Brand Identity for First Year Undergraduate Welcome Programme

The University of Galway provides a comprehensive welcome and settling-in programme for first-year undergraduate students. This provides students and their parents/supporters with essential information, highlights available supports, and creates opportunities to connect.

The Tús Maith | Good Start brand hierarchy demonstrates how effective brand architecture can unify a range of student support activities under one cohesive, aspirational identity. Each programme serves as a stepping stone within a structured journey of support, belonging, and student success.

Tús maith, leath na hoibre (a good start is half the work)

Tús Maith | Good Start is more than just a campaign – it is a strategic framework designed to provide first-year students with the foundation they need to succeed socially, academically, and personally at the University of Galway.

Tús Maith | Good Start serves as the umbrella brand identity to effectively communicate the various student support efforts in place at the University regarding first-year student engagement, retention, and well-being. It reassures students that, by completing the programme, they will be supported throughout their transition to third-level education.

The University required a compelling and student-centred brand identity that would resonate with both undergraduate students and their parents/supporters.

Supportive, Engaging & Empowering

The Tús Maith | Good Start brand identity is designed to create a supportive and inclusive first impression for students, offering a warm welcome into university life. It fosters connection through engaging experiences that help students build relationships and feel part of the University community from day one. At its core, Tús Maith empowers students, equipping them with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to take charge of their academic journey and thrive at the University of Galway.

What’s in a name?

Language plays a vital role in shaping first impressions. With this in mind, we proposed a series of straplines to reflect the programme’s supportive, empowering, and comprehensive nature of Tús Maith | Good Start. Our goal was to reinforce the university’s ongoing commitment to student success and well-being from the outset.

We also proposed distinctive and engaging names for the 6 core programmes within the Tús Maith | Good Start brand architecture. Each name was carefully chosen to be intuitive, appealing, and easy to remember, designed to resonate with students while clearly communicating the purpose of each offering.

The final programme names agreed upon were: Starter Pack, Web Welcome, Campus Welcome, Start Strong, Refresh & Refocus, and Freshers’ Point, each representing a meaningful stage in the student welcome journey.

Hey, that looks familiar

As part of this project, Proactive developed a clear and cohesive brand hierarchy for the programme and its 6 distinct offerings. This included brand assets designed for consistent use across future campaigns and communications.

A consistent symbol was developed to use across assets and initiatives to help students and their supporters quickly identify Tús Maith | Good Start programmes.

The asterisk (or star) icon represents Connection & Support, while the upward arrow symbolises Growth & Progress, two core themes that reflect the spirit and purpose of the University of Galway’s welcome programme. These visual cues work together to reinforce the programme’s message and values at every touchpoint.

Each of the six core programmes under Tús Maith | Good Start addresses a distinct aspect of student transition and success. These sub-brands are visually connected through consistent use of typography, colour palette, and the unifying Tús Maith | Good Start identity.

Our Project Team

Project Manager – Breda Newell
Designer – Tara Morgan