of early medieval land use that most tour buses simply drive past."
Tone: scholarly, specific, peer-to-peer. References real sites and periods. Positions guide as intellectual equal, not tour operator.
Heritage Seeker — Sample Copy
"Your great-great-grandmother walked this land. We'll stand in the townland where the family famine records place her — I'll show you which field patterns date to her era, and why the pattern of emigration from this parish tells a particular story. You'll leave with more than photographs."
Tone: warm, personal, emotionally resonant. Specific to their journey. Focuses on emotional closure and legacy.
Luxury Leisure Travellers — Sample Copy
"Your itinerary is entirely private. No coach. No schedule to share. We'll visit a Neolithic passage tomb that requires landowner permission — which I've already arranged — and stop for lunch at a farmhouse that doesn't advertise. That's the Ireland most visitors never find, even on their third trip."
Tone: confident, exclusive, logistically reassuring. Emphasises the effortless premium of insider access without overselling.
05 — Imagery Direction
Atmospheric over postcard,
authentic over polished
authentic over polished
Landscape as Text
Aerial field patterns, stone walls, ring forts, passage tombs. Images that reward looking — not just scenery, but evidence. Misty and overcast is preferred over harsh bright sunshine.
Intellectual Artefacts
Old maps, handwritten manuscripts, illuminated knotwork, stacked antiquarian books. Signals depth of knowledge and scholarly credibility. Warm, amber-lit settings preferred.
Purposeful Human Presence
A person reading a landscape, not posing for a photo. Small figures in large scenery. Movement and discovery over static portraiture. No forced smiling for camera.
Untouched Heritage Sites
Sites without signage, fences, or tourist infrastructure wherever possible. Celtic crosses, standing stones, passage graves in their natural setting. Dawn or dusk lighting preferred.
Colour Temperature
Cool, desaturated greens and greys for landscape. Warm amber and gold for interiors and artefacts. Avoid oversaturated "Instagram green" — authenticity over glamour.
Images to Avoid
Generic stock travel imagery. Leprechauns, shamrocks, Guinness pints. Overcrowded tourist spots. Highly saturated "golden hour" filters. Tourist bus imagery. Anything that screams "package tour."
07 — Celtic Icon System
Symbols drawn from ancient
Irish tradition
Irish tradition
Every icon in this brand is drawn from authentic Celtic and early Irish visual tradition. Each symbol carries its own meaning and should be used intentionally — never as generic decoration. The icon system uses a two-colour palette: Forest for structure and Gold for emphasis.
4-Fold Medallion
Balance · Wholeness
The four-fold interlaced circle represents wholeness and cardinal directions. Found in illuminated manuscripts across early Christian Ireland.
Section headers · Decorative dividers · Medallion accents
Rose Knot
Abundance · Growth
A six-petalled interlaced rose — symbol of natural abundance and the flowering of Celtic artistic tradition. Elegant and balanced.
Luxury Leisure content · Testimonial frames · Premium materials
5-Loop Celtic
Protection · Journey
Five interlaced loops forming an unbroken ward. The number five in Celtic tradition represents the sacred directions including the centre — spirit.
Journey itineraries · Tour introductions · Site guides
Triquetra Knot
Trinity · Eternal Return
Three interlaced arcs with no beginning or end. The most recognised Celtic symbol — found on the Book of Kells and throughout early Irish manuscripts and high crosses.
Primary brand accent · Heritage Seeker content · Identity materials
Swirl Medallion
Motion · Time · Seasons
A circular swirl knot echoing the solar spirals carved at Newgrange — pre-dating Celtic knotwork by millennia but sharing its language of endless motion.
Cultural Enthusiast content · Archaeological site descriptions · Headers
Shield Knot
Protection · Belonging
The four-cornered ward knot used as a protective talisman. Represents the guide as guardian of authentic experience and local knowledge.
Trust signals · Guarantee statements · Testimonial blocks
6-Fold Rosette
Perfection · Craft
Six-fold symmetry from Celtic goldsmith and illuminator traditions. The rosette appears frequently in the decorative borders of the Book of Kells.
Decorative borders · Print materials · Watermarks
Quad Knot
Ancestry · Legacy
Four interlaced loops tied at a central point — representing four generations of Irish diaspora connected through a single journey back to the homeland.
