Homes for living

Clann

Clann, part Clúid, provides age-friendly homes designed to support independent living for people aged 55 and over. Since its launch in 2020, Clann has grown steadily, with over 1,400 homes now in place across Ireland — and more on the way.

The name Clann, meaning family in Irish, reflects its core purpose: to provide secure, thoughtfully designed homes that allow people to age in place with dignity and connection. By late 2024, the team had developed a refreshed brand strategy that articulated this vision with clarity. The original identity hadn’t connected with residents in a meaningful way — it felt too abstract and disconnected from their lived experience.
That’s where TOTEM came in. Our role was to interpret Clann’s strategy and story — and translate them into a new identity that would feel not only aligned, but lived in.

Simplify

Our process started with a deep dive into Clann’s strategy, resident insights, and internal research. Clann had already done the hard work of defining what made them different. They were clear on what their resident valued — independence, dignity, and connection — and they knew their existing identity wasn’t working. Our role wasn’t to reinvent, but to listen, interpret, and distil.

We focused on expressing Clann’s themes of connection and community in a way that felt honest and human. We worked to create a brand that could speak directly to residents, stakeholders, and team members alike. The result was an identity that is both welcoming and assured, rooted in real insight and ready for growth.

a young black man presenting a Powerpoint presentation on a large screen to people in front of him

Create

Clann’s new identity is anchored in its brand promise: Homes for Living. It’s a simple phrase with powerful intent — a natural expression of Clúid’s vision to create great places to live. At the centre of the identity is a motif formed by three overlapping circles, representing the resident, their local community, and the wider Clann organisation and family. The confluence of these circles forms a home. This quiet but deliberate detail places “home” at the heart of everything — visually expressing connection, support, and place.

A contemporary serif typeface reinforces this tone — human, warm, and dignified — with just the right degree of formality. The identity is designed to grow with Clann: to reflect the lived reality of its residents, while also offering something aspirational. It’s confident without being corporate, emotive without being sentimental — and, most importantly, rooted in meaning from the very first line.

Empower

To bring the brand to life, we created a flexible visual language that works across the full range of Clann’s communications — on and offline. Every element was designed to feel connected, clear, and calm. The colour palette is led by a rich, grounding green, supported by warm tones of blush, ochre, and gold. These colours offer a sense of optimism and warmth while reinforcing clarity and cohesion across every touchpoint.

Working closely with the Clann team, we developed a brand toolkit that empowers them to express their story consistently — and supports their ambition to foster connected, independent living across every part of the brand experience.

Working with TOTEM was collaborative from the start. They really took the time to listen and understand Clann — not just our purpose and what we do, but what we mean to people. The new identity captures that perfectly. It feels warm, grounded and authentic. It resonated strongly with the Clann team and, most importantly, with our residents.

Laura McDonnel , Head of Communication and Policy, Clúid

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