Some design projects are straightforward. A logo. A brochure. A brand refresh. Then there are projects like this one.
When the Lough Carra Catchment Association (LCCA) approached Designwest to design their Young Explorers series, the brief was clear in purpose but demanding in scope. Four illustrated nature colouring books. Four distinct cover identities. A consistent design system across every title. Educational content for children. Irish language names throughout. Colouring pages, fact panels, illustrated species references, word searches, photography, and a back cover with a QR code sending readers to loughcarra.org.
All of it needed to feel like it belonged together. All of it needed to feel like it belonged in County Mayo.
Project Overview
The Young Explorers series is a set of four A4 colouring and activity books covering the wildlife of Lough Carra, one of Ireland’s most ecologically significant lakes. Each book focuses on a single wildlife category:
- Birds of Lough Carra
- Butterflies of Lough Carra
- Insects of Lough Carra
- Wildflowers of Lough Carra
Each book follows the same structural format across eight pages: a full-colour illustrated cover, an editorial introduction spread with photography, a “Learn More” species reference page, three individual colouring pages with colour guide swatches and “Did You Know” facts, a word search activity page, and a back cover with the LCCA logo, Heritage Council funding credit, and QR code.
Designwest handled the full brochure design across all four titles — from cover concept and colour palette to interior layout, typography, species illustration integration, and print preparation.
The Client & Context
The Lough Carra Catchment Association is a community environmental organisation based in County Mayo. LCCA works to protect and restore the Lough Carra catchment, a shallow marl lake located near Castlebar that is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the EU Birds Directive.
Lough Carra is remarkable. It supports at least 140 bird species — around two-thirds of Ireland’s breeding bird species. It is home to 25 butterfly species, representing a high proportion of Ireland’s total list of 35. Of the 24 resident dragonfly species in Ireland, 14 have been recorded around Lough Carra. Its lakeshore supports over 400 species of higher plants, comparable in richness to parts of the Burren in County Clare. Several species found here are extremely rare, including the Crucifix Ground Beetle, of which fewer than ten have ever been recorded in Ireland.
This is a lake that matters. And the LCCA’s Young Explorers series is designed to make sure the next generation knows why.
The series was funded with support from An Chomhairle Oidhreachta, the Heritage Council of Ireland, reflecting its value as an educational heritage resource.
The Brief
The brief required Designwest to design four complete, print-ready publications that worked both individually and as a series.
Each book needed:
- A strong, distinct cover identity using a different colour palette per title
- Illustrated cover artwork featuring key species from that category
- An editorial interior page introducing the subject, its importance to Lough Carra, and current conservation concerns
- A full-page aerial or landscape photograph of Lough Carra
- A “Learn More” species reference page featuring three numbered, illustrated species
- Three individual colouring pages — one per featured species — each including the Irish language name, a colour reference illustration, colour guide swatches, a “Did You Know” educational fact, and a large detailed line drawing for colouring
- A themed word search activity page
- A back cover with LCCA branding, Heritage Council credit, QR code, and website URL
- Consistent use of the Young Explorers series identity throughout
The books also needed to work for schools and community groups — practical, appealing, and genuinely educational rather than generic activity content.
The Challenge
Designing four books that feel like a series without feeling like four copies of the same thing requires careful thinking. The challenge had several distinct layers.
A unified identity with four distinct personalities. Each book needed its own colour story — strong enough that a child could tell immediately which book was about birds and which was about wildflowers — while still clearly belonging to the same family.
Science content for young readers. The editorial text in each book covers genuine ecology: Special Protection Area designation, American Mink predation impact on waterbird populations, butterfly lifecycle stages, the relationship between the Marsh Fritillary and Devil’s-bit Scabious, the rarity of Limestone habitats in the west of Ireland. This is real information. The design needed to make it accessible without dumbing it down.
Integrating illustration with layout. The species illustrations are the centrepiece of each book. Each colouring page features a large, botanically accurate line drawing alongside a smaller full-colour reference illustration, a set of colour guide swatches, and supporting text. Getting those elements to sit comfortably on a single A4 page — especially given the detail level of creatures like the Green Drake Mayfly or the Fly Orchid — required precise spatial thinking.
