Holyrood Trail Association

Hike. Bike. Escape.

Big ideas, real impact.

A closer look at the problem, the thinking behind the work, and what changed once it was out in the world.

The Ask
Build a visual identity for a volunteer-run trail association that could stand up outdoors, sell as merchandise, and fund the trails it was named for.
Problem
A community of trail lovers with a clear ambition: year-round, top-notch trails in Holyrood, and no identity to carry it. The brand had to work as a badge people wanted to wear, not just a logo on a letterhead.
Constraints
An identity for a community organization has to survive real conditions: a trailhead sign, an embroidered patch, a screen-printed tee, a thermos. Every mark needed to hold up small, single-colour, and outdoors, and the system had to earn revenue on merchandise to pay for future trail work.
The Thinking
Design the primary mark as a badge: a miniature Holyrood, assembled from the place itself, so members would want it sewn on. Then build range: eleven secondary logos with vintage-outdoors structure, shape-savvy enough to move between a patch, a tote, and a tee without losing the family resemblance. A trail-toned palette and a purpose-built icon set extended the identity into wayfinding, so the brand meets people on the trail and not just on the merch table.
Product
Visual identity for the Holyrood Trail Association: primary badge, eleven secondary logos, colour palette, icon set and trail wayfinding signage, apparel, patches, tote bags, drinkware, and social.
Role
Art Director & Graphic Designer
Team
Cora Brown + Holyrood Trail Association leadership (Patrick Molloy, Vice President)
Timeline
Discovery → badge and identity system → secondary marks, wayfinding, and merchandise
The Result
A badge-led identity system with enough range to run the whole operation: trail signage, apparel, patches, totes, drinkware, and social. The secondary marks give the association a merchandise line that funds the trails, and the wayfinding icons carry the brand onto the trails themselves.
Outcome
An identity the association could adopt with confidence, and a set of marks so well received that, in the client's words, choosing just one was the hardest part.

A badge of honour.

Meet the Holyrood Trail Association, Holyrood's own crowd of trail lovers. Piecing together this badge felt like mapping out a mini Holyrood, with a side of good vibes and great company. It's a nod to their dream of top-notch trails for every season, and let me tell you, working with these folks was a total breath of fresh air.

HTC - Visual Identity, Logo
Art Director/Graphic Designer, Cora Brown

If one is good, eleven is better.

With our secondary logos, the Holyrood Trail Association isn't just walking the walk—they're talking the vintage talk. These designs work overtime: They're shape-savvy and ready to rock your merch game while funding the fun on every future trail.