Heritage Seeker content · Genealogy-related materials · Family tours
Celtic Star Knot
Navigation · Discovery
An eight-pointed interlaced star — symbol of discovery and the traveller who charts their own course off the beaten path.
Tour itinerary headers · Map elements · Cultural Enthusiast accent
Sizing
Minimum 24px for digital UI. 40–64px for feature icons. Never below 20px — knotwork detail is lost.
Colour
Use Forest + Gold on parchment backgrounds. Use Gold + Sage Light on forest/dark backgrounds. Never full-colour fills on knotwork.
Meaning
Each symbol should be chosen for its meaning, not aesthetics alone. Use the naming guide to match icon to content context.
Don't Mix
Never use more than two Celtic symbols in a single layout zone. Icons should feel rare and intentional — never wallpaper.
06 — Textures & Surface
Grounded in stone,
earth & memory
earth & memory
Limestone
Cut Limestone
The primary building stone of Ireland — cool grey with warm buff undertones. Used for walls, headers, church facades. Brings quiet weight and permanence to layouts.
Section dividers
Background panels
Print textures
Parchment
Aged Parchment
Warm, fibrous manuscript paper — evokes genealogy records, estate maps, illuminated texts. The default background texture for the brand. Never pure white.
Primary background
Document overlays
Quote cards
Wet Moss
Wet Moss & Lichen
The green-grey patina that coats ancient stonework in Ireland's damp climate. Textured, organic, slightly uneven. Signals authenticity and the passage of time.
Accent panels
Borders & frames
Celtic motif fills
Dark Peat
Bog & Peat
Rich, near-black brown — the dark earth of Irish boglands that have preserved artefacts for millennia. Deep, grounding, and weighty. Pairs with gold for dramatic contrast.
Dark mode headers
Footer backgrounds
Hero overlays
Linen
Rough Linen & Wool
Woven natural fibres — the tactile quality of handmade cloth, Aran knitwear, undyed linen. Fine directional weave gives subtle warmth without colour. Suggests craft and heritage.
Card backgrounds
Testimonial blocks
Print collateral
Weathered Oak
Weathered Oak & Timber
The warm amber grain of aged oak — farmhouse doors, estate library shelves, ancient roof beams. Horizontal grain lines suggest rootedness and longevity.
Warm accent bands
Pull quote frames
Interior photography context
Layering Principle
Textures should always be subtle — applied at low opacity (8–18%) as overlays on solid colour backgrounds. Never let texture overpower typography or imagery. Think of them as the grain you feel, not the pattern you see.
Forest + Limestone grain at 12% opacity
Texture × Colour Pairings
Forest + Peat grain
Hero sections, full-bleed headers
Parchment + Linen weave
Body backgrounds, content cards
Sage + Moss grain
Cultural Enthusiast accent areas
Gold + Limestone dust
Decorative borders, dividers, ornaments
Do & Don't with Textures
✓ Do
Use textures as subtle background layers on solid brand colours. Apply at 8–18% opacity maximum. Use consistently — one texture per background zone. Choose textures that reinforce the emotional register of the content (e.g., parchment for historical content, stone for ancient site references).✗ Don't
Don't apply textures directly to photographic imagery. Never use high-contrast textures behind body text — it destroys readability. Don't mix more than two texture types in a single layout. Avoid repeating tile patterns that look digital — all textures should feel hand-crafted and organic.08 — Logo Usage
Mark of authority
& provenance
& provenance
Irish Heritage Journeys
Expert-guided private tours
On Parchment — Primary
Irish Heritage Journeys
Expert-guided private tours
On Forest — Reversed
Irish Heritage Journeys
Expert-guided private tours
On Sage Light — Secondary
✗ Incorrect Usage
Irish Heritage Journeys
Never place on busy photographic backgrounds, never stretch or distort, never use on clashing colours, never use low-opacity treatments.
Incorrect Usage
Logo Rules at a Glance
✓ Always maintain clear space equal to the cap-height of the wordmark around the logo
✓ Use Forest, Parchment, or Sage Light backgrounds only
✓ Minimum size: 120px wide for digital, 30mm for print
✗ Do not alter typeface, spacing, or hierarchy
✗ Do not use on photographic backgrounds without a solid colour block
✗ Do not apply drop shadows, outlines, or effects
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