Irish language integration. Every featured species carries its Irish name. The layout had to give those names appropriate prominence without disrupting reading flow.
Consistency at scale. With four titles, 32 pages total, and dozens of design decisions per spread, maintaining visual consistency without resorting to rigid templating was an ongoing challenge throughout the project.
Our Design Approach
Designwest’s approach to this kind of publication design starts with structure, then solves for identity. Get the grid right. Get the hierarchy right. Then introduce the personality.
For the Young Explorers series, that meant establishing a shared design system first — consistent page margins, type hierarchy, section labelling, footer treatment, and logo placement — and then developing the per-title colour identity that made each book distinctive.
The covers were the most involved element. Each title needed a strong illustrative cover that could stand on a shelf and be instantly understood. The approach was consistent: a large circular badge containing the title and a small icon, the Young Explorers series name in the header, illustrated species arranged across the page with ink-splatter watercolour accents, and the LCCA and Heritage Council logos in the footer.
The interior pages followed a tighter structural logic. The editorial spreads used a two-column text layout with a decorative initial icon, the Lough Carra photography filling the lower half of the page, and the Young Explorers footer running consistently across the series. The species reference pages used a clean single-column arrangement with numbered species callouts, allowing the illustrations to breathe.
The colouring pages were the most technically precise. Each page needed a reference illustration (small, top corner), colour swatch guide, large detailed line drawing, Irish name, species name in the grunge-style display typeface, and a “Did You Know” fact panel at the bottom — all balanced within a single A4 format that still needed generous white space for colouring.
Design Rationale & Visual Decisions
The Colour System
The four cover palettes were chosen to reflect both the subject matter and the visual feel of the species featured.
Birds uses a mid-tone coastal blue — neither sky nor water but somewhere between the two. It reads as calm, open, and slightly cool. It suits the waterbirds of Lough Carra: the Common Gull (Faoileán Bán), the Great Crested Grebe (Foitheach Mór), the Mallard (Lacha Fhiáin). The matching teal back cover maintains that register.
Butterflies uses a deep rose-pink, warm and slightly saturated. It contrasts well against the illustrated species — particularly the vivid purples and oranges of the Peacock (Péacóg), Purple Hairstreak (Stiallach Corcra), and Marsh Fritillary (Fritileán Réisc). The warmth of the colour makes the book feel inviting and summery, appropriate for a subject that is fundamentally tied to sunshine and open meadow.
Insects uses a muted teal-green, closer to sage than emerald. It reads as natural and slightly scientific, appropriate for a book covering more unfamiliar territory — the Green Drake Mayfly (Cuil Bhealtaine), the Transparent Burnet Moth, and the extraordinarily rare Crucifix Ground Beetle, recorded fewer than ten times in Ireland. The colour feels honest rather than decorative.
Wildflowers uses a deep, warm olive green — grounded and earthy. It complements the botanical illustrations beautifully: the cobalt blue of the Spring Gentian (Ceadharlach Bealtaine), the burgundy and yellow of the Fly Orchid (Magairlín na Gcuileanna), the cool violet of the Devil’s-bit Scabious (Odhrach Bhallach). The combination feels botanical in the best sense.
Across all four books, the cover backgrounds use white with loose watercolour-style ink splatter marks in a lighter tint of the cover colour. This gives the series a hand-made, naturalistic quality that suits the ecological subject matter without becoming illustrative to the point of losing clarity.
Typography
The series uses two typefaces in deliberate contrast.
The display typeface — used for species names on colouring pages and section headings — is a textured, slightly distressed slab-serif. The rough edges give it energy and approachability without becoming childish. It communicates clearly at large sizes while retaining visual interest.
The body text and supporting information use a clean, high-legibility sans-serif. The editorial text in each book covers relatively dense ecological content. A neutral, well-spaced sans-serif keeps that content readable at small sizes without competing with the illustrations.
The “Young Explorers” series logotype uses a script for “Lough Carra’s” and a bold, wide sans-serif for “YOUNG EXPLORERS” — a pairing that reinforces the dual register of the series: rooted in a real place, aimed at young readers.
Illustration Integration
The colouring page illustrations are the most critical design element in the series. They needed to be detailed enough to reward careful colouring — the wing venation on the Green Drake Mayfly, the feather detail on the Great Crested Grebe, the petal structure of the Fly Orchid — while being clear enough in line weight that a child could follow them confidently.
Each colouring page pairs the large line drawing with a small full-colour reference illustration placed in the upper corner, giving the reader a direct visual target. The colour swatch guides — three or four swatches showing the key colours for that species — bridge the reference illustration and the blank page in a practical, useful way.
The “Learn More” species reference pages use the full-colour illustrations at a larger scale, with numbered callouts and bold species names in the display typeface. These pages function as visual identification guides as much as design elements.
Photography
Each book includes an aerial or landscape photograph of Lough Carra, positioned on the editorial spread. These photographs perform a specific function: they ground the illustrated content in the real landscape. A child reading about Mallard population decline, or the distribution of Purple Hairstreaks near old Oak trees, or the Spring Gentian on dry limestone grassland — the photograph connects those words to an actual place in County Mayo.
Final Outcome & Applications
The four books in the Young Explorers series are designed for distribution to primary schools, community groups, and visitors across County Mayo and further afield. They function as:
- Educational colouring books for classroom use
- Nature identification guides for lakeside visits
- Community engagement tools for the LCCA’s conservation work
- Heritage education materials supported by the Heritage Council of Ireland
Each book closes with a QR code linking to loughcarra.org, connecting print content to the LCCA’s broader digital resources and encouraging further exploration.
The series works as a set. Placed together, the four colour-coded spines — blue, pink, teal, green — tell you immediately what you are looking at: a coherent publication series about a single, extraordinary place.
Why Choose Designwest for Publication Design in County Mayo
Designwest has been producing publication design and editorial print for Irish organisations for over 30 years. From community heritage series to government strategy documents and national policy publications, the team understands how to approach print design that needs to communicate clearly, hold up in the real world, and reflect the organisation behind it.
For community and environmental organisations in Mayo, Connacht, and across Ireland, that experience matters. The Young Explorers series required not just layout ability but an understanding of how illustrated content, ecological text, Irish language naming, educational structure, and a coherent visual identity come together within a tight page format.
The result is a series that looks considered, reads accessibly, and does justice to one of the most ecologically rich landscapes in Ireland.
If your organisation is working on a publication, a heritage series, educational materials, or printed community resources, the Designwest team would be glad to discuss the project. Find out more about our brochure and publication design services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is publication design?
Publication design is the process of planning and laying out printed materials such as books, brochures, reports, and educational resources. It involves decisions about typography, grid structure, imagery, colour, and hierarchy to make content clear, readable, and visually coherent. For projects like the Young Explorers series, it also includes managing illustrated content, photography, and bilingual text within a consistent design system.
What is included in a brochure design project?
A brochure design project typically includes initial concept development, page layout, typography selection, image and illustration integration, colour system development, and print-ready file preparation. For a series like the Young Explorers books, it also involves developing a shared design language that works across multiple titles.
How much does publication design cost in Ireland?
Publication design costs vary depending on the scope of the project — number of pages, number of titles, complexity of content, and the level of illustration or photography involved. Designwest provides clear project-specific quotes. Contact info@designwest.ie or call 094 938 2000 to discuss your project.
How long does a publication design project take?
A single A4 brochure or short-run publication typically takes two to four weeks from brief to print-ready files, depending on content readiness and revision rounds. A four-book series with illustrated content and bilingual text requires additional lead time. Designwest advises on timelines at the start of each project.
Can Designwest design educational materials for Irish schools?
Yes. Designwest has experience designing educational and community publications for Irish organisations, including heritage resources, activity books, and illustrated learning materials. Projects can be designed for both print and digital distribution.
Can Designwest design publications with Irish language content?
Yes. Designwest regularly works with Irish language content and understands the layout considerations involved, including appropriate typesetting, spacing, and visual hierarchy for bilingual publications. The Young Explorers series incorporated Irish language species names throughout all four books.
What file formats will I receive after a publication design project?
Standard deliverables include print-ready PDF files to commercial print specification (CMYK, appropriate bleed and crop marks), along with original working files. Digital versions suitable for web or screen use can also be provided on request.
Do I need to supply illustrations and photography?
Clients typically supply existing imagery, photography, and illustration assets. Designwest can work with your existing materials or advise on sourcing where needed. For the Young Explorers series, the illustrated species artwork was supplied by the client and integrated into the Designwest layout system.
Can Designwest handle both design and printing?
Designwest focuses on the design and print preparation stage. The team works closely with trusted print partners and can manage the print procurement process on your behalf, ensuring the designed files are printed correctly and to a professional standard.
What is the difference between a brochure and a publication?
A brochure is typically a shorter marketing or informational piece — a trifold, a four-page leaflet, or an eight-page saddle-stitched booklet. A publication is a longer, more structured document — a book, report, strategy document, or series. Both require the same design disciplines, but publications involve more complex grid systems and sustained typographic hierarchy across many pages.
Does Designwest work with community and environmental organisations?
Yes. Designwest has a long history of working with community groups, heritage organisations, environmental bodies, and not-for-profit clients across County Mayo and Ireland. Understanding the client’s mission and audience is a core part of every project, regardless of budget scale.
Where is Designwest based?
Designwest is based in County Mayo with an office in Dublin, giving the team a national reach while remaining grounded in the west of Ireland. The agency works with clients across Connacht, Leinster, and beyond.
Does Designwest work with clients outside Mayo?
Yes. Designwest has delivered publication and brochure design projects for clients across Ireland, including government departments, national agencies, and organisations in Dublin, Galway, and elsewhere. Location is not a barrier for any project.
What makes a good children’s educational publication design?
Good educational publication design for children balances visual appeal, clarity, and practical usability. Typography needs to be legible at small sizes. Illustration and layout need to guide the eye naturally without overwhelming the page. Activity elements like colouring pages and word searches need enough white space to be usable. The Young Explorers series addressed all of these requirements across four distinct titles.
How do I start a publication design project with Designwest?
Contact the team at info@designwest.ie or call the Mayo office on 094 938 2000. A brief initial conversation about your project scope, timeline, and objectives is all that is needed to get started. Designwest will follow up with a detailed proposal and timeline.
Can Designwest design a series of publications with a consistent visual identity?
Yes. Series design is a specific discipline requiring careful development of a shared design system that allows each title to carry its own identity while remaining visually coherent alongside others. The Young Explorers project is a good example of this approach applied across four books.
What is a marl lake, and why is Lough Carra significant?
A marl lake is a shallow, calcium-rich freshwater lake with low nutrient levels and high clarity. Lough Carra in County Mayo is considered one of the finest examples of this lake type in western Europe. Its ecological richness — supporting over 140 bird species, 25 butterfly species, 400 plant species, and rare invertebrates — makes it of national and international conservation importance.
What is a Special Protection Area?
A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a site designated under the European Union’s Birds Directive to protect habitats for rare, threatened, or migratory bird species. Lough Carra holds SPA status primarily because of its breeding Common Gull population, which is one of the main reasons the lake’s habitat must be conserved.
What birds can be found at Lough Carra?
Lough Carra supports at least 140 bird species. Featured species in the Young Explorers Birds book include the Common Gull (Faoileán Bán), the Great Crested Grebe (Foitheach Mór), and the Mallard (Lacha Fhiáin). The lake is also an important wintering ground for species including the Whooper Swan and the Greenland White-fronted Goose.
Why has the Mallard population declined at Lough Carra?
Research over the past fifty years shows a catastrophic drop in duck populations at Lough Carra, with Mallard numbers falling by up to 90%. Key causes include the arrival of the non-native American Mink, which takes chicks and eggs, and the loss of breeding and feeding habitat due to drainage and changes in agricultural practice. The Lough Carra LIFE Project has introduced control measures for American Mink and Grey Crow populations, leading to a gradual recovery in breeding duck and swan numbers.
What butterflies are found at Lough Carra?
Lough Carra and its catchment support 25 butterfly species — a high proportion of Ireland’s total of 35. Featured species in the Young Explorers Butterflies book include the Peacock (Péacóg), the Purple Hairstreak (Stiallach Corcra), and the Marsh Fritillary (Fritileán Réisc). The Purple Hairstreak is extremely rare and has been found at only two locations near Lough Carra, both associated with large old Oak trees.
What is the Marsh Fritillary butterfly?
The Marsh Fritillary (Fritileán Réisc) is a protected butterfly species found in Ireland. It is completely dependent on the plant Devil’s-bit Scabious as a food source for its caterpillars, making it highly sensitive to habitat loss. At Lough Carra it can be seen flying in May and June, particularly on sunny days.
What insects are found at Lough Carra?
The Insects book features the Green Drake Mayfly (Cuil Bhealtaine), the Transparent Burnet Moth, and the Crucifix Ground Beetle. Lough Carra also supports 14 of Ireland’s 24 resident dragonfly species, along with native bees, hoverflies, and many other insect species associated with the semi-natural grasslands fringing the lake.
What is the Crucifix Ground Beetle?
The Crucifix Ground Beetle is an extremely rare Irish beetle named for the cross-shaped red markings on its wing cases. Fewer than ten have ever been recorded in Ireland. One was found by Chris Huxley on the shores of Lough Carra, making the lake one of the very few confirmed locations for this species in the country.
What is the Green Drake Mayfly?
The Green Drake Mayfly (Cuil Bhealtaine) is found in unpolluted lakes and fast-flowing rivers. Its nymph stage can last up to two years in the water before the adult hatches in May. The Mayfly was once very common at Lough Carra but numbers have declined in recent years. It is an important indicator of ecosystem health.
What wildflowers grow around Lough Carra?
Over 400 species of higher plants grow around the Lough Carra lakeshore — around two thirds of the number found in the Burren in County Clare, and well over a third of all species in Ireland. Featured wildflowers in the Young Explorers series include the Fly Orchid (Magairlín na Gcuileanna), the Spring Gentian (Ceadharlach Bealtaine), and the Devil’s-bit Scabious (Odhrach Bhallach).
What is the Fly Orchid?
The Fly Orchid (Magairlín na Gcuileanna) is a rare Irish wildflower that grows between 20 and 60cm in height and flowers in May and June. It pollinates by releasing a scent that attracts male digger wasps. Pollen sticks to the wasp and is carried to the next flower. The Fly Orchid is found in only a few locations in Ireland, including around Lough Carra.
What is the Spring Gentian?
The Spring Gentian (Ceadharlach Bealtaine) is an intensely blue wildflower that grows just 5 to 10cm tall and flowers in April, May, and June. It is found only on dry limestone grassland in the west of Ireland and is one of the rarest and most distinctive wildflowers in the country. A few locations around Lough Carra support this important habitat type.
What is Devil’s-bit Scabious?
Devil’s-bit Scabious (Odhrach Bhallach) is a native Irish wildflower that grows up to 75cm tall and flowers from July to September. It is pollinated by butterflies and bumblebees and is the sole food plant for the caterpillars of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, making its conservation critical to that species’ survival.
What is the relationship between Devil’s-bit Scabious and the Marsh Fritillary?
The Marsh Fritillary is entirely dependent on Devil’s-bit Scabious as a food plant for its caterpillars. It lays its eggs exclusively on this plant. Where Devil’s-bit Scabious is lost — through drainage, intensive grassland management, or herbicide use — Marsh Fritillary populations collapse. Protecting the plant protects the butterfly.
Why are butterfly numbers declining in Ireland?
Many butterfly and insect species have declined alarmingly in recent decades due to pesticide use, the loss of natural grasslands, and the removal of native plant species that provide egg-laying and feeding habitat. Nearly 75% of food crops worldwide depend on pollinator insects including butterflies. The preservation of undisturbed native habitats is critical to reversing this trend.
What is the Transparent Burnet Moth?
The Transparent Burnet Moth is found only in limestone habitats in the west of Ireland. It feeds on Wild Thyme and can be seen flying on sunny days in June and July. Unlike most moths, it is a day-flying species. It is one of several very rare invertebrates recorded around Lough Carra.
Can colouring books be used as educational tools in Irish schools?
Yes. Well-designed colouring and activity books are established educational tools for primary school children. The Young Explorers series integrates species identification, ecological facts, Irish language learning, and creative activity within a single publication format, making it suitable for both classroom use and supervised outdoor learning.
What is the Heritage Council of Ireland?
An Chomhairle Oidhreachta, the Heritage Council, is an Irish state body that promotes and supports the protection and awareness of Ireland’s built, natural, and cultural heritage. It funds projects, publications, and educational initiatives that strengthen public understanding of Ireland’s heritage. The Young Explorers series was funded with Heritage Council support.
What does the LCCA do?
The Lough Carra Catchment Association is a community-based environmental organisation working to protect and restore the Lough Carra lake catchment in County Mayo. Its work spans ecological research, land management, community education, and conservation projects. The Young Explorers series is part of its education and public engagement programme.
Why does good design matter for community conservation publications?
A well-designed publication reaches its audience more effectively than a poorly designed one. For community conservation work, that means children engaging more deeply with the content, teachers finding it easier to use in class, and the broader public taking the organisation more seriously. Design is not a luxury in this context — it is part of whether the work succeeds.
Can Designwest design publications for heritage and environmental organisations?
Yes. Designwest has experience across community, heritage, environmental, and public sector publication design. The team understands the specific requirements of these sectors, including accessible language, educational structure, bilingual content, and funder branding requirements.
How does Designwest approach illustration integration in publications?
Designwest works with client-supplied illustrations or can advise on sourcing illustrators where needed. Integration involves careful attention to scale, placement, white space, and the relationship between the illustration and surrounding text and colour. For detailed scientific illustrations like those in the Young Explorers series, this is particularly important.
What is brochure design in County Mayo?
Brochure design in County Mayo refers to the professional design of printed marketing, educational, and informational materials for organisations based in or serving the Mayo region. Designwest offers brochure and publication design services from its Mayo base, with nationwide reach. Contact the team at 094 938 2000 or info@designwest.ie.
Can a publication series be designed so each book is self-contained but still part of a set?
Yes. This is a standard challenge in series design. It requires developing a shared design system — consistent typography, grid, footer treatment, and logo placement — alongside a per-title variable element, typically colour, that gives each book its own identity. The Young Explorers series is a practical example of this approach.
What print format were the Young Explorers books produced in?
Each book in the series is A4 portrait, eight pages, saddle-stitched. All four titles were produced to full commercial print specification with bleed, trim marks, and CMYK colour profiles.
Does Designwest produce print-ready files?
Yes. All Designwest publications are delivered as print-ready PDFs to the required specification, including bleed, crop marks, embedded fonts, and appropriate colour profiles for commercial offset or digital printing.
What is a word search, and why include one in an educational nature book?
A word search is a grid-based activity puzzle in which specific words are hidden horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Including one in an educational publication reinforces vocabulary acquisition in an engaging format. In the Young Explorers series, each word search uses species names from that book’s subject, giving children additional exposure to both the English and ecological terms introduced in the main content.
How can I get copies of the Lough Carra Young Explorers books?
The Young Explorers series is produced by the Lough Carra Catchment Association. Visit loughcarra.org or scan the QR code on the back cover of any book for more information.
How do I find a brochure designer near me in Ireland?
Searching for “brochure designers in Mayo”, “publication design Ireland”, or “educational print design Ireland” will return agencies and studios offering these services. Designwest is based in County Mayo and Dublin, working with clients across Ireland. Contact info@designwest.ie or call 094 938 2000 for an initial conversation about your project.
Call to Action
Working on a publication series, educational resource, or community heritage project? Designwest has the experience to deliver print-ready, professionally designed publications that do justice to your organisation and your audience.
Contact the DesignWest team today to discuss your next creative publication project. Call the Mayo office on 094 938 2000 or the Dublin office on 01 699 1777 to bring your ideas to life with expert design support.
Declan Foley is an Irish Creative Director with over 30 years of experience in graphic design, branding, print, and digital media. As Creative Director of Designwest Creatives Ltd, he leads design projects for Irish businesses, government departments, and organisations nationwide — from brand identity and publication design to large-scale print campaigns. Explore the portfolio at designwest.ie